Historic property offers rare opportunity

A SLICE of Torquay’s local history is set to change hands for the first time in more than 50 years as 485 Grossmans Road, Bellbrae hits the market.

The 28-hectare property has belonged to the Nairn family, owners of the former Nairn’s Dairy and generous community members for several decades.

The Belbrae property was home to “milk horses” that pulled wagons of fresh milk

that the family business delivered to local homes until the late 1980s.

Judy Nairn, widow to the late Bill Nairn, said that with the dairy business in the rear-view mirror the time was right for the family to pass on the property to new owners.

“We’ve had it for about 55 years in the family,” she said.

“We had the horses that pulled the milk carts here, plus Billy’s father bred and kept some racehorses out there.

“We feel that now’s the right time to move along.”

Mrs Nairn said she expected the property’s idyllic rural living, while remaining close to town services in Torquay, would win over its potential new owners.

“When we lived in Jan Juc, it would only take him 17 minutes to drive to our place, feed the horse and come back to ours again,” she said.

“It surprises a lot of people about how central it is, especially now with Grossmans Road becoming developed with schools and houses, it’s not far away at all.

“I was out there the other day and it is always so peaceful.”

The property fronts both Grossmans Road and Anglesea Road and boasts views of Spring Creek Valley to the Bass Strait.

It currently has a modest, three-bedroom weatherboard cottage on site, plus vast grazing areas, four paddocks, masonry block stables, a shearing shed and two dams.

The acerage also presents an opportunity for potential commercial or land banking options for future development or for construction of a new dream home, subject to council approval.

McCartney Real Estate director and sales executive Tim Carson said the property was an opportunity for a buyer to change their lifestyle.

“The property is ideally located on the Surf Coast in the tightly held Bellbrae corridor, offering endless possibilities,” he said.

“With Torquay and its world-renowned beaches only minutes away, a 20-minute drive to Geelong and a bit over an hour to Melbourne, this well-located acreage will always be close at hand, and will attract positive capital growth for many years to come.”

McCartney Real Estate is expecting a price range of $4 million to $4.2 million for the property.

Expressions of interest close on September 5, unless sold prior.