Storied Hawaiian estate up for $65m

The Life: The birthplace of Hawaiian polo is on the market for $65 million.

The estate is considered to be the home of Hawaiian polo, which had its heyday in the late 1800s. Courtesy Christie's International Real Estate

An Oahu estate credited as the birthplace of Hawaiian polo has been put on the market for US$65 million (Dh238.76m).

Dillingham Ranch was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Benjamin Franklin Dillingham, Hawaii's first railroad tycoon. His son, Walter, constructed the main lodge with the help of his siblings and became Hawaii's greatest builder, transforming 404 hectares of swampland into Waikiki Beach and dredging Pearl Harbour.

Dillingham Lodge, known as the "Big House", built in 1917, recently received a multimillion-dollar restoration.

It features a 278-square-metre room with hardwood floors and a fireplace, a 65-sq-metre professional spec kitchen and eight bedrooms. The 1,092-ha ranch has hosted cattlemen, ranchers and sportsmen, as well as famous holidaymakers including actress Eva Gabor and Noël Coward, who wrote the song I'll see you again.

The estate is considered to be the home of Hawaiian polo, which had its heyday in the late 1800s. Mr Dillingham Jr co-founded the Hawaii Polo and Racing Club and played the sport until he was 65.

Famous polo fans to have played at the ranch include Prince Charles and General George S Patton.

The ranch is "a microcosm of Oahu", according to Christie's International Real Estate, which is listing the property in conjunction with Island Land Company. The spread features 7.68 ha of white-sand beaches, large open green spaces and mountains.

The estate, which is home to Hawaii's biggest coconut palm grove and rare plant species, is one of the largest single tracts of land on Oahu.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire such an iconic landholding," said Ed Rapoza, a property agent at Island Land Company. "The ranch was in the Dillingham family for decades and only recently changed hands."

The ranch is adjacent to the private Dillingham Airfield, named after Walter Dillingham's son, Henry Gaylord Dillingham, who was killed during the Second World War.