McGauran family’s historic Nambrok estate sold

The historic rural estate of Victoria’s McGauran family has sold to a local farming family in one of the state’s most substantial rural sales of late.

The design of the Nambrok mansion was derived from the Dutch, north Italian Renaissance and Lombard Romanesque.

The historic rural estate of one of Victoria’s prominent political and grazing families has sold to a local farming family in one of the state’s most substantial rural sales of late.

The 990ha family property known as Nambrok, situated in a farming district in Victoria’s Central Gippsland, was offered to the market by the McGauran family. The initial asking price was $20m.

The McGauran family purchased the property in 1985, further developing the rare holding.

In a statement to The Weekend Australian when the property hit the market last year, the McGaurans say farming had been integral to the family for 150 years and had a lasting influence on all family members.

“However, the time has come to see Nambrok flourish in the hands of new owners. Everyone who has lived or worked at Nambrok knows its special appeal and the rare beauty of Nambrok House.

“The family are grateful to have been custodians for the past three decades of a unique part of Gippsland agricultural history.”

1915 Melbourne Cup winner Patrobas.

The design of the Nambrok mansion was derived from the Dutch, north Italian Renaissance and Lombard Romanesque. It has views over the surrounding land through to the Great Dividing Range and the Strzelecki Ranges, and was home to 1915 Melbourne Cup winner Patrobas.

In addition to the four-bedroom Victorian homestead, there is a five-bedroom 1860-built guesthouse, a three-bedroom manager’s residence and a grass tennis court.

There are 18 dams, four bores, two cattle yards, a shearing shed and a large horse stables.

Elders Real Estate agents Nick Myer and Anthony Stevens handled the sale of the property located 197km southeast of Melbourne.

Members of the McGauran family include former Nationals minister Peter McGauran and former National Party Senator Julian McGauran.

Further north, agents say COVID has changed the real estate market with not just farming families looking to build their rural holdings but city dwellers also looking to relocate.

The elegant entrance to the homestead.

According to Ray White Rural Dayboro Eumundi selling principal Vicki Pain, there has been a large increase in buyers looking at Sunshine Coast and Brisbane hinterland properties.

“From the start, the enquiries have come from local, Western Australia, western NSW and western Queensland buyers, while registered bidders on our auctions have come from as far as America and Singapore.

“We also received enquiries from the UK, producing multiple offers on properties and continued auction sales success.”

Pain has seen an influx of professional couples and southern buyers wanting to escape the city and lockdowns or possible lockdowns.

“The ability to work from home has also opened our properties to more buyers as they don’t have to commute to the city every day,” Pain says.

“As for southern buyers, we hear them say, ‘once we get out of lockdown we just want to move to the Sunshine Coast’.”