There’s a real sense of history entering this property. One minute it feels very practical and down-to-earth, but the next you’re reminded of Downton Abbey. Photo: Ray White Bungendore.
This estate has welcomed travellers, inspired poets and stood witness to the evolving history of the Southern Tablelands for almost two centuries.
Introducing a remarkable rural holding: Palerang Homestead, halfway between Bungendore and Braidwood at 154 Hazeldell Road, Mulloon.
The property has been around since the 1830s and consists of two separate titles: Palerang (778 acres) and McLaughlin (729 acres). It originally served as a stagecoach inn on the road to Sydney, but also hosts one of Australia’s most recognised examples of regenerative agriculture and landscape restoration.
Today, Palerang Homestead presents the original 1800s stone residence, a two-bedroom cottage, solid farming infrastructure, and more than 1500 acres of open plains, creek flats and native bushland to explore.
Exposed timber and stone, feature windows, original flooring and antique fireplaces lend unmistakable warmth and grandeur to the main house. It’s one of the district’s oldest surviving buildings, now heritage-listed and carefully updated to include four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a guest powder room.
Any good cook will appreciate the home’s large country-style kitchen with its own walk-in pantry, and remote professionals are sure to make good use of the dedicated home office. Avid hosts have a mix of formal and informal living spaces to choose from, culminating in a magnificent stone entertainment hall.
“The hall is a breathtaking surprise, with gothic-inspired arches, exposed timber beams and a grand marble fireplace. I can’t even start to imagine the stories that originated there,” Doug Merriman from Ray White Bungendore says.
“Extra-high ceilings, wide corridors and oversized rooms throughout the home speak to a generous design ethos you don’t see much of these days.”
Three of the four bedrooms come with a private fireplace for cosy, atmospheric evenings. All offer leafy garden views. The master suite includes a huge walk-through dressing room, a tidy ensuite and direct access to the wrap-around verandah.
Practical features include an attached carport, a home fire protection system with a 30-metre perimeter, and more storage than you could shake a stick at.
Originally a stable, the historic two-bedroom cottage also has an unusual claim to fame – it’s where Mick Jagger stayed while shooting the 1970 film Ned Kelly.
The cottage has three bedrooms, a full-sized kitchen, and a generous living area with a large firebox and views to Mulloon Creek. Doug says it would suit a bed-and-breakfast or rental accommodation.
The gardens surrounding the main residence are mature and thriving, dotted with flagstone pathways, sunny pergolas, hedges and historic stone walls. Outside the entertainment room is a lush lawn that once hosted croquet – Doug’s top spot for a picnic lunch.
“At the front of the house stand an enormous 200-year-old Bunya Pine and ancient Atlantic Cedar, both of which have watched over this place for generations,” he says.
“Palerang Homestead’s 1500 acres have historically been underutilised, with conservative stocking and careful pasture management.
“Carefully engineered ‘leaky weirs’ slow and retain water across the landscape for healthy pastures and strong native biodiversity. The Mulloon landscape rehydration model has gained international recognition, including acknowledgement by the United Nations.”
Around 90 per cent of the Palerang title offers excellent native grazing across 23 paddocks, with 65 per cent ready for cropping.
Infrastructure includes two large machinery sheds, a shearing shed, a workshop, a 3000-litre fuel tank, and a 9 kW solar system with a Tesla Powerwall battery.
Water security here is no problem either. There are 20 dams and two trough systems between the two property titles, each fed by a 90,000-litre tank. The homestead is also hugged by Mulloon Creek and Reedy Creek, supported by a 120 megalitre access license, and receives 650 to 800 millimetres of rain per annum.
Doug notes that sale discussions are welcome for either Palerang or McLaughlin, or both.
Palerang Homestead is conveniently located just 15 minutes from Bungendore, 25 minutes from Braidwood, and 40 minutes from Goulburn. Canberra Airport is a scenic one-hour drive away.
The current owners love the house and its views across the native pastures to Mulloon Creek. They often speak of the many wonderful experiences and adventures they had while raising their children here.
Doug believes the property would best suit a farming family, given its size, storied history and steadfast commitment to regenerative agriculture – though he notes there are some similar properties in the area still flourishing under non-farming custodians.
“Properties like Palerang are extraordinarily rare,” he says.
“It is at once a heritage homestead, a working rural holding and an internationally recognised environmental success story. It offers beauty, history and purpose in equal measure.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become the next custodian of one of the Southern Tablelands’ most treasured estates.”
For more information on 154 Hazeldell Road at Mulloon, contact Doug Merriman and check out all the latest listings on Zango.
Original Article published by Morgan Kenyon on Region Canberra.
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