Historical Background

The history and growth of Lanyon Homestead are closely intertwined with the early European settlement in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In 1835, James Wright and his partner, John Lanyon, took out a pastoral lease of a large tract of land along the Murrumbidgee River, which was a vital water source in the otherwise arid Australian landscape.

Initially, the property was used for sheep grazing and cattle farming, taking advantage of the fertile plains and the river. By 1841, 59 workers lived on the estate, around half of them convicts. Eventually, John Lanyon returned to England, and James Wright took over the running of the estate. Wright, however, faced numerous challenges, including droughts and financial difficulties. This ultimately led him to sell Lanyon Homestead in the 1840s.

The estate then changed hands several times before it was acquired by the Cunningham family in 1849. The Cunninghams, a prominent pastoralist family, expanded the estate’s operations. They also built additional buildings and developed the homestead into a thriving rural enterprise.

In 1926, the estate was sold to the Osborne family. They, in turn, sold it to the Field family in 1930. The Fields, however, didn’t live at the estate but used it as a holiday home. While the Fields improved the old dairy and machinery, they respected the history of the house and buildings.

Architecture and Layout

Lanyon Homestead’s architecture blends Georgian and Victorian styles, reflecting the preferences of affluent rural homesteads in 19th-century Australia. The main homestead building, constructed in the 1850s, is a single-story house with a low-pitched roof and wide verandas. It also has thick walls designed to keep the interior cool during hot summers. It is built from locally sourced stone and features timber-framed windows, offering views of the surrounding gardens and the river.

One of Lanyon’s standout features is its meticulously maintained gardens, which include a variety of native and introduced plant species. The gardens were an essential part of the estate’s self-sufficiency, providing fresh herbs, vegetables, and flowers for the household.

The estate also includes various outbuildings, such as the woolshed, stables, blacksmith’s shop, and workers’ quarters. These provide a window to the past and illustrate the labour-intensive nature of pastoral life during the 19th century.

Life at Lanyon Homestead

Life at Lanyon Homestead during the 19th and early 20th centuries was centred around agriculture and livestock, mainly sheep farming. The estate produced wool, meat, and other agricultural products essential to the local economy. The river provided irrigation, which was critical for livestock and crop cultivation, allowing the estate to thrive even in challenging conditions.

The homestead was a family residence, but it also functioned as the centre of a small rural community. The Cunninghams employed many workers, including shepherds, stockmen, blacksmiths, and domestic staff, who lived on or near the property. The workers’ quarters, some of which have been preserved, highlight the contrast between the lives of the estate owners and those of the workers. While the Cunninghams enjoyed a degree of comfort and refinement inside the homestead, the workers faced a more rugged and physically demanding lifestyle.

The social life at Lanyon Homestead reflected its time. The family hosted gatherings, picnics, and social events common in rural communities. The homestead would have also been a place where neighbours gathered to exchange news and celebrate important events.

Lanyon Homestead Today

In the early to mid-1970s, the McMahon and Whitlam Governments withdrew the rural leases for Lanyon, Cuppacumbalong Homestead and Gold Creek Homestead. The Federal Government then compulsorily acquired Lanyon for $3.7m in 1974.

Today, Lanyon Homestead is managed by the ACT Government and is open to the public as a museum and cultural site. It is part of the ACT Historic Places network, which aims to preserve the region’s heritage and cultural history. The homesteads guided tours, exhibitions, and educational programs provide information about the estate’s history and the stories of those who lived there.

Visitors to Lanyon Homestead can take a tour through the original rooms. These have been furnished with period-appropriate furniture and artefacts to recreate the atmosphere of a 19th-century rural home. The preserved interiors provide a glimpse into the Cunningham family’s daily lives and domestic routines. Original furnishings, kitchenware, and personal items are on display. The tours also highlight the challenges and hardships the estate’s residents faced. Isolation, disease bushfires and floods were ever-present threats.

Cultural Significance

Lanyon Homestead is a well-preserved example of a 19th-century rural estate and an important site for understanding the broader history of European settlement in the Canberra region. It provides insights into the pastoral economy that dominated Australia’s rural development and the complex interaction between settlers and the Indigenous Ngunnawal people, who have lived there for thousands of years.

In recent years, efforts have been made to recognise and incorporate the region’s Indigenous history into the homestead’s narrative. This includes acknowledging the land’s traditional custodians and highlighting the Murrumbidgee River’s cultural and spiritual significance to the Ngunnawal people. By doing so, the homestead serves as a place of reflection and education, encouraging visitors to consider both the achievements and the darker aspects of Australia’s colonial past.

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Land beside the river

Como House, built in 1847, uniquely blends Australian Regency and classic Italianate architecture. The garden still showcases many elements of its original 1850s design. Como is situated on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples. These are two of the five language groups making up the Kulin Nations. Melbourne and the southern banks of the Birrurung (Yarra) are culturally significant as meeting places and hunting grounds for the Kulin Nations.

Colonisation significantly impacted the traditional way of life of Aborigines. The southern banks of the Birrurung became cattle runs by 1837. William Lonsdale, the Port Philip Police Magistrate, was responsible for making ‘Crown’ land available to squatters through licenses. His nephew George Langhorne was in charge of the Government Mission for Aboriginal People, which closed in 1839.

Lonsdale suggested selling the land, which his nephew Alfred (George’s brother) then purchased. Alfred then divided the land into lots, and in 1846, Edward Eyre Williams bought the lot where Como was built. Williams, a lawyer, later became a judge at the first Supreme Court of Victoria. He purchased land extending from the Yarra River to Toorak Road, using the proceeds from compensation paid to him after the abolition of slavery.

The Eyre Williams Years

Williams consequently commissioned the construction of a four-room residence with a separate kitchen and named it ‘Como’. The walls of the villa and kitchen were built from stones, mud, and rubble hauled up from the banks of the Birrurung. In 1852 Williams sold Como, which had a “noble frontage to the River Yarra” and “commanding views of the surrounding country” to Frederick Dalgety. Dalgety owned a firm supplying wool, gold, and settlers’ trades. However, Dalgety considered Como “infernally dull”. Within a year, he sold it to John Brown, a master builder who later became a wine and spirit merchant.

John Brown appointed William Sangster as head gardener and overseer in December 1855. Sangster, a garden designer, played a significant role in the early development of Melbourne. Sangster’s notable designs include Carlton Gardens in Carlton, Daylesford Public Garden, and Victoria Gardens in Prahran. He also designed Rupertswood in Sunbury, Rippon Lea Estate in Elsternwick, Stonington Mansion in Malvern, and Ard Choille at Mount Macedon, Victoria.

A picturesque Garden

Sangster supervised the design and development of the site, using the principles of picturesque garden design. The design included a detailed five-acre ornamental garden and a new carriageway from the main road (now Toorak Road). He also created several areas of orchards and vegetable gardens on the slopes leading down to the river. Along the southern boundary of the Yarra River, he planted willows, poplars, and Dutch elms. Many aspects of his design are still present, and the remaining trees are impressive specimens.

The house and the garden were developed simultaneously. Brown had the grounds landscaped while adding a second story to the original four-room villa. This included an upstairs ballroom overlooking the gardens. However, Brown overreached himself in his ambition to join Melbourne’s elite. Brown lost his fortune and was forced to sell his beloved Como.

The Armytage Family

Charles Armytage, a wealthy pastoralist, purchased Como for £14,000 in 1864. He and his wife Caroline lived with their eight children at Fulham Station, a large sheep holding just outside Geelong. Caroline was born in 1832 into a prosperous landowning family in Lechlade, UK. Arriving in the colony, she worked as a governess for the Austins of Barwon Park before marrying Charles, whom she had met at the local Winchelsea church.

Their hard work in the country, combined with Charles’ inheritance, had brought considerable wealth. The family began looking for a townhouse. Hearing Como was up for sale, Armytage decided it would be the ideal residence to solidify the family’s position in the growing Melbourne social scene. They spent the social season in Melbourne at Como and the rest of the year at their rural estates. The house was expanded in 1874 with the addition of a ballroom wing and an upstairs children’s wing.

The Grand Tour

After Charles passed away in 1876 at the age of fifty-two due to a pancreatic disorder, Caroline, who was 44 at the time, inherited the estate. Caroline decided it was the perfect time to travel. She wanted to ensure her children received a suitable education as members of Melbourne’s high society. On December 26, 1876, the servants packed trunks onto carriages at the front of Como House. Then, Caroline, her nine children, and a large retinue of servants, including two cows for fresh milk, boarded the sailing ship, the Assam, and embarked on a four-year ‘Grand Tour’ around the world.

Charles Norman was sent to study at Cambridge. Meanwhile, Caroline, the other children and servants, went to Egypt, India, China, Japan, Russia, and Europe. This journey was documented in a diary kept by Ada, Caroline’s eldest daughter. During this tour, Caroline sent crate-loads of mirrors, vases, chandeliers and furniture back to Como.

A family home

When Caroline and her family returned to Melbourne in 1880, they made Como their permanent residence. The lifestyle of the Armytage family and Como was supported by a large group of servants who did all the day-to-day work. Caroline employed cooks, a laundress, a housemaid, a needlewoman, a “Tweeney” (a between-the-stairs maid whose bedroom was in the tower), a parlourmaid, a milkman, a messenger, two permanent gardeners, and a coachman. 

Federation celebrations in 1901 saw a constant round of parties and musical evenings. During these, Constance met Captain Arthur Fitzpatrick, the aide-de-camp to the governor of Victoria. After a brief engagement, Constance and Arthur were married at St. John’s, Toorak, on May 9, 1906. The wedding was the social event of the season. The reception was held at Como and was attended by the cream of Melbourne society, including old friends such as the artists Arthur and Emma Minnie Boyd.

The bride and groom moved to England, but Fitzpatrick abandoned Constance and disappeared with the seventy-thousand-pound dowry, ending the marriage. From then on, Constance lived as a single woman.

World War I

At the outbreak of the WW1, Ada was 55 years old, Constance 43 and Leila 39. Leila joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) in England for the Red Cross and was sent to an Australian Military Hospital in Le Havre, France. By 1916, Constance was also living in Le Havre, where she worked side by side with Leila as an untrained nurse and ambulance driver, picking up the wounded and the dying soldiers from the battlefields.

While the sisters were away from Melbourne for eleven years, Laura, a delicate and artistic woman, remained at Como. When the sisters returned after the war, they found Como somewhat worn out, with its Edwardian grandeur fading away. Following Caroline’s death in 1909, the property, including the house, was divided and put up for auction. Her daughters Ada, Laura, Constance, and Leila bought the house and the surrounding 15 acres of gardens. In 1921, the Armytage family sold 35 acres of Como’s river frontage, leaving just over five acres of house and garden. Of the five sons, only two married, and of the four daughters, only Constance married. Ada died in 1939. Laura lived as a recluse at Como from the 1920s and died in 1956.

Film Location

Como House has been the location of many Australian shows, and The Seekers filmed the video for Morningtown Ride there in 1967

In 1959, the newly formed National Trust acquired Como and opened it to the public.

Como House is located at Corner Williams Rd & Lechlade Ave, South Yarra 3141 and is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm

Guided tours of the house are available on Wednesdays & Fridays at 1.30 pm Saturdays and Sundays at 11.00 am, 12.30 pm and 2 pm

Como House Tours
Adult: $15
Concession: $12
Child: $9
Family: $35 (2A + 2C)
National Trust Members: Free

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The Design

Architect George McRae who had also designed the Sydney Town Hall and Caves House at the Jenolan Caves presented four facade designs for the QVB, Gothic, Queen Anne, Renaissance, and Romanesque. Upon reviewing the designs, the market committee chose the Romanesque design, which was made of sandstone and had a roofscape of 21 copper domes. . The plans also incorporated a residential hotel spanning multiple floors at Druitt Street. In addition, a concert hall capable of accommodating 500 people was planned at the Market Street end. The building would also feature shops, warehouses, and markets in the basement, which four hydraulic lifts would service. In today’s money, the QVB would cost around $2 billion to build.

Located between George, Market, York, and Druitt Streets, the QVB building occupies an entire city block. At the heart of the building stands the impressive central dome, made up of an inner glass dome and an outer copper-sheathed dome. Stunning stained glass windows and remarkable architecture are evident throughout the tower, with an authentic 19th-century staircase beside the dome.

Mr W P. Macintosh was awarded the contract to design a symbolic group of marble figures for the central arch on George Street. He was also contracted to create another group for York Street above the prominent arches. The total cost for both statue groups was £3,3000.

Construction

Building took place between 1893 to 1898. In addition, the grand Romanesque architecture was planned to provide employment opportunities for many skilled craftsmen struggling to find work. These included stonemasons, plasterers, and stained window artists. While officially, it was named the “Queen Victoria Market Building”, it has since been commonly referred to as the QVB.

Mayor Mathew Harris officially opened the QVB on July 21, 1898. The ground floor of the building provided space for 58 shops, featuring a range of tenants such as tailors, mercers, boot importers, hairdressers, tobacconists, florists, chemists, fruiterers, and a tea room. The first floor comprised 17 spacious rooms utilised for warerooms, showrooms, and offices. The second floor, meanwhile, had 12 large rooms with a gallery. The Coffee Palace was located at the southern end, boasting a dining room, sitting area, drawing room, public spaces, 57 bedrooms, a gallery, and a promenade. The basement had cooling chambers, strong rooms, wine bodegas, cellars, and public toilets.

By 1901, the concert hall had been transformed into the city library, and the coffee palace had become offices. When the council became a tenant, they virtually obliterated the entire interior. It was deemed all too opulent, so they concreted over the tiling, spilt-levelled and subdivided. Tenants had changed considerably from those who first occupied the building, with only Singer Sewing Machine Co. and one tailor remaining. The new tenants included Piano tuners, dancing teachers, palmists, and clairvoyants.

Decline and Restoration

In the 1930s, notable alterations were made to the building’s architecture, such as installing new floors in galleries and revamping shopfronts to accommodate the Sydney City Council, a major tenant at the time. However, plans to demolish the building and create a city square and underground carpark were proposed between 1959 and 1971.

Fortunately, this caused an intense public campaign whereby conservationists and the public intervened, resulting in the preservation of the building. The National Trust classified the building in 1974 and this led to a significant restoration project, awarded to a Malaysian company, Ipoh Garden, in 1980, along with a 99-year lease.

“It is an architectural monstrosity, a wasteful, stupid building.”

Architect Harry Seidler, in favour of demolition, 26 August 1961

The QVB’s glass was damaged by the Hilton Hotel bombing in 1978. Subsequently, in 1979, the glass replacement process began alongside restoring the minor copper domes. Finally, in 1986, the fully restored QVB reopened its doors to the delight of locals and tourists.

In 2008, it underwent a $48 million renovation, which included the installation of new escalators, repainting, restoration of balustrades, carpets, signage, and bathrooms. The following year, the QVB ballroom was revamped and converted into a charming tearoom. Significantly, every element of the building has been carefully restored, from the arches and pillars to the balustrades and intricately tiled floors, preserving the original grandeur of the structure.

Heritage Status

The QVB Building is known for its stunning architecture, remarkable central dome, intricate stained glass windows, and ornate decorations. The building’s design and embellishments pay homage to the extraordinary craftsmanship of its time. Recognising its historical and cultural significance as a significant Sydney landmark, the QVB was included in the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1989.

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History

Days Mill was established in the late 1850s by William and Ann Day, migrants from England. William ran the flour mill, a bush sawmill, and a punt on the Goulburn River. Ann also ran the local store. In August 1870, William was thrown against a fence by a cow suffering severe injuries to his legs and arms. He never fully recovered from this accident and died in 1872.

After her husband, William passed away, Anne was left to care for her seven children, aged 5 to 19. Thankfully, William’s estate was worth more than £5,000, which provided Anne with financial security. From 1872 to 1891, she successfully managed the farm and the mill, making it one of the most advanced properties in the area. Through a collection of letters, it’s evident that Anne was a capable and determined woman excelling in the male-dominated Victorian business world. Her letters document her struggles with poor selectors and her endeavours to sell flour in the Melbourne market. They also shine a light on her disputes with tardy agricultural machinery manufacturers and her efforts to sell her farm’s produce at a reasonable price in Melbourne.

By 1870, traditional rural mill stone operations were being displaced by new iron roller technology. This led to the cessation of the mill’s commercial operation in the late 1880s. Anne Day, who had been farming and storekeeping, retired and passed on the reins to her eldest son, Joseph. The property then functioned solely as a farm, with Joseph occasionally grinding chicken feed for his neighbours. In 1910, Joseph extended the size of his farm by acquiring an additional 320 acres. Meanwhile, his younger brother, Henry, acquired 244 acres.

The Buildings

The exact date of the residence’s construction remains unknown. However, the Day family believes the kitchen area was built around 1865, which coincides with the mill’s construction. The two-story house featured a cast iron verandah and was constructed later. The interior walls are adorned with hand-painted stencils and marbling that date back to 1910.

The Mill complex includes a complete collection of farming and flour milling equipment from the nineteenth century. Entering the property, past the gatehouse, down a long driveway lined with peppercorns and pine trees, brings you to a two-story brick house beside the three-story brick mill. In addition, a granary annex with a two-story surrounding veranda was constructed around 1905.

The mill operated using a unique early E T Bellhouse steam engine connected to a Cornish boiler that is still fully functional. There are also several other buildings, such as a stable, chaff shed, blacksmith, butchery, dairy, shearing shed, milking shed, piggery, and chook shed. The original machinery and equipment have been preserved. These include three under-driven millstones, grain and meal elevators, a bolting reel, an air leg aspirator, a sack hoist, and other equipment.

Heritage listed

The Day family owned the Days Mill until 1985, after which the Department of Conservation Forests and Lands acquired it. Since 1996, the Days Flour Mill Complex has been under the management of Parks Victoria. Visiting the mill complex by appointment or during special events held throughout the year is possible.

The Days Flour Mill Complex is a remarkable representation of the milling techniques commonly used in the 19th century. It consequently has earned a spot on the Victorian Heritage Register. The Victorian Government’s Living Heritage Program in 2018/2019 granted it $500,000. This funding allowed significant conservation efforts on the Mill, Gatehouse, and Residence buildings. Reconstruction and repair of the roof, brickwork, windows, chimney, and Pulley House were also made possible by the grant.

Check out the 3D tour!

Days Mill is located on Day Road, Murchison

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The lush interior contains original furniture, an entry hall with a Minton encaustic tiled floor, niches, Corinthian pilasters, and free-standing columns leading to a grand staircase. Off the main entrance are the main reception rooms, a library and dining room.

Thomas Chirnside

Thomas Chirnside was born in Berwickshire, Scotland, the elder son of Robert Chirnside and Mary Fairs. In January 1839, at age twenty-three, Thomas Chirnside arrived in Adelaide from Liverpool on the ship Bardaster. He then made his way to Sydney in March. Returning to Melbourne, after drought in NSW affected his fortunes, the Chirnside brothers bought the land at Werribee.

As a member of the Victorian Acclimatisation Society, Thomas began importing animals from the old country, such as red deer, foxes, hares, pheasants, and partridges. It wasn’t long before “fine old English gentlemen” were hunting the new arrivals around the vast expanse of Werribee Park.

Western District Families

Thomas returned to Scotland for a holiday in 1845, where he fell in love with his first cousin Mary Begbie. He asked her parents for her hand in marriage, but she refused to move to Australia. His brother Andrew then travelled back to Scotland for a visit with a request from his brother. Bring back Mary any way he could. So in 1852, Andrew returned with Mary. However, he brought her back as his wife. Not quite the outcome Thomas wanted. Regardless, the brothers remained close, though Thomas remained a bachelor for the rest of his life.

The grand staircase

Thomas, and his brother Andrew, built the mansion at their Werribee park property over three years. In today’s money, the mansion cost nine million dollars. Notably, the impressive grand staircase is almost identical to the Barwon Park staircase. In fact, it’s a case of the Chirnsides emulating the Austins, as Barwon Park was completed six years before the Werribee mansion.

In 1877, when complete, Andrew, Mary and their three children moved in. Thomas continued to live nearby at the Point Cook homestead; however, he later moved in with Andrew and Mary. The mansion’s extensive workforce worked across ten acres of farmland and the house staff. The Chirnsides also entertained the shire ratepayers and their families. It was not unusual for the Chirnsides to hold picnics with games, bands and dancing for a thousand people, with Thomas appearing on his horse to resounding cheers. Thomas was a strict Sabbatarian and did not allow any work to take place on Sundays.

In 1887, in ill health, suffering depression, and believing himself bankrupt, Thomas shot himself in the laundry with his shotgun. Andrew then inherited the property and Thomas’s estate.

Sadly, Andrew passed away from heart disease just three years later, leaving his personal estate to Mary and his real estate holdings to his two youngest sons. However, as per his will, Mary was permitted to continue at Werribee park, along with a generous allowance until her death. She died, aged eighty-one, in 1908 at a private hospital in Colac due to burns after her hair had caught alight from a bedside candle.

Werribee, after the Chirnside’s

Unfortunately, George couldn’t mirror the success of his father and uncle, and with dwindling fortunes, he sold the mansion to Phillip Lock, a wealthy grazier from Warnambool, in 1922. Lock, in turn, sold it to the Catholic church in 1923. Under the church’s ownership, it became a seminary, Corpus Christi College. Several wings were added by the monks residing there. These wings have been converted to the 5-star Lancemore Hotel.

Finally, in 1973 the Victorian government bought the property from the Catholic church and restored the mansion and grounds to their former glory, renaming it Werribee Park Mansion. Three years later, the mansion was featured in the film The Devil’s Playground. In 1982, it was one of the sets used in the musical comedy, The Pirate Movie. The mansion was then depicted as an English manor in the children’s comedy series, The Genie From Down Under in 1996 and episodes of Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries. Werribee Park Mansion was added to the Victorian Heritage Register in April 1987.

Visiting Werribee Mansion

Open Daily entry is $11.10 for Adults, and children 4-15 years are $8.00. Adult concession is $8.00, and a family of 2 adults and two children is $34.80. Audio tours are available for an extra $3.80. Entry to the mansion also gives you free access to the gardens and State Rose Garden.

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Rabbits!

National Trust

The Grand Staircase

Address:

Open:

Cost:

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I knew whip-cracking existed. I’ve seen movies. However, I never really thought about it. Or considered it still an art practised today, especially a competitive one. But due to a demonstration by three very talented young whip-cracking wonders I am now educated.

Whip Cracking Competitors

Led by Madi Buzza and assisted by sister Keira and close friend Cody,  our group was treated to an hour of their whip cracking skills.  The trio also travels around Australia, attending festivals and competitions or demoing and teaching. Madi’s hat was evidence of this. It’s a virtual ‘map’ of her travels as a contestant.

West Side Whipcrackers

Nineteen-year-old Madi has been whip cracking for five years. Younger sister Keira, at 15 yrs old, has been cracking for four years.  Cody became the third member of their little group. The trio became firm friends after meeting at an event last year.  Sixteen-year-old Cody has been cracking for 12 months.  The three are members of West Side Whip Crackers, a branch of the Australian Whipcrackers and Plaiters Association.

Stop off at the Deniliquin Ute Muster if you are up Deniliquin way in September. The Whip Cracking Wonders will be competing there at the NSW Whipcracking titles.  It’s well worth seeing!

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“Four years after the arrival of the O’Reilly family in 1911 Lamington National Park was declared, effectively isolating the O’Reillys from the outside world. While Lamington wasn’t Queensland’s first national park it is the most significant, and was regularly referred to as ‘Queensland’s National Park”

https://oreillys.com.au/lamington-national-park/

A free upgrade saw us heading off in a lovely little Mitsubishi ASX instead of the Toyota Carolla.  Not that it helped with luggage storage … we had two large suitcases and two rolling camera suitcases, and the big suitcases held more camera gear!  Gone are the days of travelling light.

Canungra

The first stop was O’Reillys Vineyards, Canungra, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch before a wine tasting and bought some wines to take with us.  There was apparently platypus breeding in the creek, but with the skies getting darker and a storm predicted and 34 kms of very, very winding road up the mountain ahead of us, we decided to push on.  It was good that we did, as while Qld doesn’t believe it needs daylight, saying it would really help!  Daylight is around 4.30 am every morning, but it’s dark by 6 pm. 

Goat Track of a Road

Road crews were working on the road repairing damage from Cyclone Debbie. This made some sections narrower than they were already, and it was one lane all the way up.  Not one lane each way… one lane in total!  there were lots of little turnouts to pull over into, but a couple of times, we came around a blind corner with another car coming towards us…. a wine was definitely called for by the time we arrived. (we found out later the road was an old logging track they covered with bitumen!)

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is a village-like retreat high up the mountain in Lamington National Park, with a dining room, bar, cafe, discovery centre, church, mini-mart, gift shop, and accommodation options from self-contained through to guesthouse or camping. 

Birds Galore

We had decided to stay in the mountain view rooms with a little back deck overlooking the mountains in the distance.  It turned out to be an excellent choice as each morning and evening, we had such a myriad of birds in the trees around our room that we quickly bought some rice crackers at the mini-mart to attract them closer.

That night we strolled down to O’Reilly’s dining room… amazing food with massive portions…. not really overpriced for what you got, but geez.. our lamb share platter for two could have fed four; we did our best but still left half…. mind you we still made room for the pavlova even if we had to share that too 🙂

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Wartime Use

The pier opened on 29 September 1914. Significantly, the first Australian convoy carried troops to fight in WW1 left from its newly completed first section.  Many of the soldiers who returned to Melbourne at the end of the war also disembarked at Princes Pier. 

In honour of the royal visit by the Prince of Wales, it was renamed Princes Pier in 1921. The pier’s iconic two-level timber Gatehouse was added in 1935. This enabled better monitoring of cargo and traffic on and off of the dock.

The pier was also the departure point for Australian troops and the arrival point for the American forces during the Second World War. In the years following the end of WW2,  it became the first landing point in Australia for post-war migrants along with Station Pier. Subsequently, over one million migrants landed there between 1947 and 1969.

Declining Years

The last migrant ships arrived in 1969. Additionally, with the shift to containers and the massive containerships being too big to berth at the pier, the dock was used less and less. Eventually, this led to Princes Pier being decommissioned in 1985. Over the next two decades, it deteriorated severely. In 2006 the Victorian Government committed $34 million to its restoration. The existing deck structure was removed. One hundred ninety-six metres of the pier were reconstructed, incuding repairing defective timber piles to support a new concrete deck. The gatehouse was refurbished, and a forest of piles was created at the seaward end of the pier in order to create a heritage and sculptural centrepiece. Today it’s a favourite spot for fishermen and photographers alike.

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A day on the farm

Last Sunday myself, and a dozen or so photographers from Melbourne Photography Excursions travelled down to the island for the day to visit the farm. It’s tiny, only 57 hectares but has heritage gardens, historic buildings and fantastic views over Port Phillip Bay.

We stayed in Cowes overnight as I hoped to get a sunset and sunrise. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a total bust with thick clouds moving in the late afternoon. It was going to be a hot day, though, on Monday, so we called in at the Forrest Caves near Cape Woolami. 

Cowes

We missed low tide so that we couldn’t get to the caves, so we dodged sand flies for an hour while trying to get some long exposure shots from the beach. It’s a beautiful spot but a challenging walk. A big staircase up and down over the dunes, we were all puffing like ten pack a day smokers by the time we made it back to the car.

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