Corowa Distillery has stepped in to save the iconic house from The Castle from demolition.
The distillery has teamed up with Federation Council to relocate the house, which is currently situated beside Essendon aiport in Melbourne. They plan to turn it into a tourist attraction.
It’s not the first time the pair have joined forces. Corowa Distillery owner Dean Druce bought a heritage-listed flour mill from the council in 2010 for $1, on the proviso he redeveloped it to create jobs and attract tourists to the region.
The result was Corowa Whisky and Chocolate Factory, with local Beau Schilg acting as Master Distiller. Beau rested more than 100 casks at the distillery last year, with whisky releases expected from 2018 onwards.
The derelict flour mill had laid dormant since the 1970s.
“If they [council] had sat on it, it would still be sitting there today doing nothing … so the council thought, ‘well, why don’t we give it away and see if we can build it into something that can bring business and tourism into their town’,” Druce told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Now the council is hoping Druce will do the same with The Castle’s weatherboard house.
“Growing up and watching The Castle like every young Australian, this is fantastic,” he said. “It’s so Australian and the opportunity was really too good to pass up.”
The shire’s administrator Mike Eden said the council will pay around $20,000 to shift the house to Corowa.
It’s been proposed that the house will then become a museum filled with Melbourne comedy pioneer Peter Crofts’ comedy memorabilia.
“I think it will bring people to the town, some would tell us we’re dreaming, but we don’t think so,” Eden told The Border Mail.
“I’m pretty confident it’s a good publicity stunt, if you could call it that.
“The media around the house is going to put Corowa out there.”
The timing of the move will depend on when the house’s tenant departs as a lease is in place until the end of June.
However, Eden said it was possible an agreement could be reached with the occupant to end the lease before June 30.
Last month the Moonee Valley Council declined to give heritage protection to the house, despite historic consultants deeming it had “historic and social significance” in the context of popular culture.
