ONE of Bomaderry’s most historic homes is set to change hands after being put on the market.
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Illowra was built in Bomaderry 108 years ago.
The six-bedroom, four-bathroom home with swimming pool and tennis court is set on a 5122m2 landscaped block.
In the 1990s it was restored with meticulous attention to detail, enhancing the elegance of the Edwardian mansion.
The property has been admired by locals and visitors but for the past seven years it was treasured by owners Robyn McKeown and John Hughes from Sydney.
“We were looking for a place to retire to and we wanted to retire in Nowra. We both used to holiday there. Nowra is God’s little slice of heaven,” Ms McKeown said.
She said she and her husband took one look through the property and fell in love with the place.
“Illowra is fantastic, it’s got charm, and has a nice feel about it.
“The Morton family looked after it for many years. They sold it in the 1980s and it was restored by the next owner, Dr Andrew Moss.
“We spent a lot of money doing it up too, to bring it to a standard we wanted it to be.
“We never had a tradie turn up who didn’t want to show his family and friends through the place,” she said.
The property has become a successful holiday rental that has been booked out every weekend for four years.
Among those bookings have been high-profile and famous guests spending quiet weekends away.
“We took some time there before we started renting it. It was wonderful.”
Ms McKeown said sitting in the conservatory any time of the year was her favourite part of the property.
“No matter which way you turn something’s in flower,” she said.
The couple felt owning Illowra was different to owning a modern home because of the history attached to the property.
“We always felt that we should honour that beautiful house because it is an important part of the region’s history. The Morton family looked after it so well, we just wanted to continue and make sure it was respected.
“It has been so successfully rented because there’s just no place where a family of 24 or more can enjoy time together and still be in a multi-million dollar home.”
Illowra is located at 125 Brinawarr Street, Bomaderry. It is on the market with an asking price of $1.4 million.