A choice rural getaway property with top-range wool growing credentials and links to one of the Crookwell district's pioneering early families has been listed for sale by an owner who is too busy to enjoy it.
Glenroy is the 257 hectare (635 acre) property of Ellen van Poppel, who operates an online education business from her Sydney base, and bought the property 18 months ago as a rural retreat with a view to eventual full-time residence.
But like many before her, she has found she can't get away to the farm as often as she'd like and with her 'day job' now making greater demands on her time, she has reluctantly decided to let it go.
She has listed Glenroy for private sale with CBRE's Richie Inglis and Trish Brewer and at $1.55 million it's an offering not likely to last long on the market.
Glenroy is listed at $1.55 million and is not likely to last long on the market.
Glenroy was the name of the 80ha block that the previous owners, Paul and Lorna Vallely, bought in 1999 as a hobby farm before adding more country, taking up residence and renaming it all Cladymore (in deference to Lorna's Irish ancestry).
The original Glenroy block was owned by George Hogan, from a well-known local district family.
To this, the Vallelys added two more blocks, bringing the area to about 440ha, on which - along with a further 320ha of leased country - they ran 3000 superfine Merino sheep growing elite wool for the Italian market.
While on Cladymore, Paul became heavily involved in fibre testing, at first with Merino wool but later branching into alpaca, for which he set up a business, Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing, in 2005.
He also began buying wool for Loro Piana of Italy, which he continues to do (alongside other business interests) from Ireland, where he and Lorna shifted to last year.
The last portion to be sold is now for sale again as Glenroy, on which stands the award-winning homestead and garden - the property's main drawcard.
Situated at Hadley, 40km north of Crookwell and about three hours' drive from Sydney, Glenroy is a property of gently undulating to hilly country ideally suited to clean, high-yielding wool production.
About 80ha of the total area is arable, and cropped or sown to improved pastures, leaving a balance of native grasses and clovers with shade and shelter trees of red gum, stringybark, box and messmate.
Average rainfall is about 800mm and the property is watered by dams and an equipped bore which underpins the garden irrigation system.
The four-bedroom homestead consists of the original Hogan residence with extensive renovations - including additions and a second storey - undertaken in 2002 when it won a 'best country renovation' housing industry award.
Set in easy-care gardens that featured in the Australian Open Garden Scheme, the homestead has a modern kitchen, formal dining and family living areas, covered verandah, slow combustion heating and reverse-cycle air conditioning.
Working improvements include a three-stand (two equipped) shearing shed with under-cover sheep and cattle yards, a four-bay steel machinery shed and an original timber/iron workshop and storage shed.
By PETER AUSTIN.