Photograph of Labassa formerly Ontario, built for A. W Robertson, date unknowncaulfield north, manor grove, mansions, labassa, ontario, robertson, a. w

Photograph of Rippon Lea, home of Sir Frederick Sargood, date unknownelsternwick, hotham street, mansions, rippon lea, sargood, sir frederick

Photograph of The Garrell built by Samuel Renwick, date unknowncaulfield north, glen eira road, the garrell, renwick, samuel, mansions

Photograph of Waiora, owned by James Gill circa 1864caulfield north, dandenong road, waiora, gill, james, mansions

Photograph of Malonga, home of Walter Thompson Nov 28 1891caulfield north, dandenong road, kooyong road, mansions, malonga, thompson, walter

Photograph of Crotonhurst mansion, date unknowncaulfield, caulfield north, hawthorn road, crotonhurst, mansions

Photograph of Merton, residence of J. W. Stephen, circa 1880caulfield north, avoca grove, merton, mansions, stephen, j. w

Photograph of Labassa, date unknowncaulfield north, manor grove, mansions, labassa

Photograph of Goathland, date unknowncaulfield, goathland, mansions

Photograph of Myoora circa 1900, owned by Thomas Christiancaulfield north, alma road, myoora, mansions, christian, thomas

Photograph of Myoora circa 1886, owned by Thomas Christiancaulfield north, alma road, myoora, mansions, christian, thomas

Photograph of Craigellacie in Orrong Road, owned by William Pearson, date unknwoncaulfield, caulfield north, orrong road, craigellachie, mansions, pearson, william

Photograph of Crotonhurst mansion, date unknowncaulfield, crotonhurst, mansions

Open House 2022: "Like many Melburnians, Ying-Lan Dann has long been fascinated by the Mission to Seafarers, in Docklands. When she was invited to create a work in response to a building as part of this year’s Open House Melbourne, she knew immediately which it would be. Taking a peek behind the closed doors of some of Melbourne’s finest and most interesting buildings is a core premise of the weekend event, now in its 15th year. During that time, the program has grown from half a dozen buildings to a 200-plus strong list that extends to Ballarat and Bendigo. “[It’s] much more expansive and citizen-led,” says Fleur Watson, Open House Melbourne’s executive director. “As a public festival, it has always had a spirit of generosity, this gesture of opening up and allowing visitors to come and look and experience things.” Swinging open their doors at the end of the month will be some of the city’s finest mansions, including Villa Alba in Kew and Brighton’s Billilla, the Cairo flats in Fitzroy, the newly renovated Jewish Museum designed by Kerstin Thompson, the Melbourne Quakers Centre, the Albanian Mosque in Carlton North and many more. Considering how to approach the event this year, held remotely for the past two, Watson decided to explore beyond the traditional, with associate professor and director of curatorial practice at Monash University Tara McDowell. The two have co-curated an exhibition of works to run concurrently with the Open House program, called Take Hold of the Clouds. That’s where Dann’s work, Circular Temporalities, comes in, one of seven commissions around town in which local and international artists respond to chosen buildings or sites. A lecturer in interior design at RMIT as well as an artist, she is interested in time and finding different mediums to show things in flux and, having grown up on Phillip Island, she often uses water as a theme. When she started spending time at the Mission, Dann found there was an oculus at the top of the dome, known as the Norla Dome. She thought about how that small but significant opening related to where sailors spent so many months of the year, the sky being the only thing they would see much of the time, stars guiding the way in times gone by, and of the recent stories she’d heard about sailors being trapped at sea during COVID. Built in the Arts and Craft style between 1916 and 1919 and designed by architect Walter Butler, the Mission includes a chapel, clubroom, Chaplain’s house, a small cottage and the Norla Dome, which was apparently inspired by the Pantheon. The Mission was funded by the government and the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild, who Dann was also intrigued by. “One of the things those women identified is that life at sea is very dangerous [and they] wanted to give them a space of sanctuary and support,” she says, adding that for many years, the dome was used as a gymnasium. Her work inside the dome includes a 35-minute loop film, recorded from the ferry during the crossing from Queenscliff to Sorrento. The horizon takes up about a third of the shot and moves as the waves rise and fall, mirroring the journeys made by the sailors who found refuge at the mission over the years; it will be projected onto a gauze-like fabric, allowing glimpses of the building behind. Dann also plans to activate the site over the course of the weekend and will read a poem by Justin Clemens.The articles gives an insight of the création of the artwork by Ying-Lan Dann. digital copy of an article with photographs published in the Ageopen house melbourne, 2022, ying-lan dann, take hold of the clouds, norla dome, exhibition, the age, cultural events

This booklet was produced for Thomas Randall, the proprietor of the Ozone Hotel, Warrnambool. The booklet has the front cover missing and the title of the booklet is actually ‘A Visit to Warrnambool’. It is a publicity booklet given out gratis to prospective clients of the hotel. The Ozone Hotel was originally called the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace and opened in 1890 as a temperance hotel, a splendid building with over 100 rooms. In December 1891 the Coffee Palace was granted a Colonial Wine Licence and in 1895 it was renamed the Ozone Hotel. Thomas Randall was the hotel keeper from 1894 to 1907. In 1920 the Ozone Hotel, after being closed for some time, was re-opened as the Hotel Mansions and a full liquor licence was obtained in 1923. In 1929 the building was burnt down and the present-day Hotel Warrnambool was built on the site. This booklet is of great significance as it documents the splendour of the Warrnambool Ozone Hotel when it was at its best. This building is regarded as the finest and most elegant building ever built in Warrnambool and this booklet contains the only photographs we have of the interior of a 19th century/early 20th century hotel in Warrnambool. This is a soft cover booklet publicizing the Ozone Hotel, Warrnambool, published for the proprietor Thomas Randall early in the 20th century. The front cover and several pages at the back are missing. The booklet contains advertisements, both local and Melbourne ones, black and white photographs of Warrnambool and district and of the interior and exterior of the Ozone Hotel, an article on the town of Warrnambool and extracts from the hotel’s Visitors’ Book. Most of the pages contain black and white ornamental motifs. One of the pages at the front of the booklet is torn in half. The booklet is bound with staples. On first page: Warrnambool & District Historical Society Stamp (smudged)grand ozone coffee palace/ozone hotel/hotel mansions, thomas randall, history of warrnambool

This booklet was produced for Thomas Randall, the proprietor of the Ozone Hotel, Warrnambool, situated at the corner of Kepler and Koroit Streets. It was a publicity booklet given out gratis to prospective clients of the hotel. The Ozone Hotel was originally called the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace and opened in 1890 as a temperance hotel, a splendid building with over 100 rooms. In December 1891 the Coffee Palace was granted a Colonial Wine Licence and in 1895 it was re-named the Ozone Hotel. Thomas Randall was the proprietor from 1894 to 1907. In 1920 the Ozone Hotel, after being closed for some time, was re-opened as the Hotel Mansions and a full liquor licence was obtained in 1923. In 1929 the building was burnt down and the present- day Hotel Warrnambool was built on the site. This booklet is of great significance as it documents the splendor of the Warrnambool Ozone Hotel when it was at its best. This building is regarded as the finest and most elegant building ever built in Warrnambool and this booklet contains the only photographs we have of the interior of a 19th century/early 20th century hotel building in Warrnambool. This booklet is also of interest as it belonged to Henri Worland, the Town Clerk of Warrnambool from 1918 to 1949 and Warrnambool’s best-known historian. This is a soft cover booklet of 64 pages. The cover is blue-grey and has an image of a sailing ship, the logo of the Warrnambool Ozone Hotel and some ornamental scrolls. The printing on the front cover is blue. The back cover has two advertisements for Melbourne businesses. The booklet is stapled and bound with purple tape. The booklet contains black and white advertisements for Warrnambool and Melbourne businesses, an article on the town of Warrnambool and black and white photographs of Warrnambool and district and of the interior and exterior of the Ozone Hotel. Most of the pages contain some ornamental patterns. The front cover is a little ragged and torn. Signature of H.Worland on the front cover and on the first inside page. grand ozone coffee palace/ozone hotel/hotel mansions, history of warrnambool, thomas randall

The Ozone Hotel was formerly the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace which was erected in 1890 at a cost of around ten thousand pounds. Coffee Palaces were temperance hotels which were popular in the latter part of the 19th century which offered recreation and superior accommodation. The coffee palace operated until 1915 and was then closed before re-opening in 1920 as Hotels Mansions. It had major renovations including a large theatre area. February 23rd 1929 saw the most spectacular fire in Warrnambool's history when the Hotel mansions was burnt to the ground. Evelyn O'Brien was granted a temporary licence and in September 1930 she was given permission to rebuild. The new hotel named Hotel Warrnambool was opened in March 1931. This item has local significance having come from one of Warrnambool's grandest buildingsSide Plate with Hotel Mansions crest in black, with Warrnambool in banner underneath and a black line around rim of plate. Loftus Moran Pty Ltd Melbourne stamp on back (distributor?)Hotel Mansions crest on front of plate, with Warrnambool in banner underneath.grand ozone coffee palace, hotel mansions warrnambool, ozone hotel warrnambool, warrnambool

A black and white portrait of an unknown man taken by John William Lindt.A black and white portrait of an unknown man taken by John William Lindt. John William Lindt was born in Germany in 1845. At 17 he took a working passage to Australia on a Dutch sailing ship. Taking up work as an itinerant piano-tuner, he traveled amongst towns in Victoria and New South Wales before settling in Grafton in 1863 where he became assistant and apprentice to photographer Conrad Wagner. After a brief return to Germany in 1867 Lindt took over management of Wagner’s studio in 1869. He married Wagner’s daughter, Anna on 13 January 1872. Over 1873-1874, using the slow and laborious wet-plate collodion process, John Lindt produced photographs of the local indigenous people both in their environment conducting actual traditional ceremonies in the Clarence River district, and in his studio. Twelve of this series is included in his 1874 album Australian Aboriginals. John Lindt moved to Melbourne in 1876 where he worked for Batchelder & Co. before opening his own opulent studios at number 7 at the top of Collins Street opposite the Treasury, in 1877. John Lindt's business of this period was wide-ranging, and included portraits, records of Melbourne public buildings and streetscapes, the Botanical Gardens, and Port Melbourne. He was a welcome photographer of members of parliament and other Melbourne personalities, their society and cultural life including the theatre, and was known as a ‘rich man’s photographer’ for those whose families he grouped informally on the lawns in front of their mansions, with servants at the rails of the upstairs balconies. He continued with landscape, producing folios Fernshaw and Watt River Scenery, Victoria ( c.1878-82), Scenery on the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, Victoria (c.1878–82) and Lorne, Louttit Bay and Cape Otway Ranges (1883). Sales of his Black Spur scenery amounted to approximately 25,000 copies printed from the original negatives between 1882 and 1892. John Lindt, in collaboration with Nicholas John Caire, produced a tourist booklet on the area around "The Hermitage" in 1913.7 Collins Str. East/ J.W. Lindt/ Melbournejohn william lindt, conrad wagner, australian aboriginals, batchelder & co, nicholas john caire, anna lindt

A black and white portrait of an unknown man taken by John William Lindt.A black and white portrait of an unknown man taken by John William Lindt. John William Lindt was born in Germany in 1845. At 17 he took a working passage to Australia on a Dutch sailing ship. Taking up work as an itinerant piano-tuner, he traveled amongst towns in Victoria and New South Wales before settling in Grafton in 1863 where he became assistant and apprentice to photographer Conrad Wagner. After a brief return to Germany in 1867 Lindt took over management of Wagner’s studio in 1869. He married Wagner’s daughter, Anna on 13 January 1872. Over 1873-1874, using the slow and laborious wet-plate collodion process, John Lindt produced photographs of the local indigenous people both in their environment conducting actual traditional ceremonies in the Clarence River district, and in his studio. Twelve of this series is included in his 1874 album Australian Aboriginals. John Lindt moved to Melbourne in 1876 where he worked for Batchelder & Co. before opening his own opulent studios at number 7 at the top of Collins Street opposite the Treasury, in 1877. John Lindt's business of this period was wide-ranging, and included portraits, records of Melbourne public buildings and streetscapes, the Botanical Gardens, and Port Melbourne. He was a welcome photographer of members of parliament and other Melbourne personalities, their society and cultural life including the theatre, and was known as a ‘rich man’s photographer’ for those whose families he grouped informally on the lawns in front of their mansions, with servants at the rails of the upstairs balconies. He continued with landscape, producing folios Fernshaw and Watt River Scenery, Victoria ( c.1878-82), Scenery on the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, Victoria (c.1878–82) and Lorne, Louttit Bay and Cape Otway Ranges (1883). Sales of his Black Spur scenery amounted to approximately 25,000 copies printed from the original negatives between 1882 and 1892. John Lindt, in collaboration with Nicholas John Caire, produced a tourist booklet on the area around "The Hermitage" in 1913.7 Collins Str. East/ J.W. Lindt/ Melbournejohn william lindt, conrad wagner, australian aboriginals, batchelder & co, nicholas john caire, anna lindt

A black and white portrait of an unknown woman taken by John William Lindt.A black and white portrait of an unknown woman taken by John William Lindt. John William Lindt was born in Germany in 1845. At 17 he took a working passage to Australia on a Dutch sailing ship. Taking up work as an itinerant piano-tuner, he traveled amongst towns in Victoria and New South Wales before settling in Grafton in 1863 where he became assistant and apprentice to photographer Conrad Wagner. After a brief return to Germany in 1867 Lindt took over management of Wagner’s studio in 1869. He married Wagner’s daughter, Anna on 13 January 1872. Over 1873-1874, using the slow and laborious wet-plate collodion process, John Lindt produced photographs of the local indigenous people both in their environment conducting actual traditional ceremonies in the Clarence River district, and in his studio. Twelve of this series is included in his 1874 album Australian Aboriginals. John Lindt moved to Melbourne in 1876 where he worked for Batchelder & Co. before opening his own opulent studios at number 7 at the top of Collins Street opposite the Treasury, in 1877. John Lindt's business of this period was wide-ranging, and included portraits, records of Melbourne public buildings and streetscapes, the Botanical Gardens, and Port Melbourne. He was a welcome photographer of members of parliament and other Melbourne personalities, their society and cultural life including the theatre, and was known as a ‘rich man’s photographer’ for those whose families he grouped informally on the lawns in front of their mansions, with servants at the rails of the upstairs balconies. He continued with landscape, producing folios Fernshaw and Watt River Scenery, Victoria ( c.1878-82), Scenery on the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, Victoria (c.1878–82) and Lorne, Louttit Bay and Cape Otway Ranges (1883). Sales of his Black Spur scenery amounted to approximately 25,000 copies printed from the original negatives between 1882 and 1892. John Lindt, in collaboration with Nicholas John Caire, produced a tourist booklet on the area around "The Hermitage" in 1913.7 Collins Str. East/ J.W. Lindt/ Melbournejohn william lindt, conrad wagner, australian aboriginals, batchelder & co, nicholas john caire, anna lindt

A black and white portrait of an unknown woman taken by John William Lindt.A black and white portrait of an unknown woman taken by John William Lindt. John William Lindt was born in Germany in 1845. At 17 he took a working passage to Australia on a Dutch sailing ship. Taking up work as an itinerant piano-tuner, he traveled amongst towns in Victoria and New South Wales before settling in Grafton in 1863 where he became assistant and apprentice to photographer Conrad Wagner. After a brief return to Germany in 1867 Lindt took over management of Wagner’s studio in 1869. He married Wagner’s daughter, Anna on 13 January 1872. Over 1873-1874, using the slow and laborious wet-plate collodion process, John Lindt produced photographs of the local indigenous people both in their environment conducting actual traditional ceremonies in the Clarence River district, and in his studio. Twelve of this series is included in his 1874 album Australian Aboriginals. John Lindt moved to Melbourne in 1876 where he worked for Batchelder & Co. before opening his own opulent studios at number 7 at the top of Collins Street opposite the Treasury, in 1877. John Lindt's business of this period was wide-ranging, and included portraits, records of Melbourne public buildings and streetscapes, the Botanical Gardens, and Port Melbourne. He was a welcome photographer of members of parliament and other Melbourne personalities, their society and cultural life including the theatre, and was known as a ‘rich man’s photographer’ for those whose families he grouped informally on the lawns in front of their mansions, with servants at the rails of the upstairs balconies. He continued with landscape, producing folios Fernshaw and Watt River Scenery, Victoria ( c.1878-82), Scenery on the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, Victoria (c.1878–82) and Lorne, Louttit Bay and Cape Otway Ranges (1883). Sales of his Black Spur scenery amounted to approximately 25,000 copies printed from the original negatives between 1882 and 1892. John Lindt, in collaboration with Nicholas John Caire, produced a tourist booklet on the area around "The Hermitage" in 1913.7 Collins Str. East/ J.W. Lindt/ Melbournejohn william lindt, conrad wagner, australian aboriginals, batchelder & co, nicholas john caire, anna lindt

A letter written to Maurice Keppel by John William Lindt in 1903.A letter written to Maurice Keppel by John William Lindt in 1903. John William Lindt was born in Germany in 1845. At 17 he took a working passage to Australia on a Dutch sailing ship. Taking up work as an itinerant piano-tuner, he traveled amongst towns in Victoria and New South Wales before settling in Grafton in 1863 where he became assistant and apprentice to photographer Conrad Wagner. After a brief return to Germany in 1867 Lindt took over management of Wagner’s studio in 1869. He married Wagner’s daughter, Anna on 13 January 1872. Over 1873-1874, using the slow and laborious wet-plate collodion process, John Lindt produced photographs of the local indigenous people both in their environment conducting actual traditional ceremonies in the Clarence River district, and in his studio. Twelve of this series is included in his 1874 album Australian Aboriginals. John Lindt moved to Melbourne in 1876 where he worked for Batchelder & Co. before opening his own opulent studios at number 7 at the top of Collins Street opposite the Treasury, in 1877. John Lindt's business of this period was wide-ranging, and included portraits, records of Melbourne public buildings and streetscapes, the Botanical Gardens, and Port Melbourne. He was a welcome photographer of members of parliament and other Melbourne personalities, their society and cultural life including the theatre, and was known as a ‘rich man’s photographer’ for those whose families he grouped informally on the lawns in front of their mansions, with servants at the rails of the upstairs balconies. He continued with landscape, producing folios Fernshaw and Watt River Scenery, Victoria ( c.1878-82), Scenery on the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, Victoria (c.1878–82) and Lorne, Louttit Bay and Cape Otway Ranges (1883). Sales of his Black Spur scenery amounted to approximately 25,000 copies printed from the original negatives between 1882 and 1892. John Lindt, in collaboration with Nicholas John Caire, produced a tourist booklet on the area around "The Hermitage" in 1913. Maurice Keppel, from Ireland, was one of the first landholders in the newly surveyed town of Marysville in 1864. He and his wife ran the successful Keppel’s Australian Hotel. Two of their sons, John and Jerry, established a farm and opened up the surrounding high country. The Keppel lease was one of the longest held in the high country and the Keppel Family were amongst Marysville's pioneering families.maurice keppel, keppel family, keppel's australian hotel, marysville, victoria, john william lindt, conrad wagner, australian aboriginals, batchelder & co, nicholas john caire, anna lindt

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages.From Victorian Heritage Database citation for Rosemont HO124 - 112 Kooyong Road Caulfield North https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/35588 Rosemont'' is situated at no.112A Kooyong Road, Caulfield North and was built in 1869 for Godfrey Howitt, physician, president and honorary physician of the Melbourne Benevolent Society, Council member of the University of Melbourne and founding vice president of the Royal Society of Victoria. It is historically significant (Criterion A) as an early and substantial villa residence demonstrating Caulfield's early attraction as a residential retreat for Melbourne's elite. This significance is enhanced by the associations of the place with Godfrey Howitt and later James Grice, National Bank chairman and owner of "Stonnington" in Glenferrie Road, Malvern and Thomas King, councillor and successful negotiator for the extension of the electric tramway system to the Municipality.Page 110 of photograph album with 4 photos (portraits) of varying views of Rosemont's exterior and garden.Handwritten: "Rosemont" 112 Kooyong Road [top right] / Neg 97 1972 / [under top right photo] / 110 [bottom right]trevor hart, caulfield, john bakewell, francis mcdonnell, gabled slate roofs, rosemont, caulfield north, kooyong road, 1860's, godfrey howitt, james grice, thomas king, villa residence, decorative brickwork, curved windows, bay window, garden, victorian style, mansions, polychrome bricks, porches, arches, parapets, verandahs, slate roofs

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages. HISTORY:-- From Victorian Heritage Database citation for Labassa https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) Labassa, Caulfield is one of Melbourne's most lavishly decorated nineteenth century mansions. It resulted from the extensive remodelling in 1890, of an earlier house, known as Sylliott Hill, which was begun in 1862-3 for lawyer, Richard A. Billing. The land at the corner of Balaclava and Orrong Roads was first acquired in 1854 by William Lyall, transferred to his partner, John Mickle, in 1859, who also acquired the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road, and the three allotments were conveyed to Billing. His first eight-roomed house was extended significantly in 1873 into a twenty-roomed house by architects Crouch and Wilson, who were possibly also responsible for the first house. This reflected Billing's success as a barrister, and he resided at this property until his death in 1882. In 1883 prominent Melbourne businessman, Alexander William Robertson, leased the Sylliott Hill property from Billing's widow, and in 1885 he purchased the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road. He purchased the Billing's property in 1887 and renamed the 6.31 hectare property, Ontario. In 1889-90, Robertson commissioned the German born architect, John A. B. Koch, to extensively remodel the house into a thirty-five roomed mansion. The existing house was extended and altered, largely resulting in the nineteenth century mansion as it now appears. After Robertson's death in 1896, the house was tenanted until it was eventually sold to the mining millionaire, John Boyd Watson, in 1904. He renamed the property Labassa and carried out repair and re-decoration work to the house. In the early twentieth century, many large estates were subdivided into smaller allotments as the demand for land grew and it became difficult to maintain such large estates. After Watson's death in 1911, portions of the Labassa estate were offered for sale, with Mrs Watson retaining a 1.73 hectare portion containing the house. In 1913 forty-six allotments were auctioned at Labassa Estate, with the formation of Labassa Grove and Ontario Street to the east of the property. Labassa was first recorded as containing flats in 1923 and in the late 1920s, the owner, Robert Hannon, built a red brick block of flats adjacent to the house. Subdivision continued, until the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) purchased the house in 1980 and subsequently purchased adjoining sites, one to the south-east in 1984 (house demolished in 1988) and to the west in 1988. Labassa as it now stands is substantially as it appeared when Koch completed the work in 1890. The original two storey house was transformed into a French Renaissance style mansion, with the addition of a two level L-shaped arcaded verandah and two prominent terminating bays to the south and the east. The building is of unpainted cement render with dressed bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet and steep, slate covered, flat topped mansard roofs behind. A truncated conical roof is a feature of the south bay and a helmeted head is incorporated in the parapet over the east bay. The main south and east facades incorporate many cast cement details, including sculptures, elaborate cornices, swagged Corinthian columns and caryatid consoles flanking the entrance porch, as well as pink marble panels and imitation marble, or scagliola, on curved surfaces. At the rear of the building is a two storey wing and a single storey cottage, the former being connected to the main house by a tower. This section of the house was constructed in 1873. The estate at its peak included stables (1873), conservatory (probably 1890) and a tennis pavilion (probably 1890). All of these outbuildings survive, with the stables and conservatory being converted for residential use after 1922. Internally a range of decorative treatments remain from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, both from the Robertson and Watson periods of occupancy. These include wallpapers, ceiling decoration, chimney pieces, mouldings, joinery and decorative glass. From Victorian Heritage Database citation for H0135 Labassa 2/2A Manor Grove Caulfield North https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) HOW IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural, aesthetic and historical significance to the State of Victoria. WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural significance as the most prominent example of a small number of houses built in Australia in the French Renaissance style. It is of further note due to the German interpretation of the style and the use of Hellenistic sources, via Germany. It is exceptional for its lavish treatment externally, including marble, scagliola, caryatids, swagged columns, mansard roofs and ornamental cresting. Labassa is of architectural significance as the most important surviving example of German architect, John Koch's domestic work. He undertook a large variety of work in Melbourne, including a number of houses, however Labassa is the most lavish example of his work. Labassa is of aesthetic significance for its outstanding assemblage of late nineteenth and early twentieth century European style interior decoration, which remain remarkably intact. These include a trompe l'oeil ceiling, painted ceilings, embossed imitation leather and other papers, chimney pieces, ceramic tilework, oak parquetry and stained glass, including a tripartite window by Ferguson and Urie, probably dating from the 1873 period. Labassa is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the wealth acquired by a number of prominent Victorian families in the second half of the 19th century. The early development of the property, Sylliott Hill, was due to the wealth acquired by Richard Billing, barrister and fifth Victorian to be appointed Queen's Counsel in 1878. The significant development in 1890 of Ontario, is illustrative of the wealth of Alexander Robertson, a partner in Cobb and Co., a director of Goldsborough Mort & Co., and a pastoral speculator. John B. Watson, whose father had acquired great wealth from the goldfields of Bendigo and subsequently invested in city and country properties, was the third resident to impact on the house, particularly the interiors. The Labassa estate is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the development that occurred in such suburbs as Caulfield in the 1880s due to the land boom, its proximity to Melbourne and the establishment of the Melbourne to Gippsland railway in 1879. It is also illustrative of an estate which succumbed to the pressures of subdividing in the early twentieth century, as properties became difficult to maintain and demand for land close to the city grew. It was typically divided into flats in the 1920s and was used as such for about sixty years. It is of historical significance for its associations with the remnants of the earlier estate which remain extant. These include the stables, conservatory (H2005) and tennis pavilion which all remain on separate sites. Also significant are the remains of early electrical wiring and fittings. Labassa was one of the first houses in Caulfield to be electrified and some of the original wires remain. [Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]Page 128 of Photograph Album with four photographs (two portrait and two landscape) of Labassa.Handwritten: "Labassa" 4 Manor Grove [top right] / Neg 232 8 Oct 1966 [under bottom right photo] / 128 [bottom right]trevor hart, bracketed eaves, slate roof, bay windows, decorative brackets, caulfield north, labassa, richard a. billing, balaclava road, orrong road, sylliott hill, william lyall, crouch and wilson, alexander william robertson, ontario, 1880's, john a. b. koch, mansion, john boyd watson, labassa grove, french renaissance style, l-shaped arcaded verandah, bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet, flat topped mansard roofs, conical roof, elaborate cornices, corinthian columns, caryatid consoles, marble panels, imitation marble, scagliola, tower, conservatory, stables, tennis pavilion, mouldings, decorative glass, caryatids, swagged columns, ornamental cresting, trompe l'oeil ceiling, embossed imitation leather, oak parquetry, stained glass, tripartite window, triple window, ferguson and urie, 1870's, flats, 1920's, electric wiring, 1860's, verandahs, curved windows, arched windows, italianate, terraces, gargoyles, ornamentation, ornate entrance, la bassa, manor grove, st kilda east, victorian, cast iron work, john koch, richard billing, architects, electrification, john mickle, land subdivision, mrs watson, labassa estate, robert hannon, national trust of australia (victoria), sculpture

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages. HISTORY:-- From Victorian Heritage Database citation for Labassa https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) Labassa, Caulfield is one of Melbourne's most lavishly decorated nineteenth century mansions. It resulted from the extensive remodelling in 1890, of an earlier house, known as Sylliott Hill, which was begun in 1862-3 for lawyer, Richard A. Billing. The land at the corner of Balaclava and Orrong Roads was first acquired in 1854 by William Lyall, transferred to his partner, John Mickle, in 1859, who also acquired the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road, and the three allotments were conveyed to Billing. His first eight-roomed house was extended significantly in 1873 into a twenty-roomed house by architects Crouch and Wilson, who were possibly also responsible for the first house. This reflected Billing's success as a barrister, and he resided at this property until his death in 1882. In 1883 prominent Melbourne businessman, Alexander William Robertson, leased the Sylliott Hill property from Billing's widow, and in 1885 he purchased the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road. He purchased the Billing's property in 1887 and renamed the 6.31 hectare property, Ontario. In 1889-90, Robertson commissioned the German born architect, John A. B. Koch, to extensively remodel the house into a thirty-five roomed mansion. The existing house was extended and altered, largely resulting in the nineteenth century mansion as it now appears. After Robertson's death in 1896, the house was tenanted until it was eventually sold to the mining millionaire, John Boyd Watson, in 1904. He renamed the property Labassa and carried out repair and re-decoration work to the house. In the early twentieth century, many large estates were subdivided into smaller allotments as the demand for land grew and it became difficult to maintain such large estates. After Watson's death in 1911, portions of the Labassa estate were offered for sale, with Mrs Watson retaining a 1.73 hectare portion containing the house. In 1913 forty-six allotments were auctioned at Labassa Estate, with the formation of Labassa Grove and Ontario Street to the east of the property. Labassa was first recorded as containing flats in 1923 and in the late 1920s, the owner, Robert Hannon, built a red brick block of flats adjacent to the house. Subdivision continued, until the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) purchased the house in 1980 and subsequently purchased adjoining sites, one to the south-east in 1984 (house demolished in 1988) and to the west in 1988. Labassa as it now stands is substantially as it appeared when Koch completed the work in 1890. The original two storey house was transformed into a French Renaissance style mansion, with the addition of a two level L-shaped arcaded verandah and two prominent terminating bays to the south and the east. The building is of unpainted cement render with dressed bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet and steep, slate covered, flat topped mansard roofs behind. A truncated conical roof is a feature of the south bay and a helmeted head is incorporated in the parapet over the east bay. The main south and east facades incorporate many cast cement details, including sculptures, elaborate cornices, swagged Corinthian columns and caryatid consoles flanking the entrance porch, as well as pink marble panels and imitation marble, or scagliola, on curved surfaces. At the rear of the building is a two storey wing and a single storey cottage, the former being connected to the main house by a tower. This section of the house was constructed in 1873. The estate at its peak included stables (1873), conservatory (probably 1890) and a tennis pavilion (probably 1890). All of these outbuildings survive, with the stables and conservatory being converted for residential use after 1922. Internally a range of decorative treatments remain from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, both from the Robertson and Watson periods of occupancy. These include wallpapers, ceiling decoration, chimney pieces, mouldings, joinery and decorative glass.From Victorian Heritage Database citation for H0135 Labassa 2/2A Manor Grove Caulfield North https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) HOW IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural, aesthetic and historical significance to the State of Victoria. WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural significance as the most prominent example of a small number of houses built in Australia in the French Renaissance style. It is of further note due to the German interpretation of the style and the use of Hellenistic sources, via Germany. It is exceptional for its lavish treatment externally, including marble, scagliola, caryatids, swagged columns, mansard roofs and ornamental cresting. Labassa is of architectural significance as the most important surviving example of German architect, John Koch's domestic work. He undertook a large variety of work in Melbourne, including a number of houses, however Labassa is the most lavish example of his work. Labassa is of aesthetic significance for its outstanding assemblage of late nineteenth and early twentieth century European style interior decoration, which remain remarkably intact. These include a trompe l'oeil ceiling, painted ceilings, embossed imitation leather and other papers, chimney pieces, ceramic tilework, oak parquetry and stained glass, including a tripartite window by Ferguson and Urie, probably dating from the 1873 period. Labassa is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the wealth acquired by a number of prominent Victorian families in the second half of the 19th century. The early development of the property, Sylliott Hill, was due to the wealth acquired by Richard Billing, barrister and fifth Victorian to be appointed Queen's Counsel in 1878. The significant development in 1890 of Ontario, is illustrative of the wealth of Alexander Robertson, a partner in Cobb and Co., a director of Goldsborough Mort & Co., and a pastoral speculator. John B. Watson, whose father had acquired great wealth from the goldfields of Bendigo and subsequently invested in city and country properties, was the third resident to impact on the house, particularly the interiors. The Labassa estate is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the development that occurred in such suburbs as Caulfield in the 1880s due to the land boom, its proximity to Melbourne and the establishment of the Melbourne to Gippsland railway in 1879. It is also illustrative of an estate which succumbed to the pressures of subdividing in the early twentieth century, as properties became difficult to maintain and demand for land close to the city grew. It was typically divided into flats in the 1920s and was used as such for about sixty years. It is of historical significance for its associations with the remnants of the earlier estate which remain extant. These include the stables, conservatory (H2005) and tennis pavilion which all remain on separate sites. Also significant are the remains of early electrical wiring and fittings. Labassa was one of the first houses in Caulfield to be electrified and some of the original wires remain. [Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]Page 129 of Photograph Album with three landscape photographs of Labassa. One of the photographs is of Labassa's drive and gates.Handwritten: 4 JUNE 1910 / SALE JUNE 28 1910 "LA BASSA' / "AUSTRALASIAN" FORMERLY "ONTARIO"/ RES OF JOHN B WATSON / 15 ACRES 3 ROADS [under bottom left photo] / 4 JUNE 1910 [under bottom right photo] / 129 [bottom left]trevor hart, bracketed eaves, intricate lacework, slate roof, bay windows, decorative brackets, caulfield north, labassa, richard a. billing, balaclava road, orrong road, sylliott hill, william lyall, crouch and wilson, alexander william robertson, ontario, 1880's, john a. b. koch, mansion, john boyd watson, labassa grove, french renaissance style, l-shaped arcaded verandah, bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet, flat topped mansard roofs, conical roof, elaborate cornices, corinthian columns, caryatid consoles, marble panels, imitation marble, scagliola, tower, conservatory, stables, tennis pavilion, mouldings, decorative glass, caryatids, swagged columns, ornamental cresting, trompe l'oeil ceiling, embossed imitation leather, oak parquetry, stained glass, tripartite window, triple window, ferguson and urie, 1870's, flats, 1920's, electric wiring, 1860's, verandahs, curved windows, arched windows, italianate, terraces, gargoyles, ornamentation, ornate entrance, la bassa, manor grove, st kilda east, gates, cast iron work, richard billing, architects, john koch, electrification, victorian style, drives, john mickle, land subdivision, mrs watson, labassa estate, robert hannon, national trust of australia (victoria), sculpture