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.

Legend has it that opera icon Dame Nellie Melba performed in the minstrels’ gallery and current-day hitmaker Tones and I filmed a music video at Noorilim estate. The high profile property has even been the breeding ground for multiple Melbourne Cup winners including 1910 champion, Comedy King, who was laid to rest within the grounds.

In 1998, prominent art dealer and entrepreneur behind Menzies International, the late Rod Menzies and his wife Carolyn, bought Noorilim for $3.325 million and set about restoring the Italianate mansion to its former glory.

Today, the 65ha property in the heart of the Goulburn Valley is on the market for only the third time in the past 50 years via Sean Cussell of Christie’s International Real Estate with a price guide of $15m.

During the Menzies’ ownership, the glamorous country estate was a venue for weddings, concerts, and private events, welcoming a long list of international guests. Chart-topping artist Tones and I filmed the video for her song Bad Child at the estate, and the period property has played its part in numerous films and television series. Singer and actor Ted Hamilton, known for roles in Division 4, Homicide, The Love Boat, M*A*S*H and Hawaii Five-O, was also a regular performer at the address.

Given its stately grandeur, Noorilim was even a successful auction centre for fine art with works by Brett Whiteley, Sidney Nolan and Jeffrey Smart sold under the hammer at the property.

Built in 1879 by celebrated architect James Gall for parliamentarian William Winter-Irving, Noorilim is a prime example of post-Gold Rush prosperity in Victoria. At the time of its construction in the mid to late-1800s, Australia had been labelled one of the richest nations on earth and Melbourne’s monied elite were spilling out of the city looking to build country estates to rival those in Great Britain. The nouveau riche began commissioning lavish ornamental houses shadowing the Gothic, Italianate and Queen Anne designs of Europe.

Noorilim’s facade is a striking example of this “boom style” architecture featuring an asymmetrical tower, ornate balustrades and grand arched loggias that frame sweeping views of the estate’s manicured grounds.

Inside, the vast 1022sq m residence has 5m ceilings and lavish period features, including 15 fireplaces, seven staircases, and intricate Corinthian columns.

At the heart of the mansion its grand hall has Minton tiles imported from England and laid by Italian artisans who were shipped out specifically for the job. There is a turret lookout, a billiard room, 10 bedrooms, four bathrooms, an office and grand formal rooms such as a lounge, library and dining room all with expansive windows showcasing views of the gardens and vineyard.

Noorilim’s name is derived from the Indigenous Yorta Yorta language and means “place of many reeds” reflecting the estate’s connection to its natural surroundings. Complementing Gall’s vision, renowned landscape designer William Guilfoyle — who worked on Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens — crafted Noorilim’s standout gardens.

The grounds are home to echidnas, kangaroos and koalas, more than 300 mature trees including ancient Moreton Bay figs, a rose garden with a central fountain, an ornamental lake, a boathouse, and even a private beach on the banks of Goulburn River. There is also an extensive wine cellar, numerous outbuildings and barns, as well as a heritage-listed water tower. The working vineyard produces Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet, and Merlot grape varieties.

Noorilim, near Nagambie, is 150kms north east of Melbourne at 205 Wahring Murchison East Rd, Wahring. The property is listed with Sean Cussell from Christie’s International Real

Property of the week: 185 Morgans Mill Rd, Bearii

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

An architectural jewel of Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, the Noorilim Estate stands as one of Australia’s most extraordinary Italianate mansions.