Little Strathallan Dairy: part of Braidwood's history on the market
The Little Strathallan Dairy in Braidwood has been in the Coffey family for almost 80 years.
Now, the 48-hectare block of land is on the market, and relation Lenny Walker, who still lives in the farmhouse, says it's the end of an era.
"It nearly broke my heart when Michael told me he was putting the property on the market," Mr Walker, 77, said.
"So many memories here, it might take three whole days for me to tell you them all ... You'd see the magpies falling out of the trees ... it was that cold."
The Coffeys came to Australia in 1845 to escape Ireland's Great Famine, followed the gold rush to Ballarat as bakers, and moved later to Captains Flat and finally to Braidwood.
Michael Coffey took over the farm after his father Lionel died in 2013. But after five years, he has had to put it on the market after relocating to Melbourne.
"Dad and my uncle Lenny invested blood, sweat, and tears over many years, turning the dairy into a viable enterprise," Michael Coffey said. "The blood, sweat and tears helped me get to university."
Lenny Walker joined the Coffey family farm at 13 after living almost his entire childhood till then in an orphanage. He and his five siblings went to orphanages after Lenny's mother died when he was seven months old and his father was not able to cope.
His life changed when he met Michael Coffey's father, Lionel, who later married Lenny's sister, Flo. She now lives in a nursing home in Sydney.
Established in 1900, the property at 228 Wallace Street operated as a dairy farm until 1978 but has since been used as grazing land.
Michael Coffey said the block was a "bit of Australian history, especially in Braidwood" and was uniquely placed.
"Basically the main street is on a hill and you go over that hill, you’ll see the farm," he said. "There aren't many properties like that."
In 1978, Lenny Walker and Lionel Coffey turned to planting trees, and farming cattle, sheep and pigs, keeping greyhounds and horses, haymaking, and even growing turnips.
"They built the farm to what it is today, a farm that has been part of the community for over 100 years," Michael Coffey said.
"The milk was basically delivered out of there. It's been here a long time, it's a bit sad."
Agent Reg O'Connell, of Landmark Braidwood, said the vacant farmland was one-of-a-kind.
"Land such as this never comes on the market," Mr O'Connell said.
"There are smaller holdings but nothing of this size and if they become available are usually passed down through the family."
He said the land would make a "beautiful" home site as it was at the end of Braidwood's main street.
The buildings are run down and the property containing the dairy is being sold off to an adjoining landowner to preserve.
Michael Coffey said it was a hard decision to put the property on the market.
"If I wasn’t committed to Melbourne then I probably wouldn’t have put it on the market and if there was an option of working in Canberra and living in Braidwood.
"It’s a hard sell, but I think it’s a common story for the next generation of farmers.
"Rural communities are losing a lot of their youth to the bigger cities."
Little Strathallan is offered for sale by auction on June 2.