Lot 3 Main Road, Chandlers Hill SA 5159

The Flinders Investigator Garden project was the idea of the late Dr Lance McCarthy. This 4 hectare site was chosen by Mr McCarthy for its stunning expansive views over the Gulf of St Vincent. Nestled in Chandlers Hill, just south of Blackwood in the Adelaide Hills Face Zone, this block of land shows plenty of promise to be realised by an astute buyer.
The Flinders Investigator Garden was a demonstration garden first established in 2000 and designed to show a sample planting of the flora illustrated by Ferdinand Bauer, the botanical illustrator on board the Investigator ship captained by Matthew Flinders which circumnavigated Australia in 1802. As an honorary research fellow at the University bearing Flinders' name, Dr McCarthy considered this garden an important celebration of some of the work done on board the Investigator ship by its intrepid crew.
When you first alight at the property, you are met with that magnificent view punctuated by large gum trees in the foreground. As you walk down the driveway, you come to a flattened area which could be a potential site for your dream home (subject to Council consent). Upon walking further down the valley, you will come across the 'bush tracks' hand cut by Dr McCarthy which facilitate access by foot to the valley floor. It is here that you will start to see the special plantings of bushes and shrubs which showcase some of the striking native plants.
In addition to the special plantings, Dr McCarthy also discovered a rare local plant, the tuberous 'glycine tabacina'. If you are lucky enough, you will see small blue-violet flowers peeking out of a soft bed of delicate green foliage.
As you make your way up on the other side of the valley, when you reach the next ridge, that view opens up again and you can see right over the southern suburbs of Adelaide. The view extends over the water almost to where the famous 'encounter' occurred between the two ships' captains, Englishman Matthew Flinders and Frenchman Nicholas Baudin more than two centuries ago. This timeless view is as beautiful today as it would have been back then.
In 2009 the ABC program, Gardening Australia, did a feature presentation on this garden indicating its special importance with respect to the work done on board the Investigator. Ultimately, the Flinders Investigator Garden achieved its primary objective which was to show in principal what should be celebrated here in South Australia. The Flinders University of South Australia recently planted a companion garden to this Flinders Investigator Garden, planting the same set of trees and shrubs on their main southern Adelaide campus. This garden can now be enjoyed by staff, students and visitors to the University.
It's with pleasure that Dr McCarthy's family release this land holding to the market in the hope that another generation can enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the peaceful Adelaide Hills Face Zone and especially that exquisite view.