Charles Mendel to sell historic southern NSW farm, Glenrock at Tallong

A 200-year-old NSW farm and homestead near Goulburn has been listed for sale where it could fetch a whopping sum.

Retired lawyer and corporate adviser Charles Mendel is selling the historic 990ha Glenrock property.

A southern NSW farm and homestead with 200 years of history has hit the market for the first time in about four decades.

Retired lawyer and corporate adviser Charles Mendel has listed his 990ha property, Glenrock, located in the Marulan-Tallong district, for sale.

Owned by Mr Mendel for about 40 years, Glenrock is home to one of Australia’s leading prime Angus cattle breeding enterprises and an 1830s Georgian homestead, which has been subject to an extensive 12-year restoration.

No price guide has been offered for the property, which is located 30 minutes east of Goulburn and two hours southwest of Sydney, however in recent years a number of notable transactions indicate Glenrock could fetch nine-figures.

The nearby 1300ha Mereworth aggregation, at Berrima, was sold by Hume Coal to tech investor Peter Crown last year for more than $100 million, with the farmland fetching a whopping $75,000 a hectare ($30,000 an acre).

Glenrock spans 990ha 30 minutes from Goulburn in the NSW Southern Tablelands.

Unlike the lucrative Mereworth aggregation, Glenrock is held as one adjoining whole with major frontage to two roads, is capable of future subdivision and has additional infrastructure and water entitlements.

Forbes Global Property selling agent Ken Jacobs, Darren Curtis of Christie’s and Ray White Rural’s Kim Watts are handling the private sale.

“Glenrock is a superior holding that encompasses over 2300 acres of prime agricultural land with exceptional improvements, perpetual irrigation water licenses and a magnificently restored 1830s grand country mansion that is genuinely placed in a class of its own and highly regarded in Australian history,” Mr Jacobs said.

Glenrock is also home to a prime Angus breeding enterprise.

“Glenrock is an estate of unrivalled pedigree, scale, and prestige.”

Created through an initial grant of land by Governor Lachlan Macquarie to wealthy pastoralist George Barber, Glenrock has featured prominently in the Southern Highlands since the 1820s.

During its 200-year history the property has been in the hands of just five owners.

When the Mendel family acquired the property 40 years ago it was in a “sad state”, but extensive restorations have returned the homestead to its former glory.

The restoration has been completed using building techniques from the 1830s with hand-forged nails from Massachusetts in the US for example.

Alongside the homestead there is accommodation for guests and staff and a five-storey clock tower which houses one of the Sydney CBD’S earliest clocks.

Glenrock neighbours a national park with private access to a gorge and waterfall, while the farmland is underpinned by 650 megalitres of perpetual water licences and two private lakes with almost one million litres of freshwater storage.

Earlier this year a property with similar grandeur to Glenrock, Greystones, and 4000ha of farmland near Bacchus Marsh, hit the market for the first time in almost 90 years.