'It's magical': Own a slice of Tasmanian history

When fine arts dealer Peter Morton purchased a property in West Launceston in 1991 – for the princely sum of $86,000 – he didn’t expect the sale to make front page news.

“It was only estimated to sell for $20,000 … they called it derelict.”

They look like something from a movie set or the pages of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel, but these towering bluestone cottages are part of the historic Duck Reach estate, sitting high on the cliff overlooking the South Esk River.

Built in 1895, the cottages housed the engineer and workers of the nearby power station – the first publicly owned hydro-electric power station in Australia that lit up the city of Launceston for 60 years.

Now the slice of Tasmanian history is up for grabs again after almost 30 years. Chris Huxtable of Fall Real Estate Hobart is accepting offers of over $3.2 million for the 2.98 hectares of land and the two bluestone homes on four titles.

“It’s a marvellous location – breathtaking,” Ms Huxtable said, noting the property would work as a tourism development, arts precinct or accommodation facility, subject to council approval, and has already seen strong interest from both interstate and overseas buyers.

Number 2 Corin Street, the original power station manager’s home, is in a state of disrepair with no roof. It will need to be rebuilt after an electrical fire tore through the home, destroying the years of work Mr Morton had spent on renovating and restoring the property. While the foundations and structural bones held up, the estimated renovation cost is $300,000.

The bluestone and brick building at number 4 has been completely renovated and refurbished. The two-bedroom property includes new flooring, walls, wiring and bathroom and offers an open-plan living and dining zone with fireplace and separate kitchen.

The area is also home to an array of bird life, native wildlife and scenic walking tracks and, believe it or not, is only seven minutes’ drive to Launceston CBD.

“It’s magical. It’s got that wow factor,” Mr Morton said. “You’ve got that glorious view, the wildlife right there. It’s in its own little world.”

And while Mr Morton has spent years here and hosted many a party in the special location, he says, sadly, it’s time to move on. “It’s taken me eight years to make the decision to sell, but the time has come. I will miss it.”

Offers over $2.45 Million

Duck Reach 2 Corin Street, West Launceston TAS 7250

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