Once-in-a-century sale: Time capsule cottage in historic gold mining town

A time capsule cottage has sold for the first time in 100 years, with buyers captivated by its quaint charm and hallmarks of Victorian country life in the late 1920s.

“It’s like stepping back in time,” sales agent Fiona Kelly from Belle Property Trentham said. “There is a picture of the queen still there.

“The most modern thing is that there’s a television aerial so they can watch TV – everything else is very basic.”

The three bedroom cottage in the historic gold mining town of Blackwood, located 89km North West of Melbourne was built circa 1926.

Snapped up for just $365,000, the beloved abode on a sprawling 2291sqm lot had remained within the same family its entire lifetime.

Ms Kelly said the great-grandchild – who is now aged in their 80s – made the tough decision to sell.

“It’s been very hard for our venders to let go….even though it is quite rustic, they’ve totally loved it and had their own child there and memories of times with their family and friends,” she said.

Buyer interest was enormously strong with 10 potential buyers attending the first home open, which Ms Kelly said was unusual for the small town of Blackwood, which has population of just 360 residents.

With properties in Blackwood typically listed for sale in the $500,000 to $750,000 price range, Ms Kelly said Blackwood grew exponentially during Covid and became a popular destination for young people wanting to get out of Melbourne’s western suburbs.

 “They love the history of the older homes – they’re renovating them,” she said.

“So it’s in some respects it is sort of gentrifying. There’s a lot of entrepreneurial people there doing amazing things – music programs in the community hall, people who are painting, people who are designers and working on events.

“There is a real new cohort of young people with small children, which has been great.”

Listed for $700,000, the circa-1860 Cobb & Co Tea Rooms offers buyers buyers have the chance to take on a new tree-change business venture smack-bang in the centre of historic Blackwood – from a boutique business, gallery or hospitality venue to an enchanting private residence steeped in heritage.

Nearby, a three-bedroom original condition home listed for $427,000 has just gone under offer, which comes with a unique piece of local history – an original Blackwood miner’s log hut constructed with logs from the Wombat State Forest in the early gold mining rush of the 1850’s. Only a handful remain in good condition.

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