News Corp Australia
First published 17 Mar 2026, 12:30am
Former The Farmer Wants A Wife stars Jo and Rob Hodges are selling their Mount Gambier home.
Reality TV sweethearts Jo and Rob Hodges have put their Mount Gambier home on the market to fully commit to their new life in Queensland.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2010 after meeting on season two of The Farmer Wants A Wife, bought the historic home – a former hospital – five years ago, after Mr Hodges sold his family’s cattle farm, on the outskirts of town.
With their three children, they moved to Noosa in 2024, in part to allow eldest daughter Darcy to pursue a career in swimming, but have returned to Mount Gambier frequently to oversee Ms Hodges’ health and wellbeing studio, The Nourish Nook.
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Jo and Rob Hodges with their children Darcy, 14, Maggie, 11 and Roy 8. Picture: Instagram
Their Mount Gambier home at 89 Bay Rd has a rich history in the area.
It was a doctor’s residence when it was first built.
The closure of the studio late last year has now prompted the sale of their four-bedroom home at 89 Bay Rd, just moments from Mount Gambier’s world famous Blue Lake and well known by locals as one of the district’s most iconic residences.
“It’s definitely a house we had always looked at. It’s very private from the street but a lot of people know it,’’ Ms Hodges said.
“Coming from the farm, we were used to lots of space and this was a big home with really big gardens. It was just really beautiful.’’
Ms Hodges said her family had become “obsessed’’ with the history of the home, which originally started out as a doctor’s residence.
“Some articles say it was built in the late 1800s and other articles say it was built in 1903 or something so it’s hard to decipher what year it actually was built’’ she said, with PropTrack data reporting it was constructed in 1890.
The home later became West Kirby Private Hospital, operated by Sister Elsie Howard-Jones.
After the private hospital closed in 1945, Ms Hodges said there were discussions of it reopening as a public maternity hospital but those plans were scuttled due to a lack of funds and the property reverted back to a private residence.
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The Hodges bought the four-bedroom home five years ago.
The home is on a 1652sqm block near Mount Gambier’s world famous Blue Lake.
Jo and Rob met on TV program The Farmer Wants a Wife.
She said many of the building’s original features remained, including its leadlight windows, marble fireplaces, front door and the doorbell.
“We were very drawn to the house because of the story of it being such an important part of the community as a hospital and also housing for doctors and nurses,’’ Ms Hodges said.
“Even though it’s an old house and has a lot of history, it’s not a creepy house – it’s warm and there’s lots of (natural) light.
“We have added little mod cons but (aesthetically) we have kept it pretty much exactly as it was when we bought it – even the gardens we haven’t touched, we have only pulled out two trees since we’ve been here and that was because they were dead.’’
While the family has embraced their new lifestyle in the Sunshine State, Ms Hodges said they would be regular visitors to Mount Gambier, where many friends still remain.
“Rob still considers Mount Gambier his home and the kids were all born there,’’ she said.
“It’s still a very special place for us and we travel back there a lot.’’
Offers for the home, which is listed with Ray White Mount Gambier without a price guide, close on April 8.
– by Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 