History and location
The history of Benview as a farming property goes back to the early days of white settlement in Australia, before the federation of the Australian States and before the foundation of the nearby Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It continues to retain its rural outlook.
Located in the adjoining State of New South Wales, Benview is about 30 minutes travel by sealed road to the centre of the ACT, and its central business district of Canberra. Most of the main national institutions in the ACT such as Parliament House, Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the National Library, the National Gallery, the National Museum, the Australian National University, and the High Court, are close to the centre of Canberra.
The property and surrounding areas
The present property Benview contains the original homestead, an historic and rambling building of about 300 square metres, together with a range of associated farm buildings and facilities. The property area is approximately 74 Hectares (182 Acres), being the central area of the original larger property called Spring Flat.
As well as being close to Canberra, Benview is also about 30 minutes by sealed road to the farming town of Yass in the Yass Valley Local Government Area (LGA). Yass provides the necessary facilities and support for the many surrounding rural properties. Being the original town in this area, Yass contains many historic buildings and places. In the 2008 BankWest Quality of Life Index, which tracked where living standards are highest in Australia, Yass Valley ranked 35 out of 590 LGA's in Australia.
Benview today.
The present owners have owned and farmed Benview for nearly 30 years. During that time they have made many improvements to the homestead, the property and the farm facilities. One of the most obvious of the improvements has been the planting of many trees around the homestead and along the entrance from Dog Trap Road.
Benview provides a rare combination of city and country. Canberra is centrally positioned between the State Capital Cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, which are all in the South East portion of Australia. This allows convenient interstate travel to the major business centres of Australia.
Copyright © John Bamford 2009. All rights reserved.