3 grand heritage-listed buildings for budding hoteliers

While some grand old estates have been kept as family homes, others have lent themselves to commercial uses, especially hotels.

Here are three of the grandest heritage-listed properties on the market.

Goldmines Hotel – Bendigo, Victoria

There aren’t many 146-year-old pubs around in Australia. Photo: Domain

While it underwent major restoration works in 2015, the building, constructed in 1872, is for the most part in its original state and is a living monument of the Gold Rush era in Bendigo.

Commissioned by English-born mining entrepreneur David Chaplin Sterry, the property, on 4900 square metres, remained in his family for 130 years, until 1990.

The venue has multiple dining and entertainment areas. Photo: Domain

Agent Michael Brooks, from McKean McGregor, who has the listing with Jayden Donaldson, said they were receiving interest between $1.4 million and $1.5 million. It goes to auction on May 4, if it is not sold prior.

The property at 49-57 Marong Road, Golden Square, includes three bars, dining and living areas, 10 fireplaces, a stone-walled courtyard, as well as five bedrooms for guest accommodation.

Benedict House – Queanbeyan, NSW

Benedict House in NSW’s Queanbeyan is on the market for $1.8 million. Photo: Graham Tidy

With more than 130 years of history under its belt, Benedict House has had many past lives, originally as a convent before turning into a boarding school, café and gallery, offices and short-term accommodation.

Former prime minister Ben Chifley, whose middle name was Benedict, was named after the building by his mother, who had lived in the convent in the early 1880s.

The courtyard is suitable for holding events. Photo: Supplied

It was also widely reported that another former Labor prime minister Paul Keating had owned the Victorian building and had planned to convert it into a music academy, but this was denied by Mr Keating’s office in 2014. In fact, the property was owned by Mr Keating’s friend, the late classical pianist and composer Geoffrey Tozer.

On a site of 1591 square metres, 39 Isabella Street has 13 rooms with three bedrooms on the upper level. Downstairs, there is a stonemason’s cottage, gardens and a courtyard used for functions.

Artist Kate Shelton, who bought the site for $800,000 in 2003, is asking $1.8 million for the property, which she is listing privately.

Mount Breckan Estate – Victor Harbor, South Australia

The rebuilt structure is 105 years old, while the original parts would date back 137 years. Photo: Supplied

The Mount Breckan Baronial Castle was the summer residence of Scottish-born Alexander Hay, who went on to become a prominent South Australian politician in the late 1800s.

The original Gothic Revival-style 60-room estate was built in 1881 and was one of Australia’s largest residential properties at the time.

Built with stone quarried at Encounter Bay, construction took three years and cost £25,000, but it was partly destroyed in a fire in 1909. The current structure at 27-31 Renown Avenue, Victor Harbor – which has 35 rooms, a four-storey tower and a cellar – was rebuilt by 1913.

The property has 17 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Photo: Supplied

Formerly a prestigious guest house, a Royal Australian Air Force training facility and a Bible college, the property, on more than 7800 square metres, has been used as a private residence in recent years.

While JLL selling agents Tom Bailey and Jed Harley could not disclose a price guide for the mortgagee-in-possession property, it last sold for $2.45 million in 2015 – in a deal that included about 1.2 hectares of land not included in this sale.