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Bishop's palace. Convent. Boarding School. Bed and Breakfast. Art gallery. Much loved home.
Welcome to 'St Cecilia'; the Edwardian heritage mansion that makes a strong, stone-laden case to be the most intriguing historical treasure of the mid north, let alone Peterborough - a rail town with a proud past of its own.
Commissioned by and built for the catholic 'Bishop of railways' John Norton in 1912, the first home with electricity in Peterborough leaves a lasting imprint on anyone lucky enough to see it more than a century later.
And what you'll see is something of great scale and handcrafted beauty set back triumphantly on its grand estate behind a stone and wrought-iron skirt.
As if to build suspense, the journey from gate to front door tells a story of its own. The statue of a headless lady a salute to the patron Saint of Music, Cecilia; a Roman noblewoman beheaded by sword.
The statue - and the subsequent naming of St Cecilia - is the legacy of custodian Annette Frankel; whom, for the last 40 years, has preserved this home of some 15 rooms with a sense of obligation.
Miss Frankel not only saw the beauty of St Cecilia through the eyes of its predecessors, but through the adventure-seeking guise of those willing to partake in her murder mystery parties - or purchase the art that dots the walls and delineates the story through her eccentric disposition.
And there is not a better setting.
From that stone facade to the intricate detail of its leadlight windows, tessellated tiles, hand grain doorways, cast iron fireplaces, rustic pine floors and soaring lathe and plaster ceilings, time has not wearied the raw beauty of a home with hardly a crack in sight.
Yes, it has seen better days and there is work to be done. But it's also easy to imagine what could be of a home of fifteen bedrooms, terraces, two staircases, and a grand banquet room that spans the width of the dwelling.
Ahead of its time, the home was ingeniously designed to inhale cool summer breezes, repel the sun's hot advances and retain warmth in winter...without ever using that electricity.
"On the property stands", a separate stone coachhouse. In the 1950's, these coachhouse rooms were used as schoolrooms, and then by Ms Frankel as a bed and breakfast.
Whether this is the life-changing project you've been searching for, a place to call home, a weekend destination for others, or an attraction open to all in a town with its very own airstrip; the story of St Cecilia is worth telling...and continuing.
It deserves nothing less.
And there's more:
• Perfectly positioned near local primary school, just moments from town centre and airstrip
• Stands triumphantly alongside the catholic church
• Fly in and fly out to a home that waits just a 3hr drive from Adelaide
• Opportunity for hotel licence (STCC)
• Established grounds with soaring pine trees and circular driveway
• Side road access via Mary Mackillop Lane
• Under cover parking
• Original well to property
• Strong structural integrity ensures restoration is a worthy cause
• Land is relatively level and has demarcated paddocks and incorporates multiple allotments
• Functional kitchen and multiple bathrooms
• Cellar
• And so much more.
Specifications:
C/T: 5163/516
LGA: PETERBOROUGH
Zoning: R'
Land Size: 23730 m2
Build Size: 610 m2
Built: 1912
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