Minimbah House, the 1870s High Victorian boom era Hunter Valley mansion, sold
Minimbah House, a Victorian Italianate mansion built from 1875-77 by architect Benjamin Blackhouse, in the Hunter Valley has been sold for $1.1 million.
It last sold for $3.21 million in 2007.
It had a formal asking price of $1.5 million before its more recent mortgagee listing.
It has been bought by Hamish and Pru Ord who have being running the microbrewery, Potters Brewery at Cessnock.
Built in the High Victorian boom era style for pastoralist Duncan Forbes Mackay, it is a two-storey sandstone residence with a u-shape floor plan, its corrugated iron roof takes up over an acre with views towards the Brokenback Ranges.
The surveillance tower was once used to keep a lookout for bushrangers, with a hidey-hole under the stairs for the children in times of danger.
The 45-room colonial Victorian boom-era residence sits on 48 hectares at Whittingham in the Hunter Valley.
It was sold through LJ Hooker agent Michael Cruickshanks.
Sitting in a saddle between two mountain ranges, Minimbah House formerly known as Dulcimah is said to have had two architects with the original plans drawn up in London for William Dangar, the eldest son of Hunter pioneer and surveyor Henry Dangar.
Broken-hearted at the death of his wife, William Dangar sold the plans to pastoralist Forbes Mackay who had them modified by architect Backhouse. The house initially came with a Turkish bath.
Its early 2000s restoration was overseen by Newcastle heritage architect Barney Collins.
Minimbah traded at $940,000 in 1994 when acquired by Bliss Ryan - who as Shirley Bliss was Miss Australia in 1954 - and her late husband, hotelier and vigneron Bill Ryan.
The grounds featured a lap pool, tennis court, stables and four hectares planted with chardonnay vines and one with shiraz during the Ryan family ownership.
Bliss Ryan, who had initially sought $10 million, sold to the current vendors in 2007 for $3.2 million.
