WHY WILLOW VALE MILL IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND COUNTRY ESTATE
This ‘unicorn’ property is on the market for the first time in 50 years
3 min
Half a century ago Willow Vale Mill was a crumbling ruin. However the period property’s revival became a life-long passion project for its owner, Graham Liney. Now the unique homestead is on the market for the first time in 50 years, with a price guide of $4.25 million through David Medina of Sotheby’s International Realty.
The chef and potato farmer, who pioneered an innovative “diabetic” spud now sold worldwide, bought the run down 8ha estate in 1972 and set about transforming the original 1830s flour mill into a home and hospitality residence loved by locals and city slickers alike.
Willow Vale Mill has since become a landmark property in Laggan, less than 10 minutes’ drive from the historic town of Crookwell, NSW. It has been a guest house, a function centre and on Saturday nights the venue regularly hosted a famous four-course feast.
“The property has had a colourful past. People remember it for the accommodation, the restaurant, and the Saturday night entertainment that Graham ran there for many years,” Medina said.
“But the place is now on the market as purely a private residence for someone to enjoy as a family retreat or a short term accommodation opportunity.”
As well as being home to a once-thriving guest house, the property also includes plenty of space for farming potential. Liney grew potatoes on site for decades and eventually embarked on the challenge of finding a potato suitable for diabetics and pre-diabetics. He registered the low GI spud known as the Carisma and began marketing it internationally in the 2010s. Over the years, Liney has developed more than 40 potato varieties.
Inspired by the rambling farmhouses of rural Tuscany, where Liney now lives operating a new hospitality venture, he created a grand six-bedroom main residence with a versatile floor plan over four levels with multiple living spaces inside and out. In addition, there is a separate studio space, a railway station building, and various multipurpose out houses.
“I’d love someone to revive it as an up market restaurant or wedding reception venue, but they’ll need to work on creating more accommodation. Or it would make a grand house for someone who wants a country pad. It’s ideal for someone who really loves country living with ample grounds, which took me 50 years to plant and build and grow,” Liney explained.
“My great love has always been building and gardening. I enjoy people and food, but I really love gardening so the grounds at Willow Vale are very special to me.”
Throughout the expansive grounds there is a a grand pond, a sculptured garden, a walled garden, an amphitheatre, walking trails, a walled garden and a creek complete with platypus.
Willow Vale Mill has had just five owners in almost two centuries and ceased business as a mill in the 1920s.
“It’s quite unique because it’s in good condition and ready to be transformed in someone’s dream home. I’ve looked for a mini version of it in NSW, from Cowra to Cootamundara, from Yass to Orange — I can’t find anything,” Liney added.
Medina agreed that the rare residence is a real estate unicorn; something that resembles more of a European manor and parklands than an Aussie country house.
“There’s not another one of these in the country. It’s a one-of-a-kind property that I don’t think will ever be repeated. It’s also on about 20 acres and comprises almost a quarter of the village of Laggan,” he said.
“If you want to save yourself the business class airfare, the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney or 20 minutes from Canberra, this will transport you to your own private slice of Tuscany or the French provincial countryside.”
Willow Vale Mill is on the market with David Medina of Sotheby’s International Realty New South Wales.
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A sprawling French Provincial-inspired estate on two hectares has hit the market with a $17 million to $18 million price guide.
2 min
A grand 2ha family compound in Sydney’s north west has come to market with expectations it could break through the current price benchmark for the sprawling semi-rural suburb.
The Middle Dural estate at 65 Cranstons Rd is listed with William Brush of Manor Real Estate and has a price guide of $17 million to $18 million.
If the trophy home hits its target, the six-bedroom, five-bathroom residence will become the district’s priciest property.
Currently, the house price record for Middle Dural and the broader Hills District sits with 3 McLeod Rd. That stately mansion, also on 2ha, achieved $15 million last June through Manor Real Estate.
American architect John Henry designed the elaborate two-storey Cranstons Rd house, which merges French Provincial sophistication and Hamptons glamour alongside indulgent resort-inspired amenities.
Beyond security gates, a sweeping driveway and statement fountain announce the modern mansion with its classic columns and elegant porch.
Inside, a dramatic entrance foyer immediately captures attention upon arrival, with soaring 6m ceilings, a chandelier, and an elegant double-curved staircase as a standout centrepiece.
The home’s spacious floorplan covers approximately 1200 sq m of living space, specifically crafted to accommodate every event, from intimate family gatherings to large-scale entertaining.
Formal and informal lounge and dining areas flow out to multiple alfresco spaces, including the vast casual family zone and a stone kitchen complete with a fireplace, high-end integrated appliances, a long eat-at island bench, and a fully equipped butler’s pantry.
There is also a home theatre, a billiards room with a marble cocktail bar, a walk-in wine cellar and tasting room, a large home office or guest suite with bathroom, and a fully equipped gymnasium.
The detailed craftsmanship throughout the home includes herringbone timber floors, coffered ceilings, bespoke joinery and walls of windows framing the leafy outlook and grounds.
Upstairs, a mezzanine gallery separates two accommodation wings. On one side, the palatial main bedroom has a sitting area, a private balcony, and a large dressing room featuring two accessory tables. In the spacious ensuite, there are dual vanities, two showers and a freestanding bathtub.
Five more bedrooms, each with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite, and an upper-level library that is ideal for children’s study or as a second home office.
The outdoor amenities at the Middle Dural compound rival a five-star resort with a 20m swimming pool, a championship-sized floodlit tennis court, and a separate entertainer’s pavilion that includes an outdoor kitchen, an open fireplace, a bathroom, and a sauna.
Additional features include elaborate chandeliers and feature lighting, a wine display wall, ducted air conditioning, decorative wainscoting, wallpaper, carpeted bedrooms, security and solar panels.
Surrounding the manor, the manicured gardens consist of expansive lawns and sculpted hedges, with an established neighbouring forest.
Popular schools, shopping centres, cafés and everyday amenities are within easy reach, with Sydney’s CBD approximately 40 km away.
The Middle Dural estate at 65 Cranstons Rd is listed via private treaty with William Brush of Manor Real Estate.
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