Mawallok Estate: Pauline Hanson slams sale to Chinese billionaire
A “cranky” Pauline Hanson has issued a blunt please explain to the Prime Minister and Foreign Investment Review Board over the sale of a historic Victorian property to a Chinese tycoon.
Pauline Hanson has issued a please explain to the Prime Minister over the sale of a historic pastoral property to a Chinese business tycoon.
The One Nation leader shared the Herald Sun’s April 15 article on the sale of Mawallok Estate in western Victoria to the largest exporter of Australian wool, Qingnan Wen, with the caption: “Dear Prime Minister, why did you allow this sale through?”
“The Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) appear to have approved the sale of one of Australia’s most historic pastoral holdings,” Ms Hanson posted.
“It’s the first time the property has been publicly sold in more than 170 years. The buyer is an offshore Chinese billionaire. Cranky? You bet I am!”
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The Stockyard Hill site, coined “one of Australia’s most historic pastoral holdings”, sold for an undisclosed price after being marketed for $25 million.
Title documents show Mr Wen bought the heritage-listed sheep station; the deal had been waiting on FIRB approval.
When asked about the sale, Treasury said it was unable to comment on the application of the foreign investment screening arrangements as they applied or could apply to particular cases.
Elders agent Nick Myer did not respond to the Herald Sun about the sale of the 2349ha property, which had not sold via a public campaign since 1847.
He previously said it was “very rare for such an iconic and tightly-held asset to be offered for sale”.
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Heritage Victoria documents show Scottish grazier Alexander Russell started the farm before his descendants privately sold it to Stephen Mitchell, the chairman of ASX-listed Indago Energy and his wife, Serena in 1980.
The Arts and Craft era residence is surrounded English-style gardens by former Melbourne Botanic Gardens director and landscape designer William Guilfoyle, and a lake created by Sir John Monash.
The grounds have been opened to the public at Open Gardens Victoria events.
Other features include two tennis courts, a six-hole golf course, a historic bluestone stable and a coach house.
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Originally published as Mawallok Estate: Pauline Hanson slams sale to Chinese billionaire