‘Deadset the right people’: Anonymous buyer picks up Lismore’s oldest surviving home, Monaltrie Homestead

Lismore’s oldest surviving home – built 162 years ago – has been bought by an anonymous, prominent local resident. See why the previous owner believes the buyer is the right man to fix it up.

Lismore's oldest surviving home, Monaltrie Homestead, built about 1861 and first owned by Lismore's founder William Wilson has changed hands. (Neil Short inset). Picture: Gianni Francis

Lismore’s oldest surviving home, Monaltrie Homestead, has been bought by a prominent local figure – who has asked to stay anonymous.

The 162-year-old home was built about 1861 and first owned by Lismore’s founder, William Wilson, making it iconic to the area.

The property was most recently owned by Neil Short, of Ian Weir & Son Real Estate Agents.

Mr Short owned the homestead for a few years, but said he’d parted with the property as a significant investment was needed to make it a liveable home.

Monaltrie Homestead is symbolic of Lismore.

Mr Short said the decision to sell came after a casual, coincidental conversation with the buyer.

“He said to me, ‘you know where I can find an old house’ – I said, ‘how old do you want it?’,” he said.

Mr Short said he believed the right person had bought the old house to fix it up.

“I wouldn’t have sold it to just anyone,” he said.

“He seemed to be genuinely in love with the old house - he and his wife both - were just impressed with the bones of the building.

Monaltrie Homestead.

“Deadset the right people to do something with it … bring it back to life.”

Mr Short did not disclose the sale price, but said it “wasn’t silly”.

“The right fella buying it was more important than the money,” he said.

Mr Short had bought the place from Chris Hensley after the Hensley family had owned the property for decades.

Chris Hensley lived in the Monaltrie Homestead, one of the oldest houses in Lismore, for 38 years.

Sisters Anne Williams, Gabrielle Hensley and Sue Hamilton said at an auction for the homestead in 2018 that they had many fond memories at the property, which their cattle-farming grandfather bought six decades earlier.

“It’s been in the family since 1960,” Ms Williams said.

“It was the founder of Lismore, William Wilson’s house, and he’s actually buried on the property in the old cemetery with his descendants.

A 2018 auction of the historic Monaltrie Homestead.

“I think that’s what it’s all about, it’s maintaining the history and the heritage of the house.

“That’s what our oldest brother, Christopher, has tried to do with the place.”

Monaltrie Homestead was built by master builder William Clements with red cedar, white beech and hoop pine.