Historical information

Built in 1889. Was known as 'Willcyrus' during the occupancy of Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) William McGregor Cairncross and family. It was named after two of his sons - Sergeant William McGregor Cairncross and Trooper Cyrus Hay Cairncross, who served with the 2nd Scottish Horse during the Boer War and in British units in the First World War. Lt Col Cairncross served at the Victoria Barracks in Melbourne for 25 years. During the Boer War he was controller of stores at Victoria Barracks.
It was renamed 'Medlow' when it became the home of Dr Richard Joseph Bull (1874-1927) and his wife Catherine Grace, nee Perrier (1884-1972) in 1911. Richard Joseph Bull was the Director of Bacteriology at Melbourne University. Norma was a noted artist and was born in Hawthorn in 1906; her brother Ronald Richard was born in Surrey Hills in 1912. Fundraising events were held there during the First World War.
The property was left to the National Trust of Victoria but the costs of maintenance forced the Trust to sell it and it has returned to private ownership.

Physical description

A coloured photograph of the south side of a rendered two-storey Victorian-style building. There are well established trees in the garden.