Property of the week: 205 Wahring Murchison East Rd, Wahring
An architectural jewel of Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, the Noorilim Estate stands as one of Australia’s most extraordinary Italianate mansions.
2 min
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
For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
Completed in 2025 by Wolveridge Architects and S. Smith Builders, this extraordinary 51-acre Mornington Peninsula estate combines award-recognised architecture, genuine farming infrastructure and remarkable self-sufficiency.
4 min
A long, winding driveway beneath mature gums provides the first indication that The Farm is not a conventional Mornington Peninsula country property.
Rather than immediately revealing the residence, the approach follows the contours of the landscape, moving through established woodland before the house emerges in a secluded clearing at 515 Tucks Road, Shoreham.
Completed in 2025, the five-bedroom estate has now been listed through Buxton’s James Redfern and Holly Longmuir with expressions of interest and an indicative price range of $18 million to $19.8 million.
At the upper end of that guide, the property could establish a new residential record for Shoreham. The existing benchmark has been reported at $16.5 million.
Set across approximately 20.64 hectares—or about 51 acres—The Farm is a contemporary interpretation of the Australian rural homestead, designed by Wolveridge Architects and constructed by award-winning Mornington Peninsula builder S. Smith Builders.
The property’s vendors, builders Vicki and Steve Smith, reportedly acquired the land through Smith Investments Australia for $4.2 million in 2019. They moved into the completed home in April 2025 and are now selling as they prepare to relocate to Portsea.
A farmhouse reduced to two buildings
Rather than allowing the estate to develop as a scattered collection of rural structures, Wolveridge Architects consolidated its principal functions into two carefully positioned buildings: the main residence and a substantial farm shed.
The structures face a broad central forecourt and sit within a larger composition of native woodland, productive pasture and views towards Western Port Bay.
It is an approach informed by the way Australian farms traditionally evolve, but made more deliberate. Instead of accumulated sheds and outbuildings, the property presents as a resolved architectural precinct.
The principal residence spans approximately 638 square metres. Its defining feature is an inverted radial roofline supported by a visible grid of ironbark posts and beams.
The roof rises towards the tree canopy and open sky, lending an unexpected lightness to a house of considerable scale. Blackbutt cladding, extensive glazing and timber detailing further soften the relationship between the building and its surroundings.
Wolveridge Architects describes the property’s location as Bunurong country and credits Jerry Wolveridge, Laura Tindall and Jessica Corbett as members of the project team.
The Farm was shortlisted in the New House Over 200 Square Metres category of the 2026 Houses Awards and in the Living Space category of the 2026 INDE Awards. Its published architectural photography is by Jack Carlin.
Designed around the landscape
Throughout the house, long internal sightlines and carefully framed openings maintain a connection with the surrounding gums, paddocks and distant water.
The central living, dining and kitchen space sits beneath soaring timber-lined ceilings. A monumental fireplace formed from Dromana granite anchors the room, while a second wood-burning fireplace serves a more intimate living zone.
The kitchen combines stained Tasmanian oak cabinetry with Austral Dream Dolomite and Pilbara Green Dolomite surfaces. A suite of Swiss V-Zug appliances supports its practical role, while a temperature-controlled, timber-lined wine cellar provides a dedicated space for collectors.
Belgian French oak flooring, Swiss wool carpet, Eco Outdoor stone paving, brushed-nickel fittings and extensive custom joinery continue the natural, materially rich palette.
A sheltered internal courtyard introduces northern light into the centre of the floor plan. Conceived as a protected garden within the wider landscape, it provides an outdoor space removed from the property’s more exposed rural environment.
The architecture repeatedly shifts between those two conditions: the openness of a large rural holding and the security of carefully protected interior and courtyard spaces.
A resort within a working estate
The Farm’s lifestyle credentials extend well beyond its principal living areas.
A fully tiled 14-metre swimming pool and adjoining spa sit within landscaped surrounds, creating a private resort zone connected to multiple outdoor entertaining spaces.
The grounds include indigenous planting, native woodland and productive pasture, together with approximately 591 metres of frontage to Stony Creek.
A separate 216-square-metre farm shed, fencing, cattle infrastructure, water systems and multiple access points ensure the estate has genuine rural capability. This is not merely a large house styled to resemble a farm.
Technology has been integrated throughout the property via a Control4 system governing lighting, climate, security, gates, blinds, irrigation and pool functions. The house also includes hydronic heating, zoned reverse-cycle airconditioning, motorised window furnishings, monitored security, video intercom and Starlink connectivity.
Its sustainability infrastructure is similarly substantial. More than 235,000 litres of water storage is paired with a 70-panel, 30.8kWp solar system, Tesla Powerwall battery storage and electric-vehicle charging.
The result is a house capable of delivering the comfort and automation expected of a contemporary trophy residence while maintaining a high degree of self-sufficiency.
That balance may be The Farm’s greatest achievement. Despite its scale, luxury finishes and extensive technology, the residence does not attempt to overpower its setting.
Its architecture instead directs attention outwards—to the tree canopy, the cattle in the paddocks, Western Port Bay and the changing conditions of the surrounding landscape.
For buyers seeking a private Mornington Peninsula estate with architectural credibility and room for a genuine rural life, The Farm represents one of the region’s most compelling new offerings.
The Farm at a glance
- Address: 515 Tucks Road, Shoreham, Victoria
- Property type: Acreage/semi-rural estate
- Price guide: $18 million to $19.8 million
- Sale method: Expressions of interest
- Bedrooms: Five
- Bathrooms: Five
- Parking: Five cars
- Land: Approximately 20.64 hectares or 51 acres
- Residence: Approximately 638sqm
- Farm shed: Approximately 216sqm
- Architect: Wolveridge Architects
- Builder: S. Smith Builders
- Completed: 2025
- Pool: Fully tiled 14-metre pool with adjoining spa
- Creek frontage: Approximately 591 metres to Stony Creek
- Water storage: More than 235,000 litres
- Energy: 70-panel, 30.8kWp solar system with Tesla Powerwall storage
- Selling agents: James Redfern and Holly Longmuir, Buxton Mornington Peninsula–Flinders
- Listing: View the live property campaign
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