Alpaca :: Flowerdale Estate Alpacas :: Alpaca Farm Retreat, Alpaca Stud Farm, Flowerdale History

About Us

Quality Retreats

The Farman family runs one of Australia's most successful residential conference groups.

The Country Place Retreat, in the Dandenongs, was the first privately owned conference venue in Australia to achieve ISO 9002 Quality Certification. The Country Place is also the Victorian Tourism Award winner in the meetings industry category for 5 years in a row.

The historic Flowerdale Estate property includes a premium quality, residential conference venue. The retreat is used for residential board meetings, strategy planning groups, international videoconferencing meetings and think tanks, by some of Australia's largest companies. Regular users include ANZ Bank, Volvo, BMW, Jacques Martin, BHP and Department of Defence.

Our Aims

These same principles of quality management employed in the conference retreats, have been adopted in the family's Alpaca Breeding Stud.

The Farman family has a goal to breed heavy cutting, ultra soft Huacaya alpaca fleeces. This is being achieved by careful selection of breeding females and mating them to sires that exhibit superior fleece characteristics - soft handle, bright and lustrous fibre, crimp that is deep and distinct, longer staple length, in soft fibre bundles.

Shown at right is the stunning fleece of one of the females acquired for breeding purposes. She has some of the best, proven genetics in the country. The quality of our alpacas guarantees the success of your investment in our stock.

Magnificent Farm Property

Flowerdale Estate has a long history dating back to 1842 when the original homestead was built on a 10,000 acre sheep and cattle station. The property has been continuously farmed since that time.

Today the property operates as one of Australia's premier residential conference venues and alpaca stud farms. The farming side of the property offers some of the best pastoral land in Victoria, located on fertile river flats along the King Parrot Creek.

The alpaca facilities are laid out to an efficient working plan, based on extensive research into alpaca requirements for Australian conditions. Quality fencing and water supply to all paddocks and a scientific program of pasture improvement provides the best conditions for alpaca handling and care. Undercover work areas for alpaca husbandry, including weighing of animals and shearing, complete the picture of this high quality stud farm.

History of Flowerdale Estate

The land on which Flowerdale Estate proudly sits today is one of the most historic locations in Victoria. The pioneers to this region settled right here.

Prior to the early settlers, Hume and Hovell were the first white men to enter the area in 1825. They came from New South Wales to find an overland route to Western Port. On their journey they discovered and named the King Parrot Creek which runs through the Flowerdale Estate Property. The first squatters in the area, in1838, included Captain Farquhar MacKenzie a Scottish Highlander. He established a 10,000 acre sheep run called Flowerdale Station in association with his cousin Roderick MacKenzie. The original two room stone cottage took 3 years to build. The homestead, still existing today, was built in 1842. To put the history of Flowerdale Estate into some perspective, one needs to remember that Melbourne was first settled by John Batman in 1835.

In 1849 Flowerdale was sold to another early pioneer John Aitken. Aitken was later drowned in the King Parrot Creek and the run was sold to Donald Ferguson another Highlander in 1857. He was apparently a wild old character, never opened a gate, he always rode over them. Ferguson was called the wildest Scotsman to arrive in Australia and took great delight in arguing with any Irishman he came across. He bred and fattened shorthorn cattle on the flats and merino sheep on the hills. He died in 1894.

In 1903 the property was sold to Messrs Tyson and Cunningham. They sold to Mr Trescowthick in 1906, who in 1912 sold to Alec Lane. In 1927 Flowerdale Estate passed to Mr Pearce and then Mr Gardiner in 1930. In the mid 1930's Mr William Sargood became the owner before the property was purchased by the Tehan family in 1941.

In the 1940's rabbits were at plague proportions. At one time 8 rabbiters were employed at Flowerdale. One 400 acre paddock yielded 15,000 rabbits in two months. It was not until almost 1960 that the problem was contained.

After 45 years the Teehan's sold to the ANZ Bank in 1987. The bank sold to the present owners in 1999.

Joining the Australian Alpaca Association is an effective way to learn more.
Before joining you can obtain a FREE Information Kit by phoning +613 9873 7700 or writing to:
PO Box 1076 Mitcham North Victoria, Australia 3132.