Kyneton Old Rectory

Entire villa in Kyneton, Australia

  1. 6 guests
  2. 3 bedrooms
  3. 3 beds
  4. 3.5 baths
Hosted by Will
  1. 8 years hosting

Listing highlights

Lots to do nearby

This area has plenty to explore.

Garden view

Soak up the view during your stay.

Park for free

This is one of the few places in the area with free parking.
The Church of England commissioned construction of the Old Rectory in 1850, with subsequent additions in the 1865 and 2012.
The property was fully renovated under architect supervision in 2016.
The bluestone house sits in almost half an acre of stunning private garden, providing multiple spaces to dine or relax.
The Old Rectory offers a unique opportunity to experience a beautifully decorated colonial building, which, whilst listed by the National Trust, offers every comfort and convenience.

The space
The Old Rectory is let as a three bedroom house for up to six adults. All three bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms and there are two living areas, both equipped with televisions. There are Bose speakers in all living rooms and bedrooms.

Guest access
Guests have exclusive access to all areas and facilities of the house (except for a small staff pantry) and the garden. There is on-site parking for three vehicles.

Other things to note
The recent renovation of both house and garden has been undertaken with advice from heritage architect Bryce Raworth and leading interior decorator Adelaide Bragg and Associates. We have used the best available materials and fittings.

There is a mix of contemporary and antique furniture and art throughout the house.

All bedrooms have quality beds with pure cotton sheets, feather and down quilts and we offer two types of pillows. The ensuite bathrooms feature marble wall tiles, English tapware, heated towel rails, unobtrusive night lighting and quality toiletries.

The bedrooms are named after people with a connection to Kyneton or the Old Rectory.

The Caroline Chisholm bedroom has a king size bed and views onto the north lawn and French doors open onto the eastern verandah and parterre garden, whilst the ensuite bathroom has double vanities and twin showers. Caroline Chisholm, known as the emigrants friend, helped thousands of migrants settle in New South Wales and Victoria in the mid nineteenth century and for a period lived in Kyneton.

The Thomas Walker bedroom has southerly views from both the bedroom and bathroom; the bathroom has a shower and vanity. The bedroom offers either a king size bed or two king single beds. Thomas Walker walked from Sydney to Melbourne in 1837 and in so doing passed though what was to become Kyneton. Walker recorded the exploit in his journal “A month in the Bush of Australia” the original of which is in the British Library but can be found online and is a wonderful insight into the early days of the Colony of New South Wales and the Port Philip District (Victoria didn’t separate from NSW until 1851, a year after the Old Rectory was commissioned).

The David Unaipon bedroom has a queen size bed, with views onto the fernery to the west of the house. The ensuite bathroom has a shower and vanity. David Unaipon was the first indigenous Australian to be published and was widely respected as an inventor and preacher. Unaipon lived in the Rectory in the 1930s; his image features on the Australian $50 note.

The library is equipped with a television, Netflix, DVD player and Bose sound system (which is found throughout the property) with direct access via French doors to the parterre garden and southerly views of the lych gate garden. There is a selection of books on a wide variety of topics including the arts, architecture, design, gardening and a selection of paperbacks.

The living room has facilities to relax or dine and features Bose speakers and a television. Located next to the kitchen, the living room has northerly garden views with direct access to the walnut lawn and an outdoor dining area.

The Inner hall can be converted to a formal dining or work space if required.

The kitchen is equipped with a Miele oven and induction cooktop, Nespresso coffee maker, dishwasher, refrigerator with ice maker and chilled water, French Mauviel cookware and Spode Italian Blue China.

A Weber barbecue is available in the garden.

The garden is divided into a number of “rooms”, including the parterre or garden entrance, the secret garden, the sunken garden, which features a large pond and the north lawn. There are multiple places to sit or dine in the garden, including the shingle roofed front verandah which provides protection from the weather but also offers beautiful views over the parterre garden.

There is an outdoor lavatory at the rear of the house (near the fernery).

Where you'll sleep

1 of 2 pages

What this place offers

Garden view
Kitchen
Fast Wi-Fi: 51 Mbps
Dedicated workspace
Free parking on premises
Unavailable: Carbon monoxide alarm

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Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 22 reviews.

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Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars for value

Where you’ll be

Kyneton, Victoria, Australia
This listing’s location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighbourhood highlights

The Old Rectory is located in Piper Street, right in the heart of the town’s heritage district and with a selection of excellent restaurants, bars, galleries and shops all within walking distance.

The commercial heart of Kyneton is located on High and Mollison Streets, a few minutes walk away, offering a range of services including gourmet food, wine, bakery, chemists, newsagent, banks (NAB, Bendigo, CBA), supermarkets (Woolworths and IGA) and a butcher.

Facilities such as the Kyneton Botanic Gardens, Campaspe River walk, Kyneton racetrack, the Bluestone Theatre, Kyneton Croquet Club and Kyneton Town Hall are also an easy walk.

Kyneton Golf Course is a ten minute drive and Cobaw Sporting, offering clay shooting, is a twenty five minute drive.

There are a number of natural attractions located within a thirty minute drive of the Old Rectory, including the Metcalfe Cascades, Mount Macedon, Hanging Rock, Trentham Falls, Loddon Falls, and Turpin Falls.

The region is known for quality wine production, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties. Local makers include Curly Flat, Bindi, Passing Clouds*, Kyneton Estate, Epis, Shadowfax, Mount Towrong*, Mount Munument*, Cobaw Ridge and Wilimee. The Heathcote region, famous for cool climate Shiraz wines, is a thirty minute drive. Several vineyards have cellar doors and some offer food (marked with a *); details are available at the Kyneton Information Centre in High Street and we have a Macedon Ranges vineyard map available at the Old Rectory.

There are a number of attractive small towns within a thirty minute drive of Kyneton, including Castlemaine (home to the Castlemaine Art Museum), Malmsbury, Trentham, Daylesford, Macedon, Woodend and Gisborne. There are excellent restaurants in Daylesford and Trentham.

The major regional cities of Bendigo and Ballarat are approximately a one hour drive (Bendigo and Castlemaine can also be reached by train from Kyneton railway station). Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine were beneficiaries of gold discoveries made in 1851 that transformed them and indeed Victoria and offer fine examples of Victorian architecture and host art galleries of note.

Meet your host

Host
22 reviews
5.0 out of 5 average rating
8 years of hosting
Born in the 50s
Where I went to school: Geelong
After a thirty year career in finance I purchased the Old Rectory as a retirement project in 2014. In my professional life I travelled widely, particularly in Asia and Europe. My philosophy in hosting guests reflects my experience that hotels and restaurants succeed or fail on the basis of one thing: their people. A three star hotel with engaging and engaged staff will likely result in a better experience than a five star property with poor staff (I’d be happy to recount some experiences to illustrate this point should we meet)! In renovating the Old Rectory I have tried to retain the historic charm of the property whilst incorporating modern conveniences; no one after all wants to live in a museum. The images and the descriptions of the Old Rectory also represent an attempt to describe the property accurately. Once again from personal experience expectations about a property need to be realistic: images of a Presidential suite are unlikely to provide an accurate representation of a standard room. And finally I gained most from my travel when seeing how people in a new country or city live and, if the opportunity should arise, engaging with them. My partner and I live fifteen minutes away from the Old Rectory so we certainly won’t be a constant presence, but we’re very happy to share our local knowledge with guests to enhance their holiday experience.
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 3:00 pm
Checkout before 11:00 am
6 guests maximum
Safety & property
No carbon monoxide alarm
Nearby lake, river, other body of water
Smoke alarm