This old farm house was built in 1841 on part of a large tract of land including the modern suburbs of Melbourne: Wantirna, Bayswater, Ferntree Gully, Upwey, Selby, Emerald, Upper Beaconsfield, Lysterfield and Rowville, established for farming by Rev. James Clow in 1838... the first permanent settlemnt in the Port Phillip District had only begun in 1835.
In 1874 the huge Bunya Pines were planted at the front of the Chesterfield Homestead.
This farm and house was called Chesterfield Park by a new owner in 1859.
Some roughly hewn wood carvings of animals and people are around the farm too.
It is now a farm in suburban Melbourne! It is open to the public and demonstrates working sheep dogs, hand feeding lambs, and whip cracking, cows being milked and cream being made ...all this within about 100 meters of the Eastlink Toll road.
[sheep can be seen on the green paddock near the Tollway close to a factory, in the last photo]
