Less than two hours’ drive south of Sydney, and a few minutes down a country road off the Hume Highway, sits an unremarkable set of gates bearing the name Glenrock.
The dirt road beyond meanders past a herd of Angus cattle and through a pine forest to reveal a second, far grander set of sandstone-mounted gates from the early 1800s. There, beyond a small lake with a Monet-style bridge, stands one of Australia’s most remarkable colonial estates.
And you can buy it; the 1830s homestead – along with 990 hectares of prime Southern Highlands cattle country, private gorge, waterfall, two lakes (one with Japanese boathouse), stables, guest accommodation and clock tower – is on the market for the first time in 40 years.
Retired lawyer Charles Mendel is selling Glenrock as part of a succession plan. Natalie Boog
The owner, retired lawyer and corporate adviser Charles Mendel, says the Marulan property has been an enduring source of peace in an otherwise busy life. “It’s a very welcoming home, it’s a very grand home, but that’s not how we use it – we use it in a quiet way,” Mendel says.
While there’s no official guide, recent transactions – such as Berrima’s Mereworth at $40,000 per acre – have Glenrock easily nudging nine figures. Given the scale of the landholding, it is expected to eclipse previous sales in the area. It’s listed through Forbes’ Ken Jacobs, Darren Curtis of Christie’s and Ray White Rural’s Kim Watts.
As one of Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s original land grants to wealthy pastoralist George Barber, Glenrock’s 200th birthday is looming.
One of Australia’s oldest and grandest country mansions, Glenrock, has been listed for sale.
Glenrock is the largest private landholding in the Southern Highlands at 2448 acres or 991 hectares.
Far from succumbing to the ravages of age, the Georgian revival beauty is in the best shape of her long life – thanks to a 12-year restoration by the current owner. “We were obsessive, and we did things no sane person would,” Mendel says. At one point he had hand-forged nails from Massachusetts flown in to replicate those used in colonial mansions from the era.
Mendel’s decision to list was triggered by succession concerns for his two children – one 16, the other 19 months. He doesn’t want the grand estate, like so many farms before, to become a future source of familial discord.
“I don’t want the situation where like Solomon you have to suggest something absurd like splitting the baby,” Mendel says. “If Glenrock is our baby, it’s something that’s very difficult to split.“