Ripponlea - landed gentry, of course

We toured Ripponlea Estate for two and a half hours, and did not even enter the mansion. Hence, our visit was free. We left when the property closed at 4:30pm, but will keep it on our agenda for my next visit to Melbourne. I expect the house to be as equally engrossing as the gardens.

As I mentioned yesterday, the house was designed and built in 1868, and handed over to the National Trust in 1972.

The first owner was Sir Frederick Sargood, who made his money as a merchant during and after the mid-century gold rush. Subsequently, he became a politician and a philanthropist. He died in 1903.

According to Wiki, the style of the house has been described as "polychromatic romanesque" and the architect, Joseph Reed, was said to have been inspired by the architecture of the Lombardy region of northern Italy. To say the least, it is gaudy.

In the grounds, there are bountiful other structures, like carriage sheds, barns, a windmill, an archery hut, and a gatehouse. The building below is at the rear of the barn. The next post will tour the extensive grounds and explain the collection of stormwater to feed the waterfall and the lake. Monet, eat yer heart out.