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Original home of Falls Festival at Lorne for sale

A piece of Australian music history is up for grabs with the original home of the Falls Festival listed for sale near Lorne.

The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.

A piece of Australian music history is up for grabs with the original home of the Falls Festival listed for sale near Lorne.

The 58ha rural property at 985 Erskine Falls Rd has since 1993 played home to some of Australia’s and the world’s biggest musical acts, such as Iggy Pop, Blondie, Silverchair, The Black Eyed Peas, Billy Bragg, Moby, and Radio Birdman.

But new owners can make their own mark on the property, which is expected to attract interest between a high $3m mark and $4m.

Original home of Falls Festival for sale

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The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.

The picturesque location amid the Great Otway National Park is a 15 minutes drive from the Great Ocean Road holiday hot spot, near Erskine Falls.

Harcourts, North Geelong listing agent Joe Grgic expects local, national and global interest in the property, which is unlike anything offered to market in recent history.

Not only is the site a rare cleared enclave, it still boasts the stage, the shelter for the mixing desk, the entry to the outdoor amphitheatre and even the helipad.

Mr Grgic said the Falls Festival had been a rite of passage for many young revellers.

The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.

“It takes you back to a time when life was more simple and fun and, as young adults, many would have enjoyed the best time of their life,” he said.

The Lorne edition was the original, stand-alone Falls Festival that created such a broad and loyal following, it resulted in the expansion to four events across the country.

But the hills have been largely silent in recent years.

After two years of Covid postponements, the Lorne event, which ushers in the new year with three days and nights of live entertainment and on-site camping, was relocated to Melbourne.

The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
Billy Bragg warms up backstage at the Falls Festival in Lorne with organiser Simon Daleyin 2004. Picture: Brett Hartwig
Billy Bragg warms up backstage at the Falls Festival in Lorne with organiser Simon Daleyin 2004. Picture: Brett Hartwig
Lorne Falls Festival: New Year’s Eve 2017. Molly Clancy and Emily Shearer are happy to ride in the new year. Picture: Nicole Cleary
Lorne Falls Festival: New Year’s Eve 2017. Molly Clancy and Emily Shearer are happy to ride in the new year. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Colac Otway Shire green-lit a proposal to shift the last festival to Pennyroyal Plains, near Birregurra, to reduce the bushfire risk and travel times, but organisers had to move to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl after plans ended up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The last festival held at the site, in 2019, was called off after one day due to extreme weather conditions.

Mr Grgic said the property was one of a kind, with a dense area of forest and large, undulating cleared area that opened new owners to consider myriad opportunities.

The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
The original Fall Festival site has been listed for sale. The property is at 985 Erskine Falls Rd, Lorne.
Lorne Falls Festival: New Year’s Eve 2017. Crowd for the Smith St Band. Picture: Nicole Cleary
Lorne Falls Festival: New Year’s Eve 2017. Crowd for the Smith St Band. Picture: Nicole Cleary

“It could be turned into a private luxury getaway or a hobby farm, possibly it’s the perfect site for a wellness centre, a school camp or even another festival, all subject to council approval,” he said.

The property is about two hours from Melbourne and is offered for sale with an existing three-bedroom farmhouse with an ensuite and multiple living areas, a huge open barn stage, a warehouse and multiple shed and office buildings, as well as power.

Expressions of interest close April 20.

Originally published as Original home of Falls Festival at Lorne for sale

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/melbourne-vic/original-home-of-falls-festival-at-lorne-for-sale/news-story/76a3a5ee0a9ae4f7939d3004ed58256a