Historic Surf Coast farm to fetch $37,000 a hectare

A tightly held 485-hectare farm west of Geelong has been listed for sale after 85 years in the hands of one family.

The Champness family are selling their Mount Moriac property after 85 years and four generations.

At 250m above sea level, Mount Moriac towers over the plains west of Geelong, with panoramic views towards the You Yangs, Melbourne’s skyline, Barrabool Hills, the Surf Coast, Otway ranges and as far as Mt Elephant.

The extinct volcano sits at the heart of the property of the same name, now for sale either as a whole or in four separate lots.

English immigrant Dr Michael Minter was the first settler on the property, buying 259 hectares from the Crown in 1850.

Initially intending to grow grapes, Minter focused instead on sheep and turned to civic service later in life, becoming a magistrate and active in community affairs.

Mount Moriac has been held by the same family for 85 years through four generations of the Champness family.

Helen Fitzpatrick describes her grandfather, Percy, as the human dynamo who set the whole story in motion.

“He bought the land, then 728 hectares in 1939 and immediately threw himself into turning his purchase into a landmark property for the district,” Helen said.

The Mount Moriac property offers farmland suitable for livestock, cropping, hay production and equine pursuits.

MOUNT MORIAC
1200 PRINCES HWY
Property: cropping, lifestyle
Size: 485ha
Sale: expressions of interest closing December 10 at 11am
Price: about $18 million as a whole or circa $37,065 per hectare
Agent: HF Richardson Property
Contact: Matt Poustie, 0400 902 146, Tony Hyde, 0401 736 136 and Will Richardson, 0418 520 735

A circa-1940s brick homestead stands at the Mount Moriac family.

“He built a new homestead, separate cottage, dairy, woolshed, water tanks and generally went for broke.

“Percy was also heavily involved in tree planting, particularly with pinus radiata – an iconic cross-shape arrangement he planted across the mount can be seen across the Bellarine Peninsula.

“Timing and hard work paid off for him, with his award-winning flax crops used for making tents for the army and his ability to ride the wool boom of the fifties bringing handsome rewards.”

Lot 1, Mt Moriac (135 hectares), includes the homestead, manager’s residence, two-stand shearing shed and other shedding, while Lot 2, Mt Moriac East (87 hectares), has old stock yards, hay and machinery shedding.

Lot 3, Mt Moriac North, comprises 154 hectares and Lot 4, Mt Moriac West, 109 hectares.

Helen’s brother, Peter, said the current sharefarmer was focused on cropping with sheep stocked from time to time.

“The soils are rich volcanic loams and crops grown over the years such as wheat, canola, turnips and lucerne hay have all done extremely well,” Peter said.

“Dad also ran cattle for 30 years, with a registered Murray Grey stud and, later, an Angus beef herd.

“All lots now have dams, with the biggest, on Lot 1, originally dug by Percy with horses and sleds and fed these days by generous run-off from the Princes Highway.”

Standing infrastructure includes the 1940s brick homestead and manager’s cottage, both in need of renovation.