The Lucky Country..

I like a steak sandwich and one of the best you could get was served by a non-descript Hotel in the heart of blue-collar Melbourne. One of those old school pubs with the pinball machine in the corner and the menu on a chalkboard you could hardly read. I used to call in every few months and Tony a barman there was always up for a chat. Always interested in what was happening throughout the country. One day I went in and Tony (name changed) advised he was soon to be married. The last of 3 brothers to tie the knot Tony volunteered that his new home would be on a few acres on the Northern Fringe of Melbourne. He was a little embarrassed because his brothers had purchased houses in Bundoora prior to their marriages and apparently it was an in joke in his family that Tony had to buy further out because he had ‘missed the market’ in Bundoora.

Fast forward 7 years from that discussion and my phone rang and it was Tony. Tony wanted to know a little about how he could become a wool classer, something we had discussed years before. I was confused as he was a barman and had hardly been north of Mernda in his life. I asked if he was still at the pub and he advised he had left because he got LUCKY and now had time and wanted to learn about the country and one day buy a big farm.

The story goes as told by Tony that Tony’s wife collected the mail one day and in it was a notice about a meeting the council had planned to go through the future direction of the area where they lived and as a ratepayer, they were welcome to attend. Attend they did and at the meeting an overhead image of the area was displayed on a screen and Tony could not see his property or make out where it was on the image as it was covered by a large blue dot. Council discussed a future allowing residential subdivision for those properties shown clearly on the overhead map. No time frames were given.

Confused as to why his property was covered with a blue dot Tony and his wife waited behind after the meeting and asked a presenter why his property was covered in a blue dot. Almost instantly Tony was advised that the location of his property was to be the future town centre for a new suburb. Within days Tony had every well-known developer seeking him out for discussion on how much money he wanted to sell for. He was in no rush. Being a barman he new how to handle people.

After a period of negotiation Tony sold for close to $30,000,000. I reminded him about the time he told me his brothers thought he had “missed the market’ in Bundoora. He said “Scott, what I didn’t tell you was they each lent me $15,000 for the deposit on the property I bought as I had no money at the time, I was getting married”. He laughed “our family is proof Australia is the lucky country and so are my brothers because they helped me when I needed help and now, I can help them”.

All the best,
Scott