Hidden charm of historic home
1850s cottage goes under the hammer
A QUAINT piece of Geelong history is up for grabs with the sale of one the earliest homes built south of the Barwon River.
The stone cottage in Highton, known as Mt Pleasant, dates to 1854 and has been listed for the first time in 33 years.
Modern additions have turned it into a comfortable three-bedroom house that retains all of its old-world character.
A trapdoor leading to an original cellar is one of the delightful quirks of 217 Mt Pleasant Rd that provides a window into the past.
Vendors Sandra and Terry Reidy said many a party had been held in the cellar, which has a working fireplace.
The former publicans are relocating to South Australia after raising their family at the historic cottage.
They said passers-by often commented on the house, which they fell for in the 1980s despite setting out to buy a home in East Geelong.
“We had a garage sale a couple of years ago and a woman put a bid in for (the house) then,” Mr Reidy said.
“We said, ‘we’re only selling what’s in the garage’.”
Mrs Reidy said she loved the large back garden, with a wood-fired pizza oven, and the ability to walk to Highton Village.
The original two rooms of the cottage are now home to a formal loungeroom and a bedroom.
An extension, completed about 40 years ago, has added a second living room, kitchen/ meals area and two more bedrooms.
Stockdale & Leggo, Belmont agent Josh Carter said the house was one of the original cottages south of the river.
“The initial dwelling was built around 1854, so you can only imagine, as it was pretty open here, overlooking just meadows and hills, and Godfrey Hirst’s mill,” Mr Carter said.
“It’s been extended and done up over time but they have kept the period character to it.”
A Heritage Council Victoria listing states Mt Pleasant was built for Phillip Hoskin, who was associated with the early development of Belmont and Highton, and predates closer survey and settlement south of the river.
The property will be auctioned on November 2 at 10.30am with price hopes of $740,000 to $780,000.