Public to have say on Martindale Hall retreat plans
A proposal to redevelop Clare Valley’s historic Martindale Hall into a wellness retreat and luxury resort will be discussed at public meetings in Adelaide and Clare this month.
The Georgian-style sandstone mansion, which featured in the classic film Picnic at Hanging Rock and features 32 rooms, has been run by caretaker operators since the end of last year.
However, businessmen Warren Randall (Seppeltsfield Wines) and Warrick Duthy (Kilikanoon Wines) have presented the State Government with an unsolicited proposal to either buy the heritage-listed property or secure a long-term lease to develop it as a “global-standard wellness retreat”.
The pair will present concept drawings of their proposal at the public meeting at Adelaide’s Science Exchange Building on Friday (October 2) and at a further meeting at Martindale Hall on October 12.
Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources protected areas manager Jason Irving said the sessions would give people an opportunity to hear more about the project and provide feedback.
“If the proposal is to proceed, there need to be clear benefits to the local tourism industry, members of the public must be able to access the site, and the heritage values of these iconic buildings must be maintained,” he said.
“In addition, any development on this land will need to comply with the relevant legislation.”
Martindale Hall was gifted to the State Government by its previous owner. The current caretakers, Sharon and Michael Morris of Mintaro Maze, keep it open to the public from 11am until 4pm most days.
In their proposal, Randall and Duthy say their aim is rejuvenate the building and grounds, and to attract tourists from interstate and around the world to Clare Valley and the Mid-North.
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“Inspiration can be found at the ‘Les Sources de Caudalie’ resort in Bordeaux, France where the health aspects of red wine and resveratrol are promoted alongside of diet, yoga, and exercise as a wellness/ wine tourism destination,” they write.
They say their plans would be in keeping with the heritage value of the property and that the hall would still be accessible to the public, with the downstairs space to be used for a restaurant and bar.
Details of the public meetings can be found here (bookings necessary for the Adelaide session).
