I hope to save the former Prime Minister’s historic home at Point Lonsdale – realestate.com.au

A great-grandson of Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin is still hopeful the federal government can acquire his historic Point Lonsdale holiday home before the family is forced to sell.

Tom Harley is leading a campaign for the Commonwealth to acquire the 1.68ha Glaneuse Rd estate, Ballara, amid a dispute between 10 Deakin descendants who own a share in its future ownership.

The property was put up for sale last week after the public acquisition missed a deadline set by VCAT before estate agents had to be called in to sell it.

RELATED: Alfred Deakin’s house in Point Lonsdale is for sale

Gurner proposes a luxury wellness spa hotel for the landmark in Geelong

A stylish rebuild is rising from the ashes of the Winchelsea fire

Elsewhere Geelong agent Peter Lindeman launched an expressions of interest campaign to sell Ballara, which closed on December 9.

Mr Harley said there was still time for the Commonwealth to intervene.

“I recognize it was inevitable. The current ownership structure was unsustainable with 10 different owners. This place deserves better, public ownership would be my preference,” he said.

Mr Harley said the VCAT ruling had given the government an opportunity to acquire the property uncontested.

The desk and chair are some of the original items of Australia’s second Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin, located in his Ballara holiday home. Photo: Jason Edwards

---

“Unfortunately, that couldn’t be done because of the elections and things like that. But there have certainly been people appreciating it and researching it and so on,” he said.

“That means that they then become part of this expressions of interest process.

“It’s certainly my hope that they join in and save the day.”

The house was designed and built during Deakin’s second term as Prime Minister in 1907 and became an important retreat where he would read, write and develop political ideas.

The original furniture, artwork and photographs will be retained as they were left, preserving the essence of Deakin itself, Mr Lindeman said.

His wife Pattie designed the native gardens, which were unusual for the time, and erected the Point Lonsdale War Memorial on the site, which has been passed down through descendants.

Ballara, the home of Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, at 57-73 Glaneuse Rd, Point Lonsdale, is for sale.

---

If the Commonwealth does not acquire the property, family members are pinning their hopes on future owners who decide to protect it by creating a Trust for Nature covenant.

Although the house is Grade II listed, there are fears that developers could still carve up the property, the largest original block in the city on the Bellarine Peninsula.

The native garden contains female oaks, grass trees, moonahs and tea trees sheltering heather and rare orchids and is described as a precious remnant of the Bellarine heath.

Mr Harley said a Trust for Nature covenant would not only secure the property in its entirety, but would also mean any new owner would be exempt from paying land tax to the state government.

Mr Harley said $4 million has been raised in pledges from local people, family members, the Borough of Queenscliffe and philanthropic supporters, with an understanding of an equal Commonwealth commitment required to secure the property for community use.

Ballara is the largest private property within the Point Lonsdale city limits.

---

Mr Harley said an agreement has been reached with Deakin University to manage Ballara for the community, while the family will also establish a $500,000 trust to support future maintenance.

Leading former politicians and historians wrote to Arts Minister Tony Burke urging the Commonwealth to contribute to the acquisition of Ballara from the Deakin family.

Signatories to the letter included former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, former Labor Secretary Barry Jones, ex-Foreign Secretary Julie Bishop, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Emeritus Professor Judith Brett.

The Museum of Australian Democracy had been tasked with providing advice to the government and representatives had recently visited the site.