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The $11 million-plus celebrity deal for the Victorian farm that was transformed from cow paddock to one of the world’s best gardens is off the table.
Stonefields in Victoria’s spa region was to change into the hands of Australia’s favourite gardener, the high-profile Jamie Durie.
However, the estate at 20 Belty Drive in Denver did not settle and will be retained by the owner and founder, landscape extraordinaire Paul Bangay, in a cordial decision which both parties – who are good friends – say they are comfortable with, flagging possible future business opportunities.
The rural paradise designed by Bangay, the go-to green thumb for celebrities and powerbrokers, was the subject of a successful $11 million-plus offer from Durie and his business consortium, who intended to position it as a deluxe retreat.
Listing: see more images here of the property
Durie’s resort group Opulus Hotels signed a private treaty in February for the verdant address, which has been Bangay and his husband Barry McNeill’s treasured home for 18 years. However, other projects underway have commanded their priorities and attention, and Bangay and McNeill will instead stay on and enjoy summer at the house.
Selling agency Forbes Global Properties released a statement via Tracey Atkins, director of Australia Pacific, that “a tourism consortium who made a successful bid for it earlier this year has elected not to proceed with its purchase.”.
The statement says Bangay will look into options with the agency in the new year.
“Celebrity gardener, and Paul’s close friend, Jamie Durie, was part of a winning offer in January by the Opulus Hotels group to acquire Stonefields and its neighbouring land near Daylesford to create a spectacular 27-hectare stage for a planned luxury eco retreat and function centre,” Forbes Global Properties says.
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“However, Mr Durie and his Opulus partners, Dominic Lambrinos and Kim Jacobs, have now elected not to proceed with the Stonefields acquisition as they continue to pursue other tourism initiatives already in the pipeline.
“Both Mr Durie and Mr Bangay say they are totally at ease with the decision, and remain open to collaborating on other opportunities in the future.”
Listing agent Michael Gibson, of Forbes Global Properties, declined to comment on the particulars of the price at the time contracts were signed, but whispers in the market were the deal was worth north of $11 million.
The transaction included a neighbouring property which contained Stonefield’s guest accommodation, to complete a large parcel which was anticipated to become Opulus Hotels’ newest luxury resort.
Bangay has long been regarded as one of Australia’s finest landscape designers.
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Having a timeless Paul Bangay garden is an attribute that helped to sell homes from Toorak to Portsea, Positano, East Hampton and the Barossa Valley.
Case in point: one of his gardens surrounds a European-style mansion on the Gold Coast was auctioned in February and was most expensive home ever to go under the hammer in Queensland.
Bangay told Nine when Stonefields was listed late last year that it was time to pass on the keys to his personal “paradise”.
Thousands of garden lovers from Australia and around the world have taken private tours of the property over the years. The oasis is between Kyneton and Daylesford – a historic part of central Victoria, with outstanding food and wine culture.
Bangay said with his 60th birthday soon and gardens taking ten years to establish, he and his husband needed to move on to have the time and scope to create a “forever garden” in their next home.
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He said Stonefields felt “perfect” as it is and he craved a new blank canvas.
“As a designer and owning your own property and creating something there, you want to keep working on it the whole time, and that is what I have been doing,” he said.
“It has been a great love of mine to keep adding to it, changing a few things, creating a few new areas, but it has gotten to stage where I can’t do that any more – it is perfect. I was feeling creatively stifled – so it’s time to do another.”
Bangay said when he posted the news of the listing on his Instagram account he was taken aback by the “extraordinary” depth of reaction from garden lovers globally.
“I didn’t realise it was so loved worldwide,” he said. It is a garden that belongs to world – it is the sum of all of my travels and inspirations.”
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