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.
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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
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Award-winning and almost invisible by design, Azuris offers a rare chance to own a waterfront foothold on tightly held Hamilton Island.
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Plenty of visitors check in for a short stay in the Whitsundays, but only a select few can stake a claim to their own piece of paradise.
Hamilton Island, home to around 200 permanent residents, is one of the only places in the Whitsundays chain where homebuyers can enter the property market.
Azuris, on the western side of the popular holiday isle, is a head-turning designer home with enviable views and an award-winning story.
The striking three-bedroom waterfront residence was completed in 2011, and a year later, architect Renato D’Ettorre was awarded a Queensland Building of the Year gong from the Australian Institute of Architects.
Now set to go under the hammer on May 10, as part of an uber auction event with Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty, Azuris will be among 12 other luxury beach houses up for grabs, including eight more on the tightly held island.
Because the Hamilton Island house is selling via auction, Queensland law forbids the agency from publishing a price guide; however, a previous attempt to list the home via private treaty sheds some light on expectations.
Last year, 5 Plum Pudding Close came to market with a guide price of $12 million.
Current selling agent Carol Carter, who is marketing the home with Sotheby’s colleague Wayne Singleton, said the overseas-based owner now travels down under less often, so has decided to offload the property.
Known locally as the “invisible house”, Azuris blends architectural pedigree with an unparalleled setting.
Positioned on a section of the island where the land falls steeply towards the water, the elevated concrete, stone and glass residence – that features a crowning layer of grass on the roof – is seemingly hidden from view.
When inside, grand disappearing glass sliding doors frame the coveted water views, while clean, contemporary lines and natural stone surfaces enhance the 21st-century beach house appeal.
On the main level, the kitchen features integrated Boffi appliances, and the open plan living space opens out to dining terraces, an outdoor kitchen, a pool cabana, and a dramatic infinity pool that merges with the Coral Sea beyond.
As an added bonus, a central tanning deck seemingly floats within the pool, positioned to take in the million-dollar views.
The main bedroom suite on the same floor has a dressing room and a large ensuite, and opens onto both the pool deck and a private lawn courtyard.
One level lower and there are two more bedrooms with en-suites and terraces, plus a second entertainment space.
Down at street level, there is a private buggy port, as no private cars are permitted on the island. Azuris also has access to a nature strip that directly connects to the water’s edge.
Hamilton Island properties are sold under a leasehold title.
The head lease of Hamilton Island is a perpetual lease from the Crown (Queensland Government), and individual properties are sold via subleases with a 99-year lease term and a further 99-year option.
The first expiry for all property subleases is 31 March 2078. Hamilton Island properties are also approved for purchase by international buyers under FIRB guidelines.
The largest inhabited island of the Whitsunday Islands, Hamilton Island has its own public airport with direct flights to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Azuris at 5 Plum Pudding Close, Hamilton Island is set to go to auction on May 10 at 3pm with Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty.
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