Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 Well it seems there are plenty around, that’s if you are willing to do a 5 hour commute to Melbourne for work, or find a job that isn’t based around city life. Personally I think I could do it easily, there are some lovely outback towns around Australia, although you would have to check on medical facilities and opportunities for your children. Here is a list posted of the top 10 Victoria towns where you can pick up a great family home. Drive a few hours from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, and property can cost less than a house deposit in the city. Victoria’s cheapest towns are mostly concentrated across the state’s north west, where wheat production and sheep grazing help to sustain tiny populations. In these sleepy inland towns with wide streets and big backyards, the median house price is likely years away from hitting $200,000. An analysis of property sales across Victoria over 2017, provided by Domain Group, has revealed where the state’s best bargain towns are. There must be a minimum of 10 property transactions in the year to find a town’s median house price. Photo: Alistair Walsh 1. Ouyen Distance from Melbourne: 440 kilometres or roughly five hours drive Median house price: $125,000 Surrounded by wheat fields and grain silos, Ouyen is a tiny town in the heart of the Mallee, located about 100 kilometres south of Mildura. Its claim to fame is a huge tree root in the centre of town, known as the Mallee stump. With a circumference of more than 10 metres, Guinness World Record officials earlier this year named Ouyen’s mallee root as the world’s biggest. In this dry farming town, it’s still possible to snap up a family-sized house for less than $100,000. 2. Donald Distance from Melbourne: 280 kilometres or 3¼ hours drive Median house price: $135,000 Halfway between Melbourne and Mildura, Donald is a cheerful country town. Part of its charm comes from the historic 1860s buildings that line Woods Street, the central shopping strip. Over the past year, 29 houses have sold in Donald, according to Domain Group data. Grain farmer John Bennett in his lush green crop near Nhill.Photo: Wayne Taylor 3. Nhill Distance from Melbourne: 375 kilometres or 4¼ hours drive Median house price: $146,500 Driving into Nhill is a pleasant experience. Wide boulevards with attractive gardens and well-kept lawns welcome visitors into town. Situated in a sheep grazing district in the Wimmera, it’s just a short drive from lakes and national parks. Since 2010, Nhill has successfully settled more than 160 refugees from Myanmar. The newcomers now make up 18 per cent of the local workforce and have boosted the town’s economy. The remote township’s vibrant community has subsequently enjoyed the media spotlight. A quaint clad home with a garden will typically cost less than $150,000. Silos in north-western Victoria hold thousands of tonnes of barley, chickpeas and lentils.Photo: John Lamb 4. Dimboola Distance from Melbourne: 335 kilometres or 3 ¾ hours drive Median house price: $155,000 About a half hour drive north-west of Horsham is the township of Dimboola, with a population of 1730. The Wimmera River runs along the south side of town so fishing, boating and rowing are popular activities. There’s a mix of properties available in Dimboola. Small, older housing stock often sells for under $150,000 but larger blocks with new, well-maintained family homes can fetch north of $300,000. 5. St Arnaud Distance from Melbourne: 240 kilometres or 2 ¾ hours drive Median house price: $157,500 The former gold mining town of St Arnaud is home to some 2000 residents. Like much of the Mallee, agriculture is the backbone of the local economy. If you were to browse real estate agency windows in town, you would likely see a mix of weatherboard and post-war brick houses starting from just $80,000. It is rare for a residential property to go for more than $250,000. Mural portraits by Adnate in Sheep Hills.Photo: Dorothy Woodgate 6. Warracknabeal Distance from Melbourne: 340 kilometres or 4 hours drive Median house price: $167,500 This is the heart of Victoria’s wheat belt. But interestingly, the latest census data shows more people work in health care, presumably for the local hospital, than agriculture. Less than 20 kilometres south east is the tiny township of Sheep Hills, where an ongoing street art project has seen disused wheat silos transformed into stunning paintings. 7. Edenhope Distance from Melbourne: 395 kilometres or 4½ hours drive Median house price: $168,750 Just 30 kilometres from the South Australian border, Edenhope is a quiet town where less than 1000 people reside. It’s surrounded by wetlands and swamps, and boasts an 18-hole golf course. Most of Edenhope’s properties are set on blocks larger than 1000 square metres. Among the biggest residential sales of 2017 was a brick three-bedroom house selling for $262,000. Photo: Elders Melbourne 8. Mortlake Distance from Melbourne: 220 kilometres or 2½ hours drive Median house price: $168,900 Of the ten cheapest towns in Victoria, Mortlake is by far the closest to the coast. Situated just 50 kilometres from Warrnambool and rich in geological history, Mortlake sits at the bottom of a dormant volcano. According to the last census, the median monthly mortgage repayment is $893, which breaks down to just over $200 per week. But this cheap town has also recorded some enormous sales. Earlier this year a sprawling farm property with 37 paddocks and a four-bedroom bluestone house sold for $3,158,000. 9. Charlton Distance from Melbourne: 250 kilometres or 3 hours drive Median house price: $170,000 Located on the Calder Highway midway between Melbourne and Mildura is Charlton, a friendly town on the Avoca River. It has been a tough few decades for the small town, with farmers and residents alike enduring devastating drought and floods. There are a few Californian bungalows dotted along the streets, alongside newly built family homes commanding prices well above $300,000. Photo: Priority1 Property 10. Wedderburn Distance from Melbourne: 220 kilometres or 2½ hours drive Median house price: $172,500 Wedderburn is a short drive from the nearby towns of Charlton and St Arnaud. At the smaller end of the rural town scale, Wedderburn has a population of 660. And just over half of all residents own their property outright, according to census data. New house and land packages start about $270,000 while outdated cottages are priced closer to $170,000.
bristolman Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 Can I just add that there are lots of nice Victorian country towns to live in.
Skani Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 2 hours ago, Bulya said: Interesting but no mention of employment prospects Yes, that's why they are cheap....no employment.
Marisawright Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 I lived in Warracknabeal for my first year in Australia. That's where the Dept. of Education sent my husband (they had sponsored him on condition he worked in the country for two years). The problem with the countryside out that way is that it's so bloody flat and featureless. Just miles and miles and miles of wheat fields, as far as the eye can see, or scrubby tatty-looking bushland. It's a very long way between townships too, so if you can't find work in your town, it's not usually practical to commute somewhere else to work. If you do commute, you have to drive, because the public transport is so poor, it might as well not exist. If I was going to live somewhere as remote as that, I'd probably go up to New England in NSW, where there are rolling hills and a bit of greenery.
Bulya Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Skani said: Yes, that's why they are cheap....no employment. And they are dumps. Haven’t been to some of them for decades but they never change
Toots Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 I could never live in one of those small remote country towns. Never forget when we drove from Perth to Sydney towing a caravan and the kids were toddlers, pulling up at a very small town in the middle of nowhere for something to eat and when we entered the 'eatery' it was like something out of Deliverance. Everyone stopped talking and eating and just stared for a few minutes. Very strange. No thanks. Not for me at all.
Bulya Posted March 11, 2018 Posted March 11, 2018 1 minute ago, Toots said: I could never live in one of those small remote country towns. Never forget when we drove from Perth to Sydney towing a caravan and the kids were toddlers, pulling up at a very small town in the middle of nowhere for something to eat and when we entered the 'eatery' it was like something out of Deliverance. Everyone stopped talking and eating and just stared for a few minutes. Very strange. No thanks. Not for me at all. Far worse for ethnics
Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 11 hours ago, Parley said: None of those are under $100,000 ? Remember it states median, lower down it says there are plenty of family homes for less than $100k Distance from Melbourne: 440 kilometres or roughly five hours drive Median house price: $125,000 Surrounded by wheat fields and grain silos, Ouyen is a tiny town in the heart of the Mallee, located about 100 kilometres south of Mildura. Its claim to fame is a huge tree root in the centre of town, known as the Mallee stump. With a circumference of more than 10 metres, Guinness World Record officials earlier this year named Ouyen’s mallee root as the world’s biggest. In this dry farming town, it’s still possible to snap up a family-sized house for less than $100,000.
Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 8 hours ago, Bulya said: And they are dumps. Haven’t been to some of them for decades but they never change If you haven’t been there in decades how can you possibly say they haven’t changed? I can’t believe you have gone so anti Oz since you came back, I’m starting to worry about you.
Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 7 hours ago, Toots said: I could never live in one of those small remote country towns. Never forget when we drove from Perth to Sydney towing a caravan and the kids were toddlers, pulling up at a very small town in the middle of nowhere for something to eat and when we entered the 'eatery' it was like something out of Deliverance. Everyone stopped talking and eating and just stared for a few minutes. Very strange. No thanks. Not for me at all. It’s funny isn’t it as we are all different. I love the outback and the old country towns most with amazing history of years gone by and the gold rush etc. When my mum came over she said they reminded her of the old cowboy films. I agree not all outback towns are amazing but I think the good ones outweigh the bad
ramot Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 I have loved our road trips around the outback. One thing I have noticed is that so many of them have an attraction of some sort. Museums full of memorabilia, or murals, to get your interest and encourage you to stay for a while, and at least have a snack while there. Thargomindah had the first electric street lights, an interesting place to visit. Stayed in Birdsville twice, great country pub to name only one. The sadness in South Australia of abandoned small groups of homesteads that were defeated by the climate. I couldn't live in the outback, but admire those that do.
Marisawright Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 2 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: It’s funny isn’t it as we are all different. I love the outback and the old country towns most with amazing history of years gone by and the gold rush etc. These towns are not in the outback. It's a totally different vibe.
bristolman Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 10 hours ago, Toots said: I could never live in one of those small remote country towns. Never forget when we drove from Perth to Sydney towing a caravan and the kids were toddlers, pulling up at a very small town in the middle of nowhere for something to eat and when we entered the 'eatery' it was like something out of Deliverance. Everyone stopped talking and eating and just stared for a few minutes. Very strange. No thanks. Not for me at all. I've been to many of the towns mentioned and there is very good reason why they are so cheap. Most are flat, featureless and brown. They appeal to some of course but not to the vast majority.
starlight7 Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 We went to one of those towns mentioned and planned to stay for a couple of days ( part of a road trip) We left after a day- too much boozing and nothing much else going on. Sad because these places really do need to develop and thrive with projected increased populations.
Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 2 hours ago, Marisawright said: These towns are not in the outback. It's a totally different vibe. I didn’t say they were, I said I love the outback AND the old country towns. Saying that 81% of Australia is classed as the outback that is absolutely huge. Here is the map of Outback Australia (also known as the rangelands) as per the Government site
bristolman Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 5 minutes ago, The Pom Queen said: I didn’t say they were, I said I love the outback AND the old country towns. Saying that 81% of Australia is classed as the outback that is absolutely huge. Here is the map of Outback Australia (also known as the rangelands) as per the Government site That is the problem, the overwhelming majority don't want to live in more than 90% of the country. Off the top of my head roughly 90% want to live in 10% of the country.
Marisawright Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 9 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: I didn’t say they were, I said I love the outback AND the old country towns. Saying that 81% of Australia is classed as the outback that is absolutely huge. Here is the map of Outback Australia (also known as the rangelands) as per the Government site You've just proved my point, they are not outback towns. The old goldrush towns in Victoria often have interesting histories, but the towns you mention aren't goldrush towns either. I've passed through them many a time on the way from Warracknabeal (where I used to live) to Adelaide. We were always trying to find a more interesting route, but all of those towns are basically just centres for farming communities and there's not much there besides the pub.
Bulya Posted March 13, 2018 Posted March 13, 2018 16 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: If you haven’t been there in decades how can you possibly say they haven’t changed? I can’t believe you have gone so anti Oz since you came back, I’m starting to worry about you. They are dumps and always have been. Somethings never change
Marisawright Posted March 13, 2018 Posted March 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Bulya said: They are dumps and always have been. Somethings never change I wouldn't call them dumps, but they are very basic little townships. They do the job they need to do, to support the local farming community. Nothing wrong with that, but not terribly interesting for outsiders and not a lot of work there either.
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