Historic western Victorian homestead sold for millions

A slice of Victorian pastoral history has changed hands for the second time in four years after it was sold in a seven-figure deal.

Former owner Georgie Thomson with the Ingleby Homestead. Picture: File

A slice of Victorian pastoral history has changed hands for the second time in four years after it was sold in a seven-figure deal.

Ingleby Homestead, a two-storey, six-bedroom, Georgian-style, bluestone homestead, built more than 160 years ago, has been sold by Winchelsea local Georgie Thomson and her family.

Ms Thomson and her family purchased the Ingleby Homestead in early 2020 for more than $5 million, adding the 339ha grazing property to their existing landholdings in Victoria’s Surf Coast region.

However, four years later the Thomson family decided to retain about 300ha of the larger working sheep and cattle farm, subdividing Ingleby Homestead and surrounding land and offering it for sale in August.

The iconic property has been sold to a private buyer, transacting at a final sale price of slightly more than $3 million.

It is understood the purchasers have experience in restoring historic buildings, and have existing plans to re-establish Ingleby with a botanic-like garden.

The six-bedroom Ingleby Homestead was sold in a recent deal for about $3 million.

The sale was managed by Matt Childs and James Auty of CBRE, which attracted significant interest from prospective buyers, with multiple inspections and expressions of interest.

“The level of inquiry was exceptionally strong, which speaks volumes about the significance of Ingleby as a heritage property, as well as the appeal of its location so close to Melbourne and Geelong,” Mr Childs said.

“We had multiple expressions of interest and were delighted to see so many inspections take place.

“The successful purchasers are deeply passionate about restoring Ingleby to its former glory, and we can’t wait to see what they do with this grand residence.”

The historic property is located on the banks of the Barwon River with almost 4km of frontage, at 765 Ingleby Rd, a 90-minute drive southwest of Melbourne and 40 minutes west of Geelong.

Formerly part of a larger station founded by the pioneering Armytage family, the Ingleby property was established in 1840 before the construction of the centrepiece homestead was completed in the 1860s.

The homestead comprises billiards, dining and drawing rooms and a larger network including a coach house, stables, staff and servant’s quarters and a pheasant coop.