Heronswood, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Heronswood is a historic property that was built in 1864 and is located in Dromana, Victoria. A Gothic Revival house built in 1874, and highly picturesque, it incorporates the original shingled roofed cottage that was the first structure built on 46 acres.
Heronswood is classified by the National Trust of Australia
and is open to the public.
The house, which is also on the Australian Heritage Places Register, and the Victorian Heritage Register
is located at 105 Latrobe Parade in the suburb of Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula.
The property is directly above the beach where Captain Matthew Flinders
landed, on 27 April 1802.
. This position commanded a spectacular view of the whole bay. This original timber dwelling was incorporated into the main house at a later date.
William Hearn was from Ireland
and a graduate of Trinity College
, Dublin. Formerly he was Professor of Greek at Queens College, Galway
, and then became the first Professor of Law at Melbourne University. He was also Professor of History and Politics.
The property’s name "Heronswood", is thought to be derived from Hearn’s family motto, "The heron seeks the height", or the Hearn family crest, which features a heron. Another theory is that it is a contraction of "Hearn’s Wood".
to design Heronswood in 1866. It is thought to be the only house he designed that was also fully completed. The main building of the house was finished in 1874.
Heronswood is made from coursed, squared blocks which contribute to the gracious design of the house. The blocks were made from a rare green granite, quarried locally from the original Arthurs Seat run purchased in 1844 by the McCraes. "The windows, doors and corners are dressed with limestone from the southern end of the peninsula. It features many medieval-inspired elements such as the bell-cast roofs covered in Welsh slate, pointed lancet windows, and buttressing on the front porch." Each room of Heronswood has its own steeply pitched gable roof, which lends itself to the Gothic design. Even so, Heronswood was built as a family home and retains that intimate feeling. The original house was only modified in minor ways so the house remains intact and true to its original design and character
trees were planted, many of which survive to this day. A cape chestnut
is one of the most impressive trees today that survived from these early plantings. Moat also developed an orchard and fenced Hearn's property. He planted many pine trees, some of which are still standing.
The magnificent garden is listed in the Oxford Companion to Gardens as one of only four entries for the state of Victoria, along with the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, Mawallock and Ripponlea. This book, which is world wide in scope, is an encyclopedia of the art of garden design from the earliest known gardens to the present.
. This is a nursery and a catalogue company that have helped pioneer drought tolerant plants and the heirloom vegetable revival. Heronswood joined the first Open Garden Scheme in 1986. The company maintains five separate vegetable gardens. They specialise in rare vegetables, flowers and fruits. The flower garden maintained by The Digger's Club
has extensive plantings of flowers, including perennial borders, dry climate, cottage, and annual gardens.
. Hearn had been Higgins' teacher.
Higgins was a highly influential politician and Federal Attorney General. He wrote the Harvester Judgement, at Heronswood, which formed the basis of the Australian arbitration system. This ensured Australian workers a fair basic wage.
On 13 January 1929 at Heronswood, Higgins took his regular morning walk to Arthur's Seat. ( When younger he also went for a daily morning swim at Anthony's Nose ). As was his habit he then read on the porch. In the early evening he collapsed and died. The Trades Hall in Melbourne flew the Australian flag at half mast. Higgins was buried in Dromana cemetery, with Anglican rites, under the Celtic cross which he had built to commemorate his son. He was survived by Mary Alice Higgins. Their son Mervyn, who was killed in action in Egypt in 1916, is buried between them.
Before WWII, the Bush Fire Brigade was the only local fire combatant, whose fighting equipment consisted of knapsacks, canvas beaters (wet sacks), rakes and saplings torn out of the bush. On A Sunday early in January 1939, Dromana had its usual influx of holiday visitors when a fire started burning on Arthur's Seat above Heronswood. At 11 a.m. the Methodist Church bell tolled to summon the fire brigade as a south westerly change caused a raging fire to take a path from Heronswood eastward towards the town where 42 homes were destroyed. Soon after, the coming of an urban water supply meant that fire hydrant points were established by a local urban fire brigade.
Heronswood is classified by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
and is open to the public.
The house, which is also on the Australian Heritage Places Register, and the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
is located at 105 Latrobe Parade in the suburb of Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula.
The property is directly above the beach where Captain Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
landed, on 27 April 1802.
The Cottage
The first messmate shingle roofed house was built of local timbers for Dr Hearn, in 1864, and was located by Latrobe Parade on 46 acres, above Anthony's NoseAnthonys Nose (Victoria)
Anthonys Nose is a point , or escarpment located on the southern shore of Port Phillip Bay, between Dromana and McCrae, in Victoria, Australia.-History:...
. This position commanded a spectacular view of the whole bay. This original timber dwelling was incorporated into the main house at a later date.
William Hearn was from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and a graduate of Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, Dublin. Formerly he was Professor of Greek at Queens College, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, and then became the first Professor of Law at Melbourne University. He was also Professor of History and Politics.
The property’s name "Heronswood", is thought to be derived from Hearn’s family motto, "The heron seeks the height", or the Hearn family crest, which features a heron. Another theory is that it is a contraction of "Hearn’s Wood".
The House
William Hearn, employed Edward La Trobe BatemanEdward La Trobe Bateman
Edward La Trobe Bateman was a pre-raphaelite watercolour painter, book illuminator, draughtsman, garden designer and architect....
to design Heronswood in 1866. It is thought to be the only house he designed that was also fully completed. The main building of the house was finished in 1874.
Heronswood is made from coursed, squared blocks which contribute to the gracious design of the house. The blocks were made from a rare green granite, quarried locally from the original Arthurs Seat run purchased in 1844 by the McCraes. "The windows, doors and corners are dressed with limestone from the southern end of the peninsula. It features many medieval-inspired elements such as the bell-cast roofs covered in Welsh slate, pointed lancet windows, and buttressing on the front porch." Each room of Heronswood has its own steeply pitched gable roof, which lends itself to the Gothic design. Even so, Heronswood was built as a family home and retains that intimate feeling. The original house was only modified in minor ways so the house remains intact and true to its original design and character
The Gardens
Hearn employed William Moat to develop spacious lawns and gardens. Rare oriental and occidentalOccidental
Occidental may refer to:* Occidental, California, a town in Sonoma County, California* Occidental Mindoro, a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon...
trees were planted, many of which survive to this day. A cape chestnut
Calodendrum capense
Calodendrum capense is an African tree which was first studied at The Cape in South Africa and cultivated widely for its prolific flower display...
is one of the most impressive trees today that survived from these early plantings. Moat also developed an orchard and fenced Hearn's property. He planted many pine trees, some of which are still standing.
The magnificent garden is listed in the Oxford Companion to Gardens as one of only four entries for the state of Victoria, along with the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, Mawallock and Ripponlea. This book, which is world wide in scope, is an encyclopedia of the art of garden design from the earliest known gardens to the present.
Local Nursery
In 1983 Clive Blazey purchased the historic estate of Heronswood, which became the new company headquarters for The Digger's ClubThe Digger's Club
The Digger's Club is an Australian mail-order seed company which specializes in unusual and heirloom plants. The company offers an extensive range of heirloom vegetables, cottage flowers and fruit plants, with the aim of providing a source of non-mainstream plants for gardeners, bypassing the major...
. This is a nursery and a catalogue company that have helped pioneer drought tolerant plants and the heirloom vegetable revival. Heronswood joined the first Open Garden Scheme in 1986. The company maintains five separate vegetable gardens. They specialise in rare vegetables, flowers and fruits. The flower garden maintained by The Digger's Club
The Digger's Club
The Digger's Club is an Australian mail-order seed company which specializes in unusual and heirloom plants. The company offers an extensive range of heirloom vegetables, cottage flowers and fruit plants, with the aim of providing a source of non-mainstream plants for gardeners, bypassing the major...
has extensive plantings of flowers, including perennial borders, dry climate, cottage, and annual gardens.
Justice Henry Bourne Higgins
From Hearn, the property was sold to Alexander Sutherland, another university professor, and then, in 1903, to his friend, H. B. HigginsH. B. Higgins
Henry Bournes Higgins , Australian politician and judge, always known in his lifetime as H. B. Higgins, was a highly influential figure in Australian politics and law.-Career:...
. Hearn had been Higgins' teacher.
Higgins was a highly influential politician and Federal Attorney General. He wrote the Harvester Judgement, at Heronswood, which formed the basis of the Australian arbitration system. This ensured Australian workers a fair basic wage.
On 13 January 1929 at Heronswood, Higgins took his regular morning walk to Arthur's Seat. ( When younger he also went for a daily morning swim at Anthony's Nose ). As was his habit he then read on the porch. In the early evening he collapsed and died. The Trades Hall in Melbourne flew the Australian flag at half mast. Higgins was buried in Dromana cemetery, with Anglican rites, under the Celtic cross which he had built to commemorate his son. He was survived by Mary Alice Higgins. Their son Mervyn, who was killed in action in Egypt in 1916, is buried between them.
Historic Bushfires
On Monday 5 February 1912, the Argus newspaper reported a bushfire in the vicinity of Arthur's Seat. Several residences in Dromana were lost as ."Last evening, at about half-past 5 o'clock, a bush fire swept a portion of the country between Dromana and Rosebud. It swept away the residences of Mrs. Coburn, Springbank, and the summer residence of Mr. Frank Cornwell, despite the efforts of a large number of workers.
Miss Burrell's house was saved after great exertions. The township of Rosebud is safe, and the fire is now burning in the direction of Boneo. Portion of the same fire swept towards Heronswood, the seaside residence of Mr. Justice Higgins. The fate of the residence was for some hours uncertain, but the flames were finally beaten off. Fires are still burning at Arthur's Seat and towards Mount Martha."
Before WWII, the Bush Fire Brigade was the only local fire combatant, whose fighting equipment consisted of knapsacks, canvas beaters (wet sacks), rakes and saplings torn out of the bush. On A Sunday early in January 1939, Dromana had its usual influx of holiday visitors when a fire started burning on Arthur's Seat above Heronswood. At 11 a.m. the Methodist Church bell tolled to summon the fire brigade as a south westerly change caused a raging fire to take a path from Heronswood eastward towards the town where 42 homes were destroyed. Soon after, the coming of an urban water supply meant that fire hydrant points were established by a local urban fire brigade.