An historic Ballarat district farmhouse is at the centre of a year-long fight to save it from demolition.
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Despite the objections of many, the City of Ballarat's planning committee will tomorrow (Wednesday) discuss the significance of the Lintel Grange Homestead Complex, as part of Learmonth's prosperous farming history.
Learmonth, adjacent to a lake of the same name, is located about 23km to the north-west of Ballarat and Addington is to Learmonth's north.
It is expected the 1860's Addington property will be heritage protected, after almost a year of fighting to save it from demolition.
The decision is expected to have ramifications for some future building applications in the future with a demand for lifestyle properties in proximity to the major centres still red hot.
Buyers of farmland often seek to use the "footprint" of the existing home, no matter the state of it, to better navigate council planning rules.
Farmland with an existing home can command higher prices than those needing council permission for a new homesite.
The 19th century home, at 127 Edmonston Road in Addington, was once called unsafe and derelict by members of the public, who opposed its protection.
"Lintel Grange", at Addington, had been occupied by five generations of the Edmonston family since the 1860's.
The 32 hectare property is zoned as farming and its current use is rural residential and farming.
The house was due to be levelled for a new build by new owners when the council flagged it and supported an interim heritage protection in July 2023.
New owners had proposed replacing the old homestead with a new five-bedroom house, with a swimming pool, would be built in the same area of the old homestead in an expected $2 million development.
The owners of the site will soon be able to move forward with their plans.
The property owners resubmitted their plans in April which now includes maintaining the homestead frontage and parts of the original house and extending the property.
The permanent heritage protection includes the 1860 homestead built with bluestone and White Bolton granite, the first four rooms of the dwelling, the rendered chimneys, symmetrically arranged facade with decorative double hung sash windows on either side of the six-panel front door.
The additions from 1870-1900 have been considered secondary areas of significance, which include the underground cellar.
The council documents noted the "local significance" of the site as well as the associations with the Edmonston family.
"Cr Charles Edmonston was an influential pastoralist, a progressive and prosperous cultivator and was heavily involved in the community once elected councillor for the Ballarat Shire," the council said.
Mr Edmonston arrived in Victoria from Scotland in 1851 and built "Lintel Grange", taking up residence in the 1860s. He married Elizabeth Leys in 1862.
He died at "Lintel Grange" in 1906 aged 85, leaving his estate to sons Charles Edmonston and Donald Bell Edmonston.
"It is found that the residence 'Lintel Grange' is a fine and intact farmhouse of substantial size, material, detailing, accomplished with the use of locally quarried granite and handmade bricks," council documents stated.
Concerns have been raised over other significant properties that may not be saved, prompting council's Heritage Gaps Review.
Since 2022, 1100 places across Ballarat had been earmarked as worthy for future assessments, with potentially more to be added.
- with Ballarat Courier
