The November 30th Mercury Saturday Magazine featured the Derwent Valley town ship of Glenora, stories of it’s past and present day residents. But none more famous than the family of Ebeneza Shoobridge who purchased land at Bushy Park to expand his hop plantations in 1865 and successfully farmed the area for the next 70 years.

Descendents of Ebeneza’s purchased Coniston in 1910 and began the family chapter which brought ‘Coniston House’ to be. Coniston Estate was an engineering marvel of it’s day – deploying water races to direct water from a dam on the Styx River to irrigate the property, also driving a small turbine which provided electric power to the farm and outbuildings way back in 1925.

‘Coniston’ has had further chapters of investment and enterprise including the famous figures Henry Jones of IXL fame and the enigmatic John Elliott of later years of whom the Mercury Magazine would write “John Elliott and his mates would land their Learjet on a nearby farm and get off dressed in their tennis whites, play tennis at the Glenora School courts before walking to Coniston House for lunch”.

Comprising 4 acres of English gardens with 100 year old stately poplars and oaks, the classic Californian bungalow homestead represents a dignified statement of bygone days of grandeur, successful enterprise and leadership in this community.

The vendors have invested significantly in returning the property to sound condition with renovations to floors, walls and ceilings including installation of an excellent wood fired hydronic heating system deploying 12 radiators to heat the whole home a la ski lodge style, ensuring guests and family are totally comfortable year round in this magnificent setting, just 55 kilometres from the city of Hobart.

A selection of outbuildings include stables, a summer house, tool makers shed, utilities building and the first Tobacco kiln built in Tasmania which still stands in the grounds near a large lily pond.

Will you write the next chapter for Coniston House? Call Jim for an appointment and come see the wonderful potential of this property for yourself.