“But peel back the layers, and you’ll find the intricate details that reveal its deep-rooted history and colourful story.”
Completed in 1898, the grand homestead was commissioned by Scottish-born landowner Archibald McLean and designed by English architect George Sollitt to reflect the grace of a Victorian manor.
Greenhill Lodge has five en-suite bedrooms in the main house and two more bedrooms in the guest cottage. Photo / Bayleys
The home has played host to distinguished guests, including Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who stayed there during her 1958 royal tour.
Today, the home’s distinctive turret, timber detailing and wide verandas remain defining features more than a century after it was built.
“Meticulously restored between 2002 and 2007, it’s now a snapshot in time that sits comfortably within a modern world, with most of its original fixtures and design perfectly preserved,” Knaggs said, highlighting the turret.
“Every room resembles a bygone era, but with all the latest improvements you’d expect from a home of this calibre.”
The main house features five suites, each with private bathrooms, high ceilings and verandas.
There is a separate two-bedroom guest cottage within the grounds.
“Right now, it’s been operating as a boutique luxury retreat, and its future owners will also inherit the established business with professional branding, digital infrastructure, and council consents in place,” Knaggs said.
“They can either choose to continue its legacy as a hospitality destination or return it to an exclusive private residence.“
The formal dining room has 4.3-metre ceilings and an open fireplace, and there is also a richly panelled billiard room.
The gardens are equally grand. They were developed after the homestead’s completion and later refined by renowned landscape architect Alfred Buxton in the 1920s.
“Among the winding drives, citrus orchards and terraced lawns are also protected heritage trees, including an American white elm, Spanish fir, and Japanese pagoda tree, each one telling a story that spans generations,” Knaggs said.