For Sale: One of the last original properties in Victorian gold mining town
In 1863 gold was discovered in the area around this house for sale, and thousands arrived hoping to strike it lucky. One of them was a German man who'd married his brother's widow. Now the house he built is for sale.
Residz Team 3 min read
A property classified ‘A’ by the National Trust of Australia is for sale for $1.5 million in Victoria.
We noticed the historic property “Windsor House” listed for sale on Residz through One Agency, and had to know more.
Here’s what we’ve found out.
Gold prospector built house
Windsor House is one of the last original properties in the gold mining town of Walhalla in Gippsland, about 180 km east of Melbourne.
A 2020 Domain interview with property owner Gaele Whitehouse reveals German immigrant Johannes Gloz came looking for gold in the 1860s and built the home in 1890, making the 90,000 handmade bricks with the help of his stepson (and nephew - Johannes had married his brother’s widow).
Oldest brick home in town
Windsor House is believed to be the town’s oldest surviving brick residence. The renovated 8 bedroom house has 4 bathrooms with claw foot bath, open fireplaces, a wood stove, a stone cellar built into the mountainside, and landscaped gardens on 2358 sqm of land.
There’s also a footbridge over Stringers Creek, once the name of the area of Walhalla.
Gold in them there hills
Gold was discovered in the area in 1863 and thousands arrived hoping to strike it lucky. The town was renamed Walhalla in 1866 and by the 1870s had 3500 residents and 10 pubs.
More than 13 tonnes of gold was extracted from the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine’s 8.5-kilometre tunnel network. Aussie Towns website lists tours of the tunnel and a ride on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway as fun activities for tourists today.
Victoria’s golden era
According to website RareGoldNuggets, at the height of its gold production, Victoria channeled an average of two tons of gold weekly into the Treasury Building in Melbourne. The exported gold to Britain during the 1850s greatly compensated Victoria’s entire foreign debts and eventually laid the foundation of the state’s large commercial expansion.
A charming town
Today the town of Walhalla has just 20 permanent residents and one pub, says the RACV on its website, but visitors can number 130,000 a year.
It also says the charm has been maintained thanks to planning laws that mandates a gold-era style for all buildings.
Possible price growth as many of us work from home
Residz says the investment score for the Mount Baw Baw region (where Walhalla is situated) is 28 out of 100, below the Victorian state score of 44 out of 100. However, our researchers say that as buyers begin to examine Walhalla due to other areas being unaffordable and the trend of working from home, "gentrification" may increase price growth.
Residz helps buyers and sellers
Residz has hundreds of listings of properties for sale on its platform, plus Residz can help buyers and sellers reduce the stress:
- If you’re considering purchasing or renting a house, make sure you download the PEXA Property Report for that address. We have 12 million addresses in our database, with every report offering information on internet speeds, crime trends, bushfire and flood risks, investability scores and a whole lot more.
- Would you like to sell your home and connect with home buyers willing to pay your dream price? Residz has the solution, for zero dollars. Put a DreamPrice on your home to test interest. Read about DreamPrice(™) here.
Image credits:
One Property listing for Windsor House at 12 Right Hand Branch Road, Walhalla.
Walhalla township image,Visit Gippsland website