Race to save Ballara, the Point Lonsdale home of ex-Prime Minister Alfred Deakin

Relatives of former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin are frantically racing to save the politician’s private Point Lonsdale retreat from being auctioned off — and are calling for government support.

Tom Harley wants to preserve Ballara for future generations. Picture: Jason Edwards

Relatives of former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin are in a frantic race against time to save the politician’s private retreat in Point Lonsdale from being auctioned off.

The $8.2m home, called Ballara, is currently owned by Mr Deakin’s last remaining grandchild and seven great grandchildren with some of the group, but not all, wanting to sell.

VCAT has been asked to order a sale by one of the owners, VCAT is likely to greenlight an auction for the 1.68ha property on March 1.

Great grandson Tom Harley will on Friday launch a campaign to raise funds to buy out the sellers before the VCAT ruling, then hand the sprawling property over to a trust for it to be preserved for future generations.

He believes he can raise $2.5m from locals and philanthropists and is urging the federal government to step in with another $2.5m.

Tom Harley, great-grandson of former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, wants to preserve the politician’s private retreat in Point Lonsdale. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Harley and a brother will donate their share of the house, to the trust, which could be run by Deakin University or the National Trust.

“The house, its contents and gardens are unique and the most intact house of an early Prime Minister,” he said.

“There is nothing else like it and we are now near a point of no return. It is critical - we either keep it for future generations or it’s gone forever.”

He added: “Its bush garden is remarkable for respecting native flora and remains an exceptional remnant heathland with many old trees and rare plants and the house retains original furnishings, books, papers, artworks and photographs and milestone documents in Australia’s nationhood. The Bellarine community, national political figures from all sides are strongly supporting the campaign.

“If the property is auctioned off, the collection will be broken up, the land will be subdivided, and it will all be lost forever.”

Tom Harley wants to hand the sprawling property over to a trust for it to be preserved for future generations. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Harley wants to preserve the house, as well as some of the original furniture like the desk and chair the PM sat at, as well as the extensive native gardens. Picture: Jason Edwards

The federal government has previously helped to fund the purchase of seven previous prime ministers including John Curtin’s house in WA, Gough Whitlam’s home in NSW and Bob Hawke’s SA and WA properties. But the Albanese government has not said if it will step in to save Ballara, which was erected in 1907.

An Environment Department spokesman would not confirm if the government would stump up the cash, instead saying that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek had included Ballara on the Australian Heritage Council’s 2023-24 priority assessment list.

Mr Harley said national heritage listing would be helpful but would not protect the property or provide it with a future.

Sir Robert Menzies former home in Malvern.

Ben Chifley’s home in Bathurst.

Bob Hawkes’ former home in Bordertown.

He said he hoped the house and gardens could be opened to the public and used as a community hub.

“I do not want to have any private interest, I just want to protect and repurpose the place with a future,” Mr Harley said.

“The house could be used as a retreat, a place for discussions, debate and scholarship which could support long-term financial viability and the garden is a rare haven of native bush with beautiful trees and flowers which already has a vital place in the Bellarine Peninsula’s increasingly suburban landscape.”

A petition to the federal government has had more than 5000 signatures so far https://saveballara.godaddysites.com/