Heritage Georgian homestead finds 21st-century freeholder

Glenfield, the Georgian colonial residence at Casula, NSW, deemed to be the most important house surviving from the Macquarie era, has been sold by the Historic Houses Trust for close to $2 million.

Dr Charles Throsby, the naval surgeon on the Coromandel, magistrate member of the Legislative Council and explorer, built the house in 1817, naming it after his birthplace near Leicester in England.

On his death in 1828, the convict-built residence was left to his nephew Charles Throsby, who built the 1834 Throsby Park residence in the Southern Highlands.

It remained in the family until the 1920s, when it was sold to the Leacock family.

The restored 14-room residence with lawn tennis court, orchard, privy, two-storey stables and a former dairy, is on 1.3 hectares on Leacock Lane.

It's something of a miracle that it has survived at all, let alone with most of its original features and outbuildings intact.

Before its acquisition by the HHT the vacant house was under threat from damage, vandalism, theft and termites.

It has been restored at a cost of about $1.8 million. It sits on a reduced holding since being bought in 2002 for $1.8 million from the Leacocks, when it was on 5.5 hectares.

It sold as a freehold holding through Garry Dunn at Dunn & Horne Hammondville in conjunction with Darren Curtis and Ken Jacobs from Christie's International.

It was previously listed in 2008 on a variable long-term lease basis with a single up-front payment and a lease that can be assigned. There will be a requirement that the property be opened to the public on a number of days each year. The sale proceeds will be spent on saving other threatened buildings.

The restoration was undertaken by Clive Lucas, Stapleton & Partners Pty Ltd.