People & Homestead
Tarndie acknowledges the Gulidjan people as the Traditional Owners of this land, whose stories and people share this connection to the land.
The Homestead.
Recognised by the National Trust as one of Victoria’s oldest surviving homesteads, Tarndwarncoort is a story-book of change and development, with each generation of the Dennis family adding a chapter in the style and materials representative of the time.
Tarndie (or more respectfully, Tarndwarncoort) is based in South Western Victoria, Australia and has been owned and operated by the Dennis family since 1840. The property is home to Australia’s first breed of sheep - the Polwarth sheep - and its listed buildings reflect the Cornish heritage of the pioneer family.
Come for a day visit, or stay the weekend and delve into the history that is Tarndwarncoort and it’s surrounding regions.
The People.
Tarndie is owned and run by Tom Dennis with his partner Jason Arnall, who work hand in hoof with Tom’s parents Wendy and Dave Dennis who help around the homestead and woolshop. They work alongside Tom’s brother Al Dennis, his partner Jemma Lewis and their two kids, who grow Polwarth wool next door at Moorpark Farm.
The family links extend beyond the boundary fence – Tarndie is surrounded by Dennis cousins on all sides. They grow Merino wool, prime lambs, wheat, canola, beans, Angus cattle – the farming spirit of our early ancestors is alive and strong in Warncoort.
Travel was ingrained in the DNA of all four of Wendy and Dave’s children. Working in Asia and Africa gave Tom opportunities to be a visitor to places that felt welcoming and enriching, as well as places that missed the mark – all the time forming a basis of what it means to be a decent host. The family travels shape the Tarndie experience for guests today, while being true to the distinctly Australian story that the place encapsulates.
The family links to Tarndwarncoort started with Emma and Alexander Dennis when they left their shrinking family farm in Cornwall, UK in 1839. It was on the advice of Emma’s ship captain brother that new farm lands were discovered in “Australia Felix”. They landed 615 Merino sheep at Point Henry in Geelong and found a suitable run at Tarndwarncoort by 1840. Here they began a dynasty of innovative farming that has seen boom and bust over 7 generations.
