Heidelberg Artists and Architecture - Charterisville

Charterisville c 1840 was built by David Charteris McArthur, Manager of the Bank of Australasia [ ANZ]. It was sited high on the hill overlooking the valley to the east and his 168 acres of land down to the Yarra River which had orchards and vineyards. This house is now only half of the original structure - the northern part being removed for the purpose of subdividing land for houses in 1960. This half of the house was leased by Walter Withers from 1890-94, be E.Phillips Fox,and Tudor St George Tucker who became the founders of what is now called The Heidelberg School of Painters which was an informal collection of artists adapting French impressionist style to Australian conditions and included Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin, Walter Withers and Charles Condor, Jane Sutherland, Clara Southern and Emma Boyd (the wife of Arthur Boyd, May Vale and Jane Price. There were small dwellings on the property that were leased to artists who painted from the landscape all around Eaglemont and the Yarra. These photos show all the original parts of this house with the exception of some woodwork around the courtyard area. The cellar was probably very important during the summer months before we had air conditioning.