Popular doctor sells landmark farms in Glenhope and Mia Mia
Well known general practitioner Dr John Bongiorno, who until recently reaching retiring age, operated from Richmond’s Bridge Road for many years, has sold two landmark rural properties, in Glenhope and Mia Mia.
Farms Spring Plains and the historic Thistledown, between Kyneton and Lancefield, are trading for a total of just over $3 million.
Dr Bongiorno bought Thistledown at 55 Buntings Lane (pictured top and left) at auction in 1980. On 420 hectares, it is selling to a local district family for $2.6 million.
“He thought at the time that the property would give himself, his wife and young sons a great lived experience in a rural environment and indeed it has for the last thirty-eight years,” Pat Rice & Hawkins broker Matt Childs said upon listing the property last month.
“In fact, for many years the family lived on the property and Dr John commuted several times a week to his Richmond practice,” Mr Childs said.
The Thistledown property was offered together with the district block known as Spring Plains at 169 McDonalds Lane, Mia Mia.
Elders Real Estate’s Martin Skahill was the conjunctional agent.
Subdivided into 12 parcels, Thistledown offers “considerable’ carrying capacity, according to Dr Bongiorno.
“With the work of my manager who has also elected to retire we have run a herd of performance recorded Angus cattle from which we have annually sold commercial bulls which has been significantly upgraded to my personal satisfaction with an ongoing AI (Artificial Insemination) breeding program”.
An important feature of Thistledown, the brokers said, is the “significant and mature stands of red gum, grey box and yellow box shade trees, many of immense proportions that are generously spread across the property and give it eminent landscape status”.
It also includes two historic bluestone buildings, one being the original homestead of rendered bluestone and timber dating to circa 1868.
The second holding known as Spring Plains, has been bought by a private investor for $480,000.
About ten kilometres distant from Thistledown, Spring Plains, on 129 hectares, has been used as a grow out block for the annual Angus heifer production.
“There is a set of portable steel cattle yards with a loading ramp and the stocking capacity is considered as 80 to 100 heifers or steers,” Mr Childs said.