Werribee Mansion

Having already explored the gardens of this amazing property, part of the Werribee Park precinct,  this time we opted for lunch and a tour of the historic mansion.

 

Lunch at Joseph’s was fantastic, with all of our group ordering something equally delicious. Even the Brussels Sprouts side dish. Seriously. 

 

After lunch, we took a self-guided tour of the mansion, once a home to a wealthy wool farming family.

 

Sweeping staircases, elaborately tiled floors...

     

 ...lavish furnishings and signs of privilege.

Even the windows overlooking the rear courtyard were frosted and etched, so as not to catch a glimpse of the staff at work.

The rooftop terrace offers views of the grounds and beyond.

The attached buildings were a Catholic seminary for young men entering priesthood, before becoming abandoned for nearly 30 years. Rescued from dereliction, they are now the luxury Lancemore Mansion Hotel.

Lots of options for exploring this location, which make for good opportunities to revisit another time. 

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/werribee-park/things-to-do/werribee-park-mansion

https://www.lancemore.com.au/mansion-hotel/gallery

Werribee Park Mansion Gardens

One of the biggest properties in Victoria,  The Mansion gardens feature expansive lawns, heritage orchards, ornamental lakes, hot houses -  this is one big place to explore, so I’m going to show you the gardens first, then the mansion in the next post.

Our first visit inside the big bluestone gate entrance was for an outdoor concert , One Electric Day, on the Great Lawn.  A full day of Aussie bands in this fabulous setting was so good, we came back again the following year!

 

Between bands, we’d take a walk around the paths and sandy gravel tracks, before settling back down on our picnic rug in time for the next artist to take the stage.

 

A couple of years later, we visited the mansion itself, and took an even better look around the grounds this time. 

Around the ornamental lake, The Grotto entrance led to the cave like room. Adorned with seashells and apparently the teeth of  Chirnside sheep and Chirnside children,  it's kinda weird, but provides a cool retreat on a hot day. 

A wooden fence alongside the property allows a peek into the  adjoining winery 

And along the front fenceline, the State Rose Garden is located on the other side, just a short walk between the two locations. 

 

Towards the back of the property, some horse jumps indicated the presence of equestrian events, such as show jumping and polo is often played here. 

 

A heritage orchard at the rear, vegetable gardens, green houses and many sculptures dotted around the grounds, add to the surprise factor of the property.

 

So much to see  - and we haven’t even been inside the mansion yet!

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/werribee-park/things-to-do/werribee-park-mansion

Geelong Gaol

Whenever we’re in Geelong, there’s always something to see that we haven’t managed to get to previously.  Jails are always on our itinerary when we visit a regional town and Geelong Gaol was no exception. 

 

Built in 1853, the Pentonville style Geelong Gaol is Australia’s longest continuously run prison, finally closing in 1991. 

Inside the  front rooms, a patch of wall showing the remnants of various paint colours used over the years.

 

 

 

Although Ned Kelly was never incarcerated here, there is a good display on the famous Bushranger and replicas of the Kelly Gang’s armour.

Our self-guided tour of the place took us through different wings of the building, from upstairs to the hanging deck...

 ...down to the dentist and the morgue...

 and outside to the exercise yards.

 

 

The building was bought by a private owner in 2019 and is open to the public for tours and events.

 

https://geelonggaol.com.au

Fyansford

A couple of years back, heading West on a weekend away, we spotted some painted silos from the highway near Geelong. A quick detour had us getting off at the next exit and heading towards Fyansford.

A gorgeous little town, full of heritage buildings, it was totally worthwhile taking a sidetrip to have a look around the place.

 

The hauntingly beautiful former Orphanage and School have now apparently been sold and will become a private home for some lucky folks. 

 

The Geelong Cement silos, painted by Rone in 2017, came tumbling down last year, to make room for a housing estate.  I’m glad we got to see them up close while they were there, but as is the case with most street art, it’s a changing landscape and there’s always something new to see…somewhere along the highway.