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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4 min
Toorak’s reputation has been built on grand estates, tightly held boulevards and some of Melbourne’s most valuable residential land. Yet one of its rarest attributes is largely hidden from the street: direct frontage to the Yarra River.
Although the river traces much of Toorak’s northern boundary, just over 20 homes in the blue-chip suburb are believed to border the water—and fewer still provide genuine river access. There is no definitive public register of Toorak homes with private jetties, but prestige agents have consistently described them as only a handful.
It is rare, then, for a property offering both river frontage and direct water access to become available in Melbourne’s so-called billionaire’s playground. The newly built Solara on Orrong Road presents precisely that opportunity.
Set on approximately 1,129sqm, the five-bedroom residence descends towards the river, culminating in a private, double-tiered jetty. Here, the Yarra is more than a distant outlook: it becomes part of daily life, offering a place to launch a boat, relax beside the water or travel towards the city from home.
That distinction is significant in Toorak. Many of the suburb’s finest properties offer scale, security and architectural pedigree, but very few combine all three with direct access to the river.
Architecture shaped by the site
Designed by Melbourne studio Alta and constructed by EASTON, Solara has been conceived as a series of interconnected levels descending towards the Yarra.
Rather than presenting as a single imposing volume, the house responds to its sloping site through stepped terraces, landscaped outdoor areas and large expanses of glazing. The architecture gradually reveals the water, drawing the eye through the interior and towards the river below.
The design has earned Solara a nomination in the 2026 Master Builders Excellence in Housing Awards.
Inside, a restrained material palette allows texture, proportion and natural light to carry the design. Stone, timber, glass and finely detailed joinery establish a sense of permanence without overwhelming the river setting.
The principal living area is arranged beneath a dramatic double-height ceiling, giving the room the scale expected of a major Toorak residence while maintaining a strong connection to the garden and water.
Full-height glazing opens the house to its outlook, while multiple living and entertaining spaces allow the property to transition between intimate family use and larger gatherings.
A private resort beside the Yarra
Solara’s principal living spaces open onto an expansive river-facing terrace containing a swimming pool and spa.
The outdoor area has been positioned to take advantage of both the northern light and the relative seclusion of the riverbank. Mature landscaping provides another layer of privacy, softening the architecture and creating the atmosphere of a private resort.
Below, the grounds continue towards the double-tiered jetty.
The residence also incorporates a dedicated wellness area and gym, reinforcing the sense that the home has been designed to provide a complete lifestyle within its boundaries.
Its accommodation includes five bedrooms and six bathrooms, with the principal suite occupying a private domain of its own. The house also provides garaging for four cars—an important consideration in a property of this scale.
Across the residence, the emphasis is less on overt decoration than on volume, outlook and craftsmanship. Sightlines have been carefully managed so that the river is encountered repeatedly, rather than being confined to a single formal room.
A different expression of Toorak prestige
Toorak’s luxury market is often associated with historic mansions and large European-inspired estates. Solara represents a more contemporary interpretation of the suburb: architecturally ambitious, highly private and organised around lifestyle rather than formality.
Its position also places it within a particularly scarce segment of the market.
Riverfront homes have previously appeared along addresses including St Georges Road and Edzell Avenue, although they tend to remain in the same ownership for long periods. Even among these properties, private jetties and convenient access to the water are not universal.
That scarcity separates Solara from other prestige homes that may offer river views without actually reaching the river.
For buyers operating at the upper end of Melbourne’s residential market, the value proposition is therefore not simply the size of the house or its list of amenities. It is the combination of new architecture, substantial land, resort facilities and an attribute that cannot readily be recreated: private access to the Yarra from Toorak.
Solara is being marketed with a guide of $16.8 million to $18.3 million through Jamie Mi of Kay & Burton.
Property snapshot
Address: 803 Orrong Road, Toorak, Victoria
Guide: $16.8 million–$18.3 million
Agent: Kay & Burton agent Jamie Mi
Land: Approximately 1,129sqm
Accommodation: Five bedrooms, six bathrooms and four-car accommodation
Design: Alta
Builder: EASTON
Key features: Private jetty, direct river access, gym, indoor spa and double-height living volume
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