Scotch, Hamilton Alexandra College buy rural properties

A prestigious Melbourne private school has paid millions for 70ha at the Mallacoota Inlet, while 45ha near the Grampians was also sold to a western Victorian school.

Scotch College has snapped up a 70-hectare waterfront holding on the Mallacoota Inlet in remote East Gippsland, in a multimillion-dollar deal to afford students greater access to outdoor learning.

Listed by Elders Real Estate Melbourne for in excess of $3 million, “Fairhaven” – which can only be reached via a driveway through Croajingolong National Park or by boat from Mallacoota – was bought for an undisclosed sum by Scotch College to host a new immersive outdoor education program.

It is designed to offer refuge from technology and help boys care for the environment, live more sustainably and understand Indigenous cultures and practices.

Fairhaven, spanning 70ha at the Mallacoota Inlet, has been sold to Scotch College.

The Hamilton and Alexandra College has also bought property for the first time in 67 years, purchasing 45ha at Mirranatwa in the Victoria Valley as part of a strategy to capitalise on the College’s unique geographical location near the Grampians National Park.

Located 45 minutes from Hamilton, the proximity of the rural block to the school’s campuses will allow for access to programs within a normal school day and provide a flexible outdoor learning facility for students.

The sale price was undisclosed but had been listed by Elders Real Estate, Hamilton, for $695,000.

The Hamilton and Alexandra College has purchased a 110-acre property at Mirranatwa in the Victoria Valley.

New Principal Michael Horne, who started in the role earlier this year, hoped to make the most of what the school had on its doorstep – a place of beauty, environmental diversity and cultural significance.

“I am delighted that we have been able to acquire the right property, in the right location, at the right time for our students,” Mr Horne said.

“There is clear and well documented evidence of the benefits of outdoor recreation and physical challenge for young people; that close and ongoing contact with the natural environment provides the best conditions for them to be challenged, to grow and to thrive.

“This is especially important now as students’ worlds become increasingly pressurised, fast-paced, and reliant on technology.”

It is the first expansion of the school’s physical footprint since the purchase of Myrniong Homestead in 1956.

Future uses for the site include day programs such as art classes, creative writing and hiking, camp program preparation days, year level retreats, curriculum learning in geography, biology, environmental studies, outdoor education, sustainability education, and wellbeing and pastoral programs. It will also be used for weekend activities for boarders and solo overnight challenges.

Every student, from the Early Learning Centre to Year 12 will experience the site.