Ceres named one of Australia's most beautiful homesteads
As seen in Homes to Love: Ceres makes the list of 24 beautiful Australian homesteads
We're thrilled to share that Ceres has been named one of Australia's 24 most beautiful country homesteads by Homes to Love, in a feature published this month celebrating the properties that are keeping Australia's homestead history alive.
It's an impressive list to be part of. Alongside Ceres, it includes properties like Anlaby Station in the Barossa Valley, Mawallok in Victoria's Western District, Banongill Station near Skipton, and Yarras Homestead outside Bathurst, each with its own story of restoration and care passed down through generations. Being named alongside them is a lovely reminder that Ceres sits within a much bigger, much loved tradition of Australian homestead life.
A royal connection
Part of what makes Ceres special is its history. The homestead is grand enough to have once hosted Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, during his tour of Australia in 1867. To thank the homestead for its hospitality, Queen Victoria sent a gift of a vine cutting. That very vine still grows today in the conservatory at the heart of the house, a room we now call the Vine Hall.
A homestead still being lived in
What struck us reading through the full Homes to Love list is how many of these properties, Ceres included, aren't kept behind glass. They're family homes, working properties, and gathering places that have simply been cared for well enough to still be standing, and still be loved, well over a century later.
That's very much the spirit at Ceres. The house has been restored with an eye to its history, but it's not a museum. It's a place in Central Victoria where people come to stay, celebrate, and spend time together, surrounded by the same verandahs, gardens, and conservatory that have welcomed guests since the 1800s.
Sharing the honour
Being included in this list is a nice reminder of why we do what we do at Ceres: caring for a piece of Central Victoria's history and sharing it with the people who visit, stay, and celebrate here. It's the kind of recognition that doesn't come from asking for it, just from doing the work of looking after a special old house properly.