Green Is Our Gold: Values Already at the Heart of Merilli1885

Tourism Australia’s Green is Our Gold initiative is a welcome and wonderful national commitment to something we have always believed at Merilli1885: Australia’s natural environments, cultures and local communities are not simply part of the visitor experience. They are the reason people come.

The Green and Gold Promise invites tourism businesses to embrace five principles: Celebrate Community, Embrace Culture, Preserve Place, Respect Wildlife and Take Care.

At Merilli1885, these values are not new. They sit at the heart of who we are, how we farm, how we restored the cottage and how we welcome guests.

Preserve Place

Merilli1885 began as a genuine 1885 stone cottage, and that cottage remains at the heart of what it is today. The contemporary addition was designed to complement and preserve it rather than compete with it, giving the original stone structure the prominence it deserves.

Recycled stone from the farm’s original ruin is incorporated into the chimney. Heritage is part of sustainability. Keeping, restoring and reusing what already exists is one of the most respectful ways to build for the future.

The same thinking applies to the land. Regenerative practices include rotational grazing, pasture rest and ground cover protection. We work to slow water flows across the property, supporting the health of the soil, pastures and creek lines. Dung beetles and a custom biochar kiln are part of the picture too. These are long-term farming decisions, not appearances.

Take Care

A large solar array powers the property. It runs entirely on rainwater, including filtered drinking water in the cottage. Composting, recycling and fallen timber for firewood are all part of daily operations.

Guests still enjoy the comforts of a luxury stay: premium bedding, beautiful bathrooms, generous provisions, a real fireplace and a designer kitchen. The difference is that the experience is grounded in systems that make sense for a rural South Australian property.

Because Merilli1885 is a working farm, guests are gently guided on moving through the property safely and respectfully, leaving gates as found, giving livestock space and following biosecurity requirements where relevant.

Respect Wildlife

The cattle, horses, kangaroos, birdlife, dams and old gums at Merilli1885 are part of the daily life of the property, not a styled backdrop. Guests often wake to birdsong, watch kangaroos move through the paddocks at dusk and see cattle grazing quietly from the cottage.

This closeness to nature is one of the great privileges of staying on a farm. It also comes with responsibility. We encourage guests to observe wildlife gently, give animals space and understand they are visiting a living landscape.

Celebrate Community

Merilli1885 is close to Middleton, Port Elliot, Goolwa, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale and Victor Harbor. Guests are encouraged to explore local wineries, restaurants, cafés, markets, beaches and galleries across the Peninsula.

Guest provisions focus on local and South Australian produce wherever possible. Merilli Angus beef, raised on the family farm, adds a genuine paddock-to-plate connection. A stay here supports the wider Fleurieu food, wine, farm and visitor economy.

Embrace Culture

Merilli1885 is located on Ngarrindjeri Country. As custodians of this property today, we recognise its history did not begin with the 1885 stone cottage. The land, waterways and surrounding landscape hold a much deeper story.

We are working to build respectful relationships with Ngarrindjeri First Nations people to better understand the region and its history prior to colonisation. We approach this with care, humility and respect, listening and learning rather than speaking on behalf of others.

It always has been

At Merilli1885, green is not a trend or a new direction.

It is the rainwater in the tank, the solar power on the roof, the recycled ruin stone in the chimney, the cattle moving through rested paddocks, the dung beetles working quietly in the soil and the local food on the table.

It is also the belief that sustainable growth is not about more guests. It is about the right guests, staying well, supporting the region and leaving with a deeper respect for the place they have visited.

Come lightly. Stay deeply.