Bathurst’s historic ‘Blair Atholl’ is up for sale after a Dorothea McKellar-inspired restoration

A historic Bathurst house rumored to be part of the inspiration behind one of Australia’s most iconic poems has been put up for sale.

of Landmark mansion ‘Blair Atholl’ It will be auctioned next month after a skeleton restoration that took seven years to complete.

The view from the verandah is said to have inspired guest Dorothea McKellar to write his famous poem “My Country”. This story inspired the current owner, who purchased it in 2015, to restore the property to its former glory.

“The vendor really took it on as a project to manage the history of the property as well as the physical building components of the restoration,” said Ray White Ems Mooney distributor Andrew Crawford. .

more: Why Melissa Caddick’s ‘Ponzi’ home won’t top the bill

Sydney’s latest $100 million home sale

Owners Francesca and Peter Terry hired a team of traditional architects to help them with the task, but it wasn’t easy.

Australian poet Dorothea McKellar.

---

Photograph of poet Dorothea McKellar taken in 1930 by photographer Emil Otto Hoppe.

---

The first handwritten draft of “My Country”, originally called “The Core of My Heart”.

---

“There wasn’t a lot of necessary maintenance going on,” Crawford said. “Electrical wiring had to be redone and the original floor was not in satisfactory condition.”

He said the owners sourced new flooring that sympathizes with the era of the house and replaced the 3mm window panes with thicker 5mm glass.

The house now looks like a time capsule, with ornate details like period-style wallpaper and gold foil stamping, but also modern amenities like elevators, underfloor heating, and home automation. .

A major renovation has taken place…

---

…to restore the home to its former glory.

---

Crawford could not give an exact figure on how much the restoration would cost, but said it would cost “millions.”

Its elegant and majestic flavor makes it the perfect function center for weddings and corporate events, or a weekend getaway for the rich and famous.

The kitchen strikes a good balance between classic and modern.

---

Crawford said a hardcover book of the property has already been published and has been sent to dozens of wealthy individuals at home and abroad.

Its grandeur and historic importance were emphasized when it was chosen as the venue for the then Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tour of Australia.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were scheduled to have a formal luncheon with dignitaries in the mansion’s dining room, but a severe drought forced them to reschedule at 11am and head straight to Dubbo.

Harry and Meghan visiting Dubbo in 2018.

---

Blair Atholl is a magnificent estate.

---

Its park-like grounds are surrounded by countryside.

---

Blair Atholl’s history dates back to 1845, when the first deed of title to the land was issued to Nicholas Reed, who bought it for £19.

Architect James Hine designed a rural mansion named “Blair Atholl” as a manor house for attorney and Mayor of Bathurst Council John McPhilamie Esquire and his family, built in 1892. has been completed.

The view from the waterhole.

---

Bathurst was considered one of the wealthiest provincial towns at the time, and Mayor McPhilamy’s family was considered the local “royalty”. Lords and ladies of the Blair Atholl family enjoyed several contacts with European nobility and royalty. The first was in 1913 when Marjorie, one of the McPhilamy daughters, married Lord Abinger, 7th Baron Abinger, at Inverlochy Castle, Scotland.

A photo of the Gilmore family in Blair Atholl in the 1930s.

---

In the 1930s, Blair Atholl was owned by another prominent family, Mr. and Mrs. RL Gilmore. Her daughter Una Gilmour married Count Marcio Vincenzo Romano while traveling in Europe.

The 5,597-square-meter property also includes a separate four-bedroom villa.

more: ‘Unwelcome’: Harry and Meghan were ‘forced’ to downsize

Mike Baird lists his $6 million north beach retreat

Why 30-year-old William is selling $100 million worth of real estate