BRAD and Allison Bellinger called their shearing shed home for a time after their previous homestead was dismantled and a new one was constructed.
The couple had the new weatherboard homestead constructed two years ago on their property "Trevanna", north of Inverell.
"We actually sold the old house which the previous owners had lived in for 50 years," Mrs Bellinger said.
Three years ago local buyers cut the home up into three pieces, transported it and put it back together again on a nearby property.
After the Bellingers sold that house, and before the new home was completed, they moved into the shearing shed which, fortunately, had a functioning bathroom.
Today, their new home is much more comfortable than the shed.
Mrs Bellinger said the house has a high pitched roof, verandahs, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, formal living and dining areas, high ceilings and a breezeway in the centre of the house which also serves as an entertaining area for functions.
A double-sided fireplace opens onto both the kitchen and living area and also into the hallway.
Brad and Allison Bellinger are selling their 1884 hectare (6456ac) grazing property for health reasons.
"Trevanna" is listed for sale by auction on April 10 through Andrew Lee, Elders Inverell.
Mr Bellinger said when moving up from Yarrawonga in Victoria 14 years ago he was looking for a more extensive property which also had fairly secure rainfall.
"Trevanna" met those requirements, and water is enhanced by a bore with a 16 megalitre licence and a four kilometre double frontage to Frazer's Creek, and nine dams.
"When I first purchased the property it was running about 3000 sheep and about 170 cattle," he said.
Today the property runs about 3700 sheep - all Merinos - as well as about 350 Angus cattle, 100 of which are owned by the Bellingers and the rest run on agistment.
The property has typically carried in the vicinity of 4000 sheep.
As for improvements across the wider property, 11 kilometres of boundary fencing has been added.
Infrastructure includes a four stand shearing shed, three sets of sheep yards, a hay and machinery shed, silo and cattle yards.
Soil types are soft traps running into pockets of basalts, as well as red and grey loams; country ranges from valleys to open grazing hills and pastures are mostly natives.
About 240ha (about 600ac) of the property has arable land (comprising soft loamy creek flats and basalts) and is suited to forage crops.
"Trevanna" is about 45 kilometres north of Inverell in the Bukkulla district.
Contact Andrew Lee, 0428 426 507.
Nick Heydon
The Land's property editor.
The Land's property editor.
