Our Story

A rich history
An original Montville Home

Set on a a luscious 1.5 acres, Montville Estate has a rich history. The property is made up of Eastnor House and The Postman’s Cottage, these homesteads were among the first to be built in the region by Henry and Jane Smith in 1895.

Eastnor House remains one of the few original homes left in Montville itself, which was formally settled in 1897 and the Smith Family played a large role in the development of the Hinterland region.Henry and Jane Smith ran the very first Receiving Office from 1897 until 1910. This postal service began from Eastnor House before becoming the official Post Office moving from Henry and Jane’s home to a local shop in town.

It was Jane who titled the house ‘Eastnor’ and named it after her place of employment in England, at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. Henry and Jane’s son Peter was married to Phyllius, whose parents later bought the property after Henry’s passing, in which the changed the name to Belbury.

The history of The Postman’s Cottage itself is a little more vague, but it is believed that this humble abode was once a railway house in a neighbouring town. We decided to humbly name it The Postman’s Cottage to pay homage to the estates history.