Steeped in history dating back to 1857, this property was originally owned by Anthony Rolfe and his family. Photos: Supplied.
Landmark heritage property Tea Gardens Homestead is on the market, presenting a rare opportunity to become the next custodian of one of Canberra’s oldest residences.
Blessed with a rich history spanning more than 150 years, the 1865-built treasure at 10 Yirawala St, Ngunnawal has been sympathetically and extensively renovated with tender love and care.
The home was purchased by Jessika Ahlgren and Tim Hubbard in 2020 during COVID lockdowns. Since then, it has undergone a five-year transformation – and the couple is now ready to pass on the property to new owners as they seek a new renovation project.
“We literally just finished the renovations and I started looking at property again,” laughed Jess. “We’re actually not good at doing nothing on weekends or sitting around being idle, so we are going to go see if we can find some property and do this all over again!
“For us, it’s been a great home. We had children ranging from 12 to 17 when we bought it and because it’s double brick you can’t hear anyone. Everyone has their own living spaces – it’s a great ‘Brady Bunch’ home.”
The property became the genesis of Gold Creek station.
Steeped in history dating back to 1857, the property was originally owned by Anthony Rolfe and his family, and was an early focal point of the area.
Rolfe established a garden and a small orchard, enabling the family to be mostly self-sufficient. It would later become the genesis of Gold Creek station, and one of the largest and most successful farming enterprises in the district.
Tea Gardens Homestead also served as a community meeting place, including for local dances and Catholic church services. In the 1960s the property was known as Ginninderra Park, and during the 1970s and 1980s it operated as Baden Lodge, where it housed a horse training facility and riding school.
Set on a half-acre block overlooking the fourth hole of Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club, the home was extended in 1956 and again in 1965 before the couple’s more recent renovation inside and out.
Now, the picture perfect property offers five bedrooms and two bathrooms and a plethora of new additions, including an outdoor hydrotherapy spa, giant chess board, CCTV and security with back-to-base monitoring.
From Western Australian jarrah salvaged from Parliament House, to restored sash windows, white cedar floors and exposed red brick, the home harks back to history while integrating modern features such as a stellar bar room with Vintec wine fridges and brass finishes and a designer kitchen with pyrolytic ovens and a hot-cold-sparkling water zip tap.
Astra Walker copper tapware and a freestanding copper bath make this bathroom a standout.
A jaw-dropping bathroom renovation includes Astra Walker copper tapware and a freestanding copper bath, while the former meat room has been transformed into a functional media retreat.
Outside, the delightful yard boasts creek frontage, a fruit orchard, vegetable gardens, flower farm, Japanese garden and sandstone firepit – all overlooking the golf course.
Jess said she would miss the lush yard the most after sinking a lot of time, energy and love into the two-tiered sanctuary, which has exhibited as part of Open Gardens Canberra.
“When we bought the place, the land had suffered from drought, leaving only a few trees in the front and a back garden overrun with periwinkle, dead grass, and blackberry bushes,” she said.
“We had a landscaping quote and I was showing one of my good friends who is a civil engineer. After a few wines one Saturday night, we hatched a plan for him to take on the project. On Monday morning we woke up to all the trucks and diggers rolling into our garden.”
Jess and Tim planted dozens of trees and more than 1000 plants by hand, transitioning from novice green thumbs to more proficient gardeners in the process.
“It evolved over time and we are very proud of what we have achieved. It’s difficult to articulate how special a home like this is,” Jess said.
“We’ll be sad to leave. There are a lot of reasons why. When we sit out the back in the garden looking out, we have wondered if we’re making a mistake.
“It’s like a retreat so when you come home at the end of the day you feel like you’re a million miles away. You’re looking out over the golf course, the beautiful gardens. It genuinely feels like a holiday resort almost. It will be hard to leave that behind.”
Selling agent Eva Bono, from HIVE Property, said the iconic residence had been restored with timeless care and was now waiting for a new chapter to be written.
She said it was a privilege to take such a special piece of Canberra’s history to market.
The uniqueness of a home like Tea Gardens means it’s difficult to put a price on it.
“Tea Gardens is going to attract a very specific buyer – it’s going to be a buyer who loves the charm, loves the history, loves the story,” Eva said. “Reading up about its history in the lead-up to this campaign has been so intriguing.
“The uniqueness of a home like Tea Gardens means it’s difficult to price on a home like this.”
Tea Gardens Homestead, at 10 Yirawala St, Ngunnawal, will go to auction on 8 November at 4 pm.
Original Article published by Nicole Cox on Zango.
