Canberra's newest suburbs are closing in on Well Station, a rustic island in suburbia and Shangri-La for its long-term tenants, historians and artists.
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Dennis and Maree Rose, who met in Alaska and returned to raise two children at Well Station, fell in love with the ramshackle place.
Over 26 years they've cleared its gutters, lime-washed its log walls, cleared cobwebs and snared heritage grants to preserve it.
Owner Eric Mawson, who died in 2003, fondly referred to the Roses as greenies and encouraged them as they turned Well Station into an educational centre, where their children's school visited for shearing demonstrations.
Mrs Rose said the property held remnants of the Ngunnawal people who gathered ochre for ceremonies over centuries.
David Campbell who lived on another Well Station home, ''Up Top'', wrote poems that captured its beauty, as did a song by Australian blues musician Brian Fraser.
Artists from the region paint its pioneer features. Under huge old pines, stone paths and rock walls meander around the U-shaped homestead which has wool stuffed between gaps in the walls.
Overseas visitors help maintain it under the Willing Workers on Organic Farms movement.
On part of the vast Gungaderra holding which is now Harrison, Well Station belongs to Mr Mawson's three daughters who have put it on the market. Daughter Michelle Fulton said her father had also grazed Brahman-Santa Gertrudis cross cattle in Far North Queensland, which he trucked to Canberra during droughts.
''When Gungahlin was starting to be developed, the ACT Government would have blocks of land to be built on, but when the rain came, they put out short-term grazing licenses and temporary fencing.
''Dad would put his cattle on them, and the chief executive of the Land Development Agency told me funny stories about looking out her window to see these cattle walking the streets. She'd have to go and put them back in.''
Ms Fulton said early settlers included the Scott, Ryan and Rolfe families and later the Archibald and McKeahnie families.
Last year David Joseland, who was born in the homestead's living room more than 80 years ago, visited the Roses and showed them photos from 1930.
Over the years Well Station, sometimes called Wells Station due to an early spelling error, has been whittled down to 36.77ha.
Heritage listed and with a 99-year lease, it cannot be subdivided any more.
The 63ha Canberra Park adjoins the property with a rural lease to 2025 which can be revoked at short notice for development.
Both properties and their buildings are listed for sale with Luton Properties Manuka agent Greg Hedger who said interest in excess of $1.5 million had already been shown.
