Property of the week: 185 Morgans Mill Rd, Bearii

Finding the time to hit the fairway isn’t a problem for anyone sporting their own golf course at home. Clarendon Eyre alongside the iconic Murray River in northern Victoria is a rural retreat with a difference — it’s home to five holes, complete with manicured fairways, genuine bunkers and a turquoise ornamental lake.

The Miller family bought the expansive estate as a traditional farm 18 years ago and set about turning the 105ha parcel into an all generations playground. Almost two decades later, Josh Miller and his wife Steph Claire Smith, a fitness influencer who recently appeared on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, got hitched at the picturesque property that holds a special place in their hearts.

“My wife and I first met there after her parents bought a property one paddock across. She was 12, I was 15, and in 2019 we had our wedding at the property so it’s really full of memories for us.”

The project manager and photographer is one of four siblings who grew up at Clarendon Eyre.

“I spent a lot of my life riding motorbikes and playing golf there. When we first bought it, there were a few very basic sand scraped greens. One day our Dad, who’s a retired horticulturist, bought a bag of golf balls off eBay and we started hitting them into the bush, but he had a better idea. One green turned into two, then three, four and five!” Miller adds.

Designed to replicate Augusta National, the rare private course features Santa Ana couch and Mackenzie Bent grass and has been meticulously maintained by a full-time team using top-tier equipment, all negotiable in the sale.

Nathan Verwoert and Robert Fletcher of Forbes Global Properties are marketing the 105ha property with a price guide of $8 million to $8.8 million.

“I’ve been in this job since 2009 and I get to see some pretty beautiful homes, but this just blows your mind. When you arrive, the property just comes out of left field and is such an oasis. It’s certainly one of the most unique properties I’ve ever had the pleasure of selling,” Verwoert says.

“It’s been a real labour of love for this family, who over a couple of decades have improved it and created their own sanctuary over the course of the time.”

Clarendon Eyre’s main residence is a tale of two houses, one is the former Mornington Art Gallery while the other was a weatherboard from Malvern in Melbourne. Both were relocated and connected to create an impressive seven-bedroom, five-bedroom homestead.

To marry the pair of properties, an architectural ‘bridge’ was conceived and now plays host to an expansive formal dining space that caters for up to 18 people and flows out to a shady alfresco area.

Neighbouring the landmark river which separates the two states, the Bearii estate is flanked by grand red gums, palm trees and space for rolling paddocks. Beyond the unique personal golf course, the land also houses an upgraded tennis court, a basketball court, a heated pool, spa and an Olympic built-in trampoline.

Following a recent refurbishment, the house has high-end features including Kustom timber floors, porcelain bench tops, automatic DIY Blinds, Control4 smart technology and Sonos sound system throughout including the home cinema.

The Bearii property is approximately a three-hour drive, or 45 minute helicopter journey, from Melbourne.

Clarendon Eyre is listed via an expressions of interest campaign through Forbes Global Properties with a price guide of $8 million to $8.8 million.

Australia’s housing debate is often dominated by affordability and supply, but a new collaboration between Brickworks and acclaimed architecture firm Kennedy Nolan argues the conversation should also focus on the quality and longevity of the homes being built.

The project, titled Our Next Neighbourhood, examines how suburban housing could evolve in response to shrinking block sizes, rising energy costs, increasing density and changing family structures.

Rather than proposing luxury dream homes, the initiative focuses on what its creators describe as achievable suburban housing models that are more flexible, sustainable, and better suited to modern Australian life.

Brickworks commissioned Kennedy Nolan to investigate what suburban housing might look like if “design, long-term liveability and enduring materials were placed at the centre of the conversation”.

The result is two housing concepts, known as the Street Terrace and Canopy Terrace, which explore higher-density living while maintaining access to green space, natural light and privacy.

The designs incorporate adaptable floorplans that can evolve as family needs change, along with passive design principles intended to reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.

Brett Ward, General Manager of Marketing at Brickworks, said the company wanted to broaden the discussion around housing beyond simply increasing supply.

“Much of the housing conversation today is understandably focused on supply and affordability, but there is an equally important discussion to be had about the quality and longevity of the homes we build,” he said.

“We wanted to explore how thoughtful design, combined with durable, resilient materials, could create homes that not only function well today, but continue to support Australian families and communities long into the future.”

Kennedy Nolan said the project was partly inspired by concerns that contemporary housing often struggles to adapt to changing household structures and environmental pressures.

The architects said innovation in suburban housing was “essential” to address changing family groupings, energy use, urban heat island effects and growing disconnection from place.

According to the design team, the concepts draw on lessons from some of Australia’s most influential housing projects while seeking to create neighbourhoods with stronger links to landscape, community and local identity.

Rachel Nolan, founder of Kennedy Nolan, said the practice saw an opportunity to reimagine suburban housing as something “more connected to our climate, our landscape, our communities and our Australian identity”.

The project comes as policymakers, developers and planners continue searching for ways to deliver more housing without sacrificing liveability, neighbourhood character or long-term sustainability.

Property of the week: 185 Morgans Mill Rd, Bearii

The expansive estate is being offered for sale for the first time in 18 years

Brickworks has enlisted acclaimed architecture studio Kennedy Nolan to explore how homes could become more adaptable, energy-efficient and connected to community.