Government to sell historic Bonnyrigg House at auction

One of Australia’s oldest properties, Bonnyrigg House, is to be sold off by the State Government at auction on October 25.

The heritage-listed homestead at 19-21 Cartwright St in Bonnyrigg Heights was built in 1826 – just shy of two centuries ago.

Designed by Francis Greenway and constructed by A. Kinghorne and Thomas Moore, the landmark residence was once an orphanage for boys and a schoolmaster’s quarters.

Originally the residence sat on a much larger land parcel and operated as a farm to teach the resident boys farming skills.

According to a survey conducted in 1863, paddocks and a working vineyard surrounded the school. Wine produced from the estate’s grapes were exported from the colony as early as 1831 – some of the first Australian wine to reach Europe. By the late 1870s and early 1880s, the church behind the orphanage decided to subdivide the land.

Bonnyrigg House also changed over the years. The most significant renovations appear to be a single storey front addition that was added around 1914, as well as a timber veranda and a two-storey extension to the rear of the building.

Today, Bonnyrigg House sits on a 2500sqm parcel surrounded by Homestead Park, with a 50m street frontage. The property is in need of a major makeover and the Department on Planning and Environment is seeking its next custodians.

Gary Attard and Jorge Vasquez of Andrew Partners Real Estate are taking the estate to auction on October 25 at 11.30am. Given the home’s rare heritage and government ownership, the site must sell under the hammer, however there are few comparable sales to indicate price.

Over the past 12 months, Bonnyrigg Heights has seen a median house price increase of 5.3%, according to PropTrack data. A typical house in the suburb is now $1.284 million.

Grand homes in the neighbourhood, however, have hit much greater a heights.

A five-bedroom house on the same street at 30 Cartwright St sold under the hammer in June for $2.5 million through Matteo Pecora and Aleksandar Stanojevic of Ray White Wetherill Park/Cecil Hills. The hot auction had attracted 18 registered bidders and reportedly fetched more than $600,000 over the set reserve, setting a suburb record. 

In July, a brand new seven-bedroom, six-bathroom house on 841sqm at 245 North Liverpool Rd in Bonnyrigg achieved $3.1 at auction with Tony Fahma and Johnny Khoury from Blaze Real Estate.

Attard said during more than two decades in the industry, he had never listed such an historic property. 

“It’s got character, charm and a whole lot of history. Blocks of this size are rarely seen in the area set in a most convenient and popular location among quality homes, this one is sure to attract plenty of attention,” he said.

As is, two-storey Bonnyrigg House has three to four bedrooms, one bathroom, multiple living areas, storage options and several original period features. There is a full-width veranda at the rear of the house’s footprint, plus a sunroom, lounge room and separate dining room.

In recent years, Bonnyrigg and Bonnyrigg Heights have been undergoing a revival. The leafy region, approximately 50kms from Sydney’s CBD, has been home to the State Government’s $855 million Bonnyrigg Estate renewal housing plan. In this plan, a total of 2,998 dwellings, including 900 social housing homes, are in the pipeline.

This evolving project has already introduced a new community hub, close to 300 social and private homes, as well as public green spaces, including more links for pedestrians and cyclists.

Bonnyrigg Dhanawi Hub was opened to the community in 2024 and features a large hall for social and cultural activities, meeting rooms, play areas, and a shared a community garden.

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