About This Listing

This very comfy 3 BR home is one of three individually sited cottages on an historic National Trust property - the Mooramong Homestead estate. Surrounded by lovely gardens in a park like setting which includes many established trees, an orchard, swimming pool, tennis court and a number of historic outbuildings, these charming and very well-appointed cottages are a peaceful retreat from the busy modern world.

Dogs are very welcome at Mooramong and the huge lawned area around this cottage is secure for non fence-jumping dogs, as well as your best friends being able to join you inside the accommodation. There is also a large room adjoining the cottage which provides a wonderful indoor shelter for pooches.

The principal feature of the property is the amazing Mooramong homestead, first built in the Victorian era, but converted to an Art Deco showpiece in 1938 by Hollywood silent movie star Claire Adams, in conjunction with her husband Donald 'Scobie' Mackinnon, son of LJS Mackinnon [of Mackinnon Stakes horse-racing fame].

There is a very long history of dog-friendliness at Mooramong, with the homestead being absolutely chockers with dogs and puppies during the Mackinnon family ownership of the property – most of these being rescue dogs from the Lort Smith Animal Hospital.

Please see YouTube video link here to a lovely story about this extraordinary philanthropic link between Claire Adams Mackinnon and Lort Smith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvYbE6NLK8

A complimentary guided tour of the historic Mooramong homestead also forms part of your accommodation package.

The National Trust has a very exciting annual Calendar of Events at Mooramong and you can also book out the property and the accommodation, including our 26 bed Shearers Quarters, for celebrating your own special occasion!

The Mooramong cottages are suitable for couples, families and small groups travelling together, with lots of tracks and trails on the property providing opportunities for walking and cycling.

The homestead precinct, where the cottages are located, comprises approximately 14 acres of land, with many lawned areas, parkland and beautiful gardens in which to have a picnic. Native animals abound, including kangaroos, wallabies and possums, plus a wide variety of indigenous birds, including brolgas and yellow-tailed black cockatoos.

Mooramong is conveniently located mid-way between Ballarat and Hamilton. To the east you can experience all the attractions of the nearby Goldfields region, including Sovereign Hill, Lake Wendouree, the Botanical Gardens and the Art Gallery at Ballarat.To the west is Hamilton and Halls Gap, with the spectacular natural beauty of the Grampians National Park and Victoria Valley.

*** PLEASE NOTE: SPECIAL DISCOUNTED PRICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR LARGER GROUPS, comprising the use of either two or three cottages.

The 600 acre Mackinnon Nature Reserve formed part of the Mackinnon bequest of Mooramong to the National Trust in 1981. It is the home of many species of native birds and animals, including the endangered brolga and the Eastern Barred bandicoot, which is now extinct in the wild. In 2017/2018 a partnership with Zoos Victoria will see a trial of Maremma dogs bonded to a flock of sheep, also acting as guardian dogs for the bandicoots against predation by foxes and other feral animals.This trial draws on the success of programs such as the Middle Island Maremma Dog Project (inspiration for the hit Australian film “Oddball”), where Maremmas have successfully protected Little Penguins from foxes.

With the support of the Scobie and Claire Mackinnon Trust, the National Trust’s Mooramong will play a very important role in the project, with the Nature Reserve being one of three trial sites for the Maremma Bandicoot Bodyguards. If successful, this research project of five years duration could result in the creation of a Fighting Extinction Dog Squad, a specially trained squad of dogs that protect and help monitor a host of native wildlife.

The Nature Reserve Reserve is one of the largest actively devoted to the protection of the Victorian volcanic plains grasslands and the property also comprises a quite substantial western district mixed farm of over 3,200 acres, producing sheep for wool and fat lambs, whilst also growing a variety of crops, including wheat, barley and fava beans.