Grapevines now grow on the frosty winter slopes of Valley Farm…

The 1860’s was a very different story…

It was the Gold Rush Era and a shanty town called “New Chum” occupied the lower paddocks alongside the Chum Creek. This was an overnight resting point on what was known as ‘The Yarra Track’ where prospectors en-route from Melbourne changed from stagecoach to pack horse before continuing the mountainous journey over the Blacks’ Spur to the Woods Point Goldfields. Subsequently, a township named Healesville was established on a more suitable site some three kilometres downstream.

morning elm.JPG — The original residence ‘The Valley’ was constructed in the early 1900's as a summer house for a farming family from Coldstream.
In 1946 it was rebuilt in an affluent, art-deco style with extensive gardens designed in consultation with renowned garden designer, Edna Walling.

By the late 70’s the federal government had “acquired” the property and curiously constructed a satellite tracking station. A giant 20 metre diameter dish (yes, just like the movie!) was soon receiving signals from outer-space as the 1984 Olympics telecast was beamed in from Los Angeles then transmitted by wire via the local telephone exchange to Australian TV stations. By the end of the 80's, rapid technological advances rendered the Melbourne Earth Station obsolete. The property was then purchased by the current owners who planted the vineyard and developed a wine and tourism enterprise.
The former “Earth Station” complex has now been transformed into three apartments for guest accommodation.