PROPERTY developer Bruce Bolam and his wife Rose are in the process of moving into their new home opposite Machattie Park following the sale of their Keppel Street landmark Blair Athol to an undisclosed buyer.
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It is believed the historic property sold for well over $2 million to a businessman and his wife with close ties to the region.
When he made the decision to sell Blair Athol, Mr Bolam said he hoped whoever bought the home would be real garden lovers.
Mr Bolam said he feels confident the new owners will cherish and care for the garden that he has put so much of his heart into.
“I like knowing that the people who have bought it will be looking after it,” he said.
He said it was with great sadness that they made the decision to sell their home of almost 20 years.
The couple waited until Blair Athol sold before moving into their new George Street home.
Mr Bolam said the process of moving into the new unit had been going well, as he and Mrs Bolam try to find a home for all their furniture after downsizing from the two-storey house.
A cherry picker was used to lift the large items of furniture up to the second storey balcony. The furniture was then lifted over it and passed into the unit.
Mr Bolam said it looked like about 70 per cent of their furniture would fit into the open plan unit, which he is pretty pleased about.
He said when he originally bought the George Street building, he intended to have shops underneath and apartments for lease upstairs.
It was only later that he realised it was the perfect CBD location to move into himself. This beautiful apartment has magnificent views across the park and is close to shops and cafes.
“I saw the uniqueness of it and thought what better place for us to live when we decide to make the move,” Mr Bolam said.
The Bolams have invested $3 million into the building, which is now known as Read Chambers. It was named in honour of Nicholas Read, who built the first hotel on that site in the mid-1800s.
The new unit measures 520 square metres and features a beautiful plant-filled atrium.
There is a four-car garage and two lifts to make access easy.
When the Bolams first moved to Bathurst 40 years ago, they spent their first winter in a caravan park on the site of what is now Carrington Park.
