A circa 1904 heritage listed manor in northern New South Wales, which has been a popular accommodation spot for celebrities and politicians, has hit the market with price hopes of $3 million plus.
Blair Athol Estate, located at 37 Blair Athol Road, Inverell, is a grand two-storey 12 bedroom double brick homestead built on ironstone foundations, with 19th century hallmarks including pressed metal ceilings, leadlight windows, fireplaces with mantles, and a mahogany staircase.
Sales agent Miles Devlin, LJ Hooker Inverell said it was the first time in two decades that Blair Athol has been listed for sale and its owners have successfully operated a luxury accommodation, event venue and day spa.
“They've also run events there, like weddings. They used to, it is approved, and they used to run it as a B&B,” Mr Devlin said.
“They don't do so much on the B&B side of things now, just because they have other things that they've been doing."
“It's been very, very successful for them and they loved their time doing it, but they're just ready to do something else. They didn't want to sell because they had to, they wanted to sell on their own terms," he said.
“Inverell is such a lovely rural community, and they’ve been very invested in the community and they really enjoyed it, and it's been a very tough decision for them.”
The estate has featured in Channel 7 television show, Sydney Weekender, as well as in Farmer Wants a Wife and has had famous guests including Australian TV vet Harry Cooper.
Sitting on 21.85ha of basalt soil, with up to 2ha of heritage-listed gardens, the grounds were first established in the late 1800s.
The grounds also include a small Ironstone cemetery, where the original owners of Athol House were buried.
“So that's been built out of the same ironstone used in the foundations of the house,” Mr Devlin said.
“You can’t see it from the house but it’s in the garden and it’s really lovely.”
In its State Heritage Listing, Blair Athol is described as "one of the largest homesteads, and one of only two, two storeyed English Vernacular style in the Shire".
"It is in good condition, being largely intact and containing many fine typical features of the Federation style", it stated, while also noting it demonstrates the prosperity of the district and the turn of the 20th century.
Other features of the sprawling estate include a gardener's cottage, coach house, a tennis court, a sunken garden with a fire pit and underground water.
The future new owner of Blair Athol has the option to also purchase about 90% of the furniture, Mr Devlin said.
The Expressions of Interest campaign to buy Blair Athol Estate closes April 28.
English (US) · 