WHY WILLOW VALE MILL IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND COUNTRY ESTATE

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.