Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ‘Old Linton’ building has been a part of the fabric of Yass township for more than 150 years and has attracted the attention of Foxtel Television Program Selling Houses Australia.
In what the programs directors are describing as their most ambitious makeover yet, the historic “Old Linton” took nine days to renovate and will feature as the programs double episode finale to Series 9.
On Wednesday evening the property was unveiled to over 100 Yass residents who were invited to dress up Great Gatsby style and see the dramatic changes to the property, as well as feature in the television show.
“The dust was atrocious,” Katrina Jitts, owner of the property told the Tribune at the unveiling.
“But it was definitely worth it. It has been an amazing experience and we are just blown away from the quality of work.
“It has been excellent for Yass, they used a lot of Yass businesses and has given Yass a lot of exposure.”
Although the programs’ directors wouldn’t allow for any sneak peak photos Mrs Jitts divulged what she liked most about the makeover.
“The bedroom with the window that faces the sun in the morning is magical,” she said.
“I also like the colours that have been used throughout, they are muted but trendy.”
The beautiful Manor House of 'Old Linton' was built in 1857 by Moses Moses who also built the Royal Hotel in Yass, he was congratulated at the time for putting it above the flood level.
He died a few years after building the manor and was buried in Yass cemetery.
A Scotsman who migrated to Australia in the 1850’s bought the property and named it Linton after his hometown in Scotland. He and his wife had a daughter who later married the legendary sheep baron - A B Triggs who took over the manor - at one stage Triggs owned one million sheep.
Most of the extensions to the property were done by Triggs and his family.
After his death, the house was sold and became a war veterans home, opened by the Duke of Gloucester the then Governor General, as the country home of the War Veterans.
90 men were housed in the home until 1990 when the RSL built a new and much larger Retirement Village. Old Linton was then sold back into private hands in 1990 to the Hinman family.
In 1997 Dr Ray Burn and his wife Ann Daniel purchased the property and lived in it for several years. In 2004 they sold it to the Jitts family.
The house encompasses 1100 square metres of area under the roof with 46 rooms that include a Ballroom that can seat 100 people, a full sized billiard room, a large country kitchen with separate cool room, a servants wing, a butler's suite. It also has a 17 metre dining room that can seat 50, a large lounge, smaller breakfast room, 13 bedrooms and as almost as many bathrooms. An extremely large library that could hold 12,000 books is inside and still have room for a mezzanine level to be added to the high ceiling that would allow for even more books.
The property also encompasses a separate three bedroom cottage that was originally the infirmary as well as a stables with loft and a large glasshouse with potting area and a machinery shed. All this sits on just over five acres of land in the middle of Yass.
Mrs Jitts described that before the makeover the property was appraised at just over $6 million.
“We have no idea what it is worth now,” she explained.
“It will go to auction and I guess we will see what happens.”
The program is scheduled to run at the end of April on Foxtel.