Property Belonging to Late Bishop Ronald Mulkearns Goes on the Market, with Ballarat Diocese to Receive Proceeds

By Tessa Hayward
Geelong Advertiser
October 4, 2016

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/realestate/property-belonging-to-late-bishop-ronald-mulkearns-goes-on-the-market-with-ballarat-diocese-to-receive-proceeds/news-story/48eb6db32ef28e14e0df44ca178fb95b

A BEACHFRONT home owned by a key figure in the child sexual abuse scandal that plagued the Catholic diocese of Ballarat has hit the market.

The multi-million dollar home in picturesque Fairhaven was left to the church by Bishop Ronald Mulkearns who died in April after he admitted shuffled paedophile priests around his parishes, covering up the abuse of hundreds of children.

The four-bedroom clifftop property at 56 Banool Rd, is just two doors from the iconic “pole house” and is worth an estimated $2.1 million.

Great Ocean Properties, Aireys Inlet, selling agent Marty Maher said the property, which will go under the hammer on October 29, had an amazing view.

“The icon nature of that property will certainly create some interest around it,” Mr Maher said.

“In Fairhaven, there are only about 30 properties on the front row, there have only been a couple sell in the past few years.”

The 1476sq m property features a cedar house in an elevated position along the Great Ocean Road.

“The house is fine, you could comfortably live there for a couple of years, but because of the land value, the house will probably be upgraded,” Mr Maher said.

CoreLogic records show the property last sold for $55,000 in 1986.

Former Bishop Ronald Mulkearns.

Mulkearns left most of his estate, including the Fairhaven house and about $40,000 in cash, to the church after his death.

Mulkearns’ 2012 will said the money was to be used by current bishop Paul Bird “for the benefit of the Catholic diocese of Ballarat at his absolute discretion”.

Bishop Bird earlier this month confirmed more than $2 million had been left to the church by former bishop Mulkearns and would be used to support victims of child sexual abuse.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard hundreds of local children were molested by a nest of paedophile clerics while Mulkearns was bishop of Ballarat from 1971 to 1997.

In February, Mulkearns admitted to the inquiry that he had failed as a bishop.

“I’m terribly sorry that I didn’t do things differently,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to do or how to do it.”

Views from the 1476sq m property.

The property has views of Fairhaven’s iconic pole house.

The church was contacted for comment but said Bishop Bird was unavailable for three weeks.

Mulkearns’ Fairhaven property is set to be auctioned at 2pm on October 29