The Very Best Dungog Has To Offer

Newcastle Herald

Saturday June 17, 2006

By ALYSSON WATSON

HISTORIC Wakefield, one of Dungog's finest acreage properties, will be auctioned by Dillon and Sons First National Real Estate on July 8.

The 1914-built homestead on 42 hectares of improved cattle country is owned by Wirragulla Pty Ltd, the Hooke family company which also owns 405 hectares across the Williams River, part of an original land grant made in 1827.

The property is being sold to finalise the estate of the late Tina Hooke.

Listing agent Tavis Chivers said the homestead and productive pastures with long, deep Williams River frontage had been in the Hooke family since 1916.

He said Wakefield offered buyers a magnificent lifestyle in what was arguably the finest location in Dungog, at Alison, six kilometres from the township.

The productive rural holding, with a 1.25-kilometre river frontage, has a 40-megalitre irrigation licence that would pass with ownership.

The country ranges from alluvial river flats to gently undulating improved pasture ridge grazing country, with a variety of grasses.

It is cleared, with shade and shelter timber scattered throughout, and fenced into five paddocks, all with a dam or river frontage.

Mr Chivers said the property was best suited to vealer production and could carry 30 cows and calves throughout all normal seasons, turning the calves off as vealers. The capacity could be increased with more pasture improvement.

Wakefield homestead was built in 1914 and was sympathetically extended in 1988 by the addition of another home of the same era. It has five bedrooms and is sited prominently looking over the property to Barrington Tops.

There is also a three-car weatherboard garage near the homestead, a hay and machinery shed, old concrete silo and decommissioned brick dairy ideal for stables.

Wirragulla leases the property to family member John Hooke for $11,000 a year. The lease will cease with the sale, but Mr Hooke would negotiate a new lease, Mr Chivers said. The July 8 auction will be held on site, at 23 Alison School Road, Alison, at 2pm.

One out of the boxA QUALITY three-year-old home on 40 hectares only 10 minutes from Maitland is a rare find, but presents itself in this Mindaribba property for sale with Maitland Heritage Real Estate.

On the market for $1.1 million, the property on Eelah Road could run 30 head of cattle and was excellent horse country, listing agent Duke Brown said.

The owners have run cattle but now run horses on the property, which is divided into six paddocks, each with a dam.

The picturesque, private setting offers excellent shade trees and a dry creek bed.

The bagged brick and Colorbond house has timber floors and french doors opening to wide verandas from which to enjoy the rural vista.

It has four bedrooms and the main has a spacious ensuite with spa bath.

A modern kitchen overlooks the family and dining room, separate to a formal lounge and entertaining area with timber-lined cathedral ceilings.

The house has a two-way combustion fire and two split-system air-conditioners.

A freestanding office is located about 100 metres from the house and there is also a four-bay steel shed and horse shelter.

The biggest dam has a pump set up for irrigation and there are six water tanks servicing the house.

Neighbourly moveA QUORROBOLONG property with great views to the Watagan Mountains that immediately caught the eye of several potential buyers was snapped up by the folks across the road.

Sternbeck's Real Estate selling agent James Harvey said the neighbours paid the full asking price of $525,000 just weeks after the 20-hectare grazing property on Heaton Lookout Road went on the market.

Mr Harvey said the alluring mountain panorama and proximity to Newcastle, Cessnock, Maitland and the F3 Freeway had caught the eye of buyers looking for a weekender as well as those wanting to renovate the old weatherboard house and live there permanently.

But in the end, it will continue to fatten cattle.