A Piece Of Upper Hunter History

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 20, 2007

By MICHELLE HARRIS

AN historic homestead near the Upper Hunter town of Aberdeen has been listed with MacCallum Inglis for $1.6 million.

Considered a landmark property in the area, the Blairmore homestead, in Blairmore Road, cuts a distinct shape on the landscape.

It is set on 28.34 hectares (70 acres) of productive flats and has a 560-metre frontage to the Hunter River and a 260-metre frontage to the New England Highway.

Vendors Peter and Anne Daunton are moving to a smaller home in Scone after 42 years at Blairmore.

They first spied the homestead when driving through the area while on a visit from Melbourne.

"The first time I ever saw it I thought, 'Isn't it divine'," Mrs Daunton said.

"I never dreamed I'd own it one day."

The land was covered in thick thistles when they bought it, but the Dauntons soon pruned it back.

Blairmore was operated as a dairy until about 1988, then used for hay-making and cattle production.

About 95 per cent of the property is arable and the land is suitable for both horses and cattle.

The property has a 99-megalitre irrigation licence and a 25-megalitre supplementary licence.

"It's a really nice little farm, just the sort that a lot of people are looking for," listing agent Michael Burke said.

"It's got very fertile land and a bit of a history to it."

In the early 1800s Peter McIntyre, the overseer at Segenhoe homestead, obtained a grant for the land and dubbed the property Blairmore.

But it is unclear who actually built the homestead.

Mrs Daunton said it was believed the house was built by the Jeffrey family in the first half of the 1800s. It was later sold to the Hall brothers from Dartbrook. Ebenezer Hall served as mayor of Aberdeen in the early 1900s.

What is clear is that the gracious homestead was built by convict labour, with hand-made nails and bricks which are still intact.

The house has high ceilings, six bedrooms, a formal dining room, a formal lounge, a study, an informal living room, a sewing room and wide verandas that stretch around the house.

The bathroom and kitchen were updated by the Dauntons and a second bathroom was added upstairs.

The kitchen has a large walk-in pantry and a dishwasher.

There are also floor-to-ceiling storage cupboards in the home.

For inspections phone Michael Burke on (02) 6545 1211 or 0429 692 454.

Gone fishing

A TIDY weekend retreat near Paterson is listed with Century 21 Ransom Real Estate for $449,000.

The property, at 113 Black Rock Road, Martins Creek, has gullies, tree-lined areas and some grassland areas for animals.

The cottage, built from Hebel brick for insulation with a Colorbond roof, is about five years old and it is set on about five hectares (13 acres).

The open-plan cottage has a mezzanine bedroom.

There is also a machinery shed, a studio workshop and a septic tank on the property.

There's the opportunity to enjoy fishing or boating on a nearby dam.

The property is about 10 minutes from Paterson.

Phone 4933 8011 for more information.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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