Rone - Empire Exhibition - Bevlea Ross Photography

Abandoned and vacant since the 1990’s Burnham Beeches’ decaying glory has been hidden behind large fences for the last 20 years. But this week, it was again filled with people, all there for the Empire Exhibition by Rone.

The Burnham project reimagines the spirit of one of Victoria’s landmark mansions, not accessed since the 1980s. Through this, viewers are invited to consider what remains – the unseen cultural, social, artistic and spiritual heritage which produces intangible meaning.
Rone

Burnham Beeches

Built between 1931-1933, Burnham Beeches was the home for Alfred Nicholas and his family. The adjoining 23 hectares of Alfred Nicholas Gardens were part of the property. It was effectively their ‘backyard’ but was donated to the local shire for public use after Alfred died.

Alfred passed away in 1937, and the family offered the home for use as a children’s hospital during WWII before becoming a medical and veterinary research facility in the 1950s. During the 1980’s it operated as a luxury hotel before being closed up in the early 1990s. Shannon Bennet then purchased it with Adam Garrison in 2010, and a major redevelopment planned at the exhibition’s end.

Plans for the site included removing a cap on patron numbers, turning the Norris building — built in the 1930s and now in state of disrepair — into a six-star hotel, and adding a microbrewery, shop and new restaurant inside the existing Piggery Cafe
Herald Sun Oct 2018

The exhibition runs until the end of April 2019. Following the close of the exhibition, the artwork will be removed. After that, the mansion will be returned to bare walls, and renovations will finally commence.

The Exhibition

Rone worked on the installation of the empire exhibition for over 12 months, with interior stylist Carly Spooner staging the rooms to reflect Rone’s concept of a mansion where the owners just walked out…and the mansion sat, decaying for the last 25 yrs, hidden from view. Again, Rone’s famous ‘jane doe’ portraits adorn 11 rooms with his model, this time being Lily Sullivan, famous for her role in Picnic At Hanging Rock.

The exhibition- being so long in the making was a huge gamble for Rone, but with every day sold out a week after the opening, it looks like it’s paid off for him. He is quoted as saying that he hopes to break even; I don’t think there’s any risk of that not happening – and in fact, I hope it brings him much more fame, glory and a good income.