"THE ROCKERY" AT ELDORADO - OUTSTANDING ALISTAIR KNOX HOME ON 41 HECTARES WITH AGISTMENT INCOME AND EXPOSURE TO STUNNING NORTH EAST VIEW
After over twenty years of enjoyable residence the vendors of the income producing farm property known as The Rockery at 354 Cemetery Road have decided to offer their striking Eldorado property for sale.
On offer is an outstanding example of an Alistair Knox mud brick family home, with forty one hectares (102 acres) of striking land that includes the Mount Pilot granite land form in a spectacular elevated position that encompasses a perspective over about 280 degrees of land form extending on one side from the alpine mountains like Mounts Buffalo and Buller (which is ninety kilometres distant) across the Ovens & King valleys with land marks thirty kilometres away that are instantly recognised.
The farm property is fully fenced and developed as five individual paddocks with pastures that earn a solid agistment income. The goat herd currently about 450 head is contained within paddocks that are very securely fenced with productive pastures and ample water and have no need for supplementary feeding on the well pastured areas.
The Eltham architect Alistair Knox who passed away in 1985 is credited with founding the alternative and environmental building school of architecture and design which extended Australia wide.
He is known to have designed one thousand homes and structures including churches, halls and offices many of which were owner built with locally sourced or recycled building materials.
Many Knox designed homes survive often after fifty years as they were in the main built as a timber post and beam structure infilled with mostly hand made on site mud bricks, as was this one.
Alistair Knox homes are noted for their eminent liveability as due to their mass being warm in winter and cool in summer and presenting a cosy comfortable and personally enriching living environment.
The Rockery was constructed over several years by the original and first owner of the holding and self built over time. It enlists all the usual Knox features of a substantial structural post and beam frame of recycled large red gum posts and Oregon beams and also has a signature Knox large internal brick double sided fire place to which the vendors have added a gas fireplace.
It also has clerestory windows which flood the home with light and a sound and beautiful parquetry floor on the concrete slab.
The only alteration made is to extend an outdoor area at the front with an additional Oregon awning frame and a red brick paved surface (all locally recycled) to provide themselves with an increased sitting, viewing and entertaining area.
The striking property has an area under roof of approximately twenty five squares with two bedrooms, large lounge, dining and living areas, and a well-resourced kitchen.
The structure offers potentially four bedrooms as a full building width space at the western end of the home has been converted by them into a personal lounge space with room for a pool table.
There is substantial stock and domestic water capture including into tankage that is filled for paddock use which is filled by pump from a reliable dam lower down on the property - total storage capacity is 250,000 litres. There are another 250,000 litres of rainwater storage for house use.
The home is located in a fenced and mature garden while nearby is a shed catering for workshop, firewood and other storage needs and garaging for four vehicles.
This is the type of property that must be seen to be appreciated.
It's the sort of property where visitors are wowed by the view and the home.
It offers easy access to all that the north east offers, especially the local delightful and interesting historic Eldorado village. The Rockery benefits from equine infrastructure by the way of loose boxes and day yards to accommodate those with trailing riding pursuits taking advantage of the national park access.
The home has been reviewed by a gentleman who has records on over 200 Knox homes in three states. He advises that The Rockery home is truly original to style and its maintenance is a tribute to its original design and construction.
The advice is that this home is one of the best Knox designed and owner environmentally built structures in Victoria and it is unaltered on Alistair's original environmental building theme and the vendors confirm that it has given them twenty odd years of desirable living in a rural environment. Then there are the countryside views provided by the choice location and placement of the home.
Selling agents contact details: Elders Real Estate in Wangaratta with inspections only by appointment via agents Michael Everard on 0408 653 161 or Dave Colvin on 0407 500 239.
