THIS former IXL fruit orchard was once a vital part of the Triabunna township in Tasmania.
Until the mid-1970s, Rostrevor Estate operated as a major orchard for the prestigious jams and spreads company.
- ROSTREVOR ESTATE
- TRIABUNNA, TASMANIA
- Property: grazing, cropping
- Size: 2297ha
- Sale: February 26, noon at Roberts Real Estate, 2 Collins St, Hobart
- Price: $5 million-plus
- Agent: Roberts Real Estate, Hobart
- Contact: (03) 6235 1451
"It was the biggest fruit orchard in the southern hemisphere in the early 1950s and '60s and it was over 400 acres (161ha) of fruit, mainly in pears and later in apricots as well," selling agent David Skinner said.
"There were 50 or 60 people working there during the peak season so it was a very big part of the town for many, many years and still is, in fact."
The Ferguson family purchased the property in 1973 and converted it from a fruit orchard into a cropping and grazing operation.
The Ferguson's run about 7000 sheep for wool growing and about 400 Hereford cattle.
The 2297ha property has 1600ha of improved land and an impressive combination of modern agricultural features and historic characteristics.
Features include old stone stables, machinery, hay shedding, packing and storage sheds, two cool rooms and a four-stand raised-board shearing shed with undercover yards.
"It's a very easy place to manage now because the Fergusons have developed all that's possible to be developed," David said.
"It comes with very good pastures, excellent fencing and excellent improvements all throughout it."
The property boasts seven houses including the 30-year-old main four-bedroom homestead.
Rostrevor Estate has double road frontage on the Tasman Highway, has a large number of oak, elm and ash trees and is only an hour's drive from Hobart.
David said he expected a large amount of interest in the property due to its high quality.
"There's not many places that come onto the market in Tasmania's lower east coast," he said.
"They're all very well held and there's always a very good demand for properties like this."
David said the vendors were selling the property because the family's next generation did not want to farm.
