Family fiefdom for sale

DESCRIBED as a mini version of Tasmania's King Island, a 24ha island in NSW is up for sale for the first time in a century.

Sketchley's Island

DESCRIBED as a mini version of Tasmania's King Island, a 24ha island near Newcastle is up for sale for the first time in a century.

Sketchleys Island in the Karuah River is listed at just under $500,000 and was once a thriving dairy operation, with the rich soil producing award-winning cream.

After staying in the Sketchley family for three generations, Robert and his wife Lenore have decided to sell it.

"Dad always said the cattle loved coming back to the island because the grass was so good," Mr Sketchley said.

"There was a horse bred on the island and had been sold through several owners, but it actually found its way back to the island and they let it live its life out there."

The island is just 100m from the town of Allworth, where the Sketchleys, who live 40 minutes away in Newcastle, still keep the original family home. It was known as Flying Fox Island before 1922 and gazetted Kitchener Island by the Geographical Names Board in 1986 but no one seems to call it that.

"Even our council rates still come through as Sketchleys Island," Mr Sketchley said.

The family ran the island as a going concern - harvesting oysters during winter and operating a boat hire business from the mainland - but Mr Sketchley said it would now be a lifestyle purchase. "My dad never worked a day in his life for anyone else but you couldn't do that now," Mr Sketchley said.

"The economics of farming have changed. You could make money out of the island for sure, but it would be like a part-time job. You couldn't support yourself from it."

Selling agent John Miles from Webb Bros said he had already received more inquiries than he had expected.