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.

Banyule historic house in Heidelberg

Here are some photos of one of the first houses in Victoria which still survives. It was part of the Banyule Estate - now only 1 hectare - in Buckingham Drive, in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelburg. It is built in the Gothic Revival style made from stuccoed locally sourced hand-made bricks and sandstone foundations with walls 75 cm thick. This historic house on a very steep hill or bluff overlooks parklands that were once part of the original huge farm on the rich river floodplains. Now the view across the river is mostly houses... This "Banyule" house was built by Sydney explorer Joseph Hawdon on a 266-hectare estate. Hawdon transported livestock from Jugiong on the Murrumbidgee to Melbourne in 1836 blazing a trail for others. In 1838 he contracted the first mail run from Melbourne to Yass. Also that year he became the first to overland cattle from Howlong [NSW]to Adelaide. The next year he settled at Heidelberg and built the 'Banyule' homestead which was completed in 1846. The Hawdon family owned it until 1863. Banyule Homestead was on an estate of a huge area until the 1890s when it was only 750 acres. The original house was extended in 1907. In 1958 most of the 240 acres of the original estate land was sold and controversially developed into a housing estate. In 1974 it was bought and restored by the State Government and it became an affiliate art gallery of the National Gallery of Victoria between 1977 and 1985. In 1996 extensive alterations and additions were made. Currently 2006, this historically significant house is in private ownership and appears to be in rather an unkempt state:it is partly painted in different shades of yellow/white, with overgrown lawns and very few trees or shrubs, and an ugly high wire fence across a smaller gate and around the permimeter bordering on the Main Yarra Trail, public parklands. [Photos through wire]

Achievable Gardens Melbourne Flower Show DIY

Here are some photos of the winner of this do-it-yourself category at the 2006 Show. Designed for a budget cost of around $2000 for a small patio or courtyard garden in Melbourne. And other ideas for small courtyard gardens

A weird garden at the Melbourne Garden Show

A large expanse of timber, the Aussie area with the hub caps & red car seat, an Aboriginal or native hut and a tent? Bad photos - dappled ligh & bad collage.

My favourite garden at the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show 2006

Telephone marketing pests cold calling phone calls - can be stopped!

I thought you might be interested to know that I have found a way that has worked to stop all those very annoying, harrasing telephone calls that are not from friends around dinner time @#$%$%%%. When the phone rings and I say hello and there is either dead silence or someone asks who it is speaking I know it is not a friend - so I just say "wait a minute" and put the phone on a table nearby without ending the call... This wastes their time and now I get NO COLD CALLS! from about 3 an evening every day of the week and at weekends!! Of course after about 5 minutes it is a good idea to remember to press the button to end the call. If I want to change an account, buy something or make a donation etc., I will initiate the call . I sure will not act on any cold calls.

Melbourne Flower and Garden Show 2006 Prize winners - mostly

This years Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2006 at the Royal Exhibition Gardens and Building in Carlton on the edge of the downtown high rise towers of Melbourne is truly fabulous. The setting alone is worth the trouble to visit... large European trees that are about a hundred years old, flowers for sale, garden designs that are awarded coveted prizes and sculptures. This attracts entries from world class landscape designers such as Jim Fogarty and Jamie Durie. This year a new innovation is the excellent series of small "do-able" gardens that can be done for under $2000 with a printed plan that shows the design, plants and materials used for do-it-yourself construction. Also there is the indoor cut flower displays in the refurbished heritage Exhibition Building. Most fantastic are the Floral Fashion displays by RMIT Fashion Students and the crazy Barry Humphries stamps and "glasses". The official web site here.

Bendigo Heritage Architecture

The Bendigo Benevolent Asylum was built in 1860 - the main wing - another wing was added in 1869, to care for the needy poor and for women in childbirth. This architectural treasure is now known as the Anne Caudle Centre and is amalgamated with the Bendigo Hospital. It is Registered on the National Estate as "Historic" as it is an outstanding complex of nineteenth century hospital buildings. A distinctive feature of the group is its unity with the slender, paired semi-circular arched windows being a consistent element of each building. The superb Ionic portico, added in 1872 is also important. The West wing (two storey exposed brick structure with verandah on east facade) dates from 1868. There have been minor alterations to the exterior - verandahs glazed etc. This can be see at 100-104 Barnard Street, Bendigo, comprising central structure and its flanking wings and the porters Lodge at the main gate and the superintendent's residence. The buildings are set in attractive grounds and are a fine element of this historic city. There are some early photos of this building: in 1881 here. And "The Bendigo benevolent asylum and industrial school in 1875 here and from a web site in Scotland showing the original gates.here. More photos of amazing architecture in Bendigo here.