Alpaca breeders bag Lauriston training retreat, home to movie stars of The Silver Brumby and Australia

A RETREAT for animal stars of the big screen has sold to alpaca breeders for $1.2 million.

The 44.11ha property at 419 Shepherds Hill Rd, Lauriston, is home to a “menagerie” of animals trained for starring roles in movies, including The Silver Brumby, Kangaroo Jack and Baz Luhrmann’s Australia.

“There is menagerie of animals at the property, including horses, kangaroos, monkeys, dogs and Rachel The Camel,” said Biggin & Scott’s Tom Shaw.

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The animal lovers’ paradise attracted plenty of interest when it hit the market back in October 2017.

“We had inquiry from as far as New South Wales,” Mr Shaw said.

The owners, who had lived at the property for about 30 years, were animal trainers and also involved in a local trail riding business.

The buyers, from southwest Victoria, ran an alpaca clothing and homewares business in Daylesford called Alpaca Passion and were attracted to the property because of its well-appointed facilities.

They planned to breed an award-winning line of alpacas at the property, about 90km northwest of Melbourne, he said.

The property sprawls across the valley near Kyneton with rolling hills, a spring-fed creek and a large central lake with a jetty.

Ideal for horse enthusiasts, it has 14 paddocks with water troughs or dams and features a seven-bay stable complex with a feed store, tack room, loft storage space and a dressage arena.

The property also has numerous yards, sheds, stables and outbuildings.

There is also a “quaint” two-bedroom Victorian cottage with high ceilings and a fireplace plus a stable set up for accommodation with a bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom.

SUBURB PROFILE: LAURISTON