Historical Records
In 1837, two of the four Scottish-born Learmonth brothers, Somerville and Thomas Junior, remarkably still teenagers, aged only 18 and 19, were sent by their father, Thomas Learmonth Senior, from Tasmania to find suitable farmland in ‘Port Phillip’ (Victoria).
They first settled on the Barwon River near Geelong and then joined the first party of settlers to push inland towards the Ballarat area. They selected Runs at Buninyong and Burrumbeet.
‘Ercildoun’ at Burrumbeet was so named after their connection to the Scottish town called Earlston. (Sir Samuel Wilson added the ‘e’ as he wanted an even number of letters on the gates!)
Heritage listing
Ercildoune is registered with Heritage Victoria, the National Trust and is on the Register of the National Estate. It appears on the Victorian Heritage Register as Ercildoun, registration number H0313, at 973 Ercildoun Road, Ercildoune, in the Pyrenees Shire.
It is of historical, architectural, aesthetic, archaeological and scientific significance to Victoria.
“The garden is an outstanding example of the Picturesque Landscape Style and is one of the State’s most important properties. The property contains a significant collection of buildings, garden structures, landscape features, and trees. The position at the base of Mt. Ercildoune, with its rugged, exposed boulders and its narrow valley designed to incorporate a series of dams and ponds, conifer and deciduous planting, provides a dramatic landscape. The walled garden, modelled on similar gardens in England for the cultivation of tender plants and vegetables, is the only example in Victoria and is probably unique in Australia.”
The homestead
The Run once covered 73,000 acres (100 square miles) of freehold and leasehold. The brothers, including Andrew, began building their Homestead and a copy of their 13th-century Scottish Keep (tower) from local granite in the Scottish Baronial Style of architecture, and ‘Ercildoun’ went on to become one of the most famous merino sheep studs in Australia.
The year 1838 was chiselled over the front porch. Originally a single-storey house with a verandah, it has evolved over the years to become 100 squares in size with gabled wings and crow-stepped and castellated parapets!
The design includes the mandatory Drawing Room, Writing, Smoking and Hunting Rooms, Butler’s Area, Bakery, Meat Rooms, nine bedrooms and sixteen fireplaces.
Outbuildings and the Learmonth years
The outbuildings on the property include the Learmonth’s original two-storey shelter built in 1837. Apart from their unsurpassed reputation in sheep breeding and in having a hand in shaping the Australian merino as it is today, the Learmonth Brothers also bred high-quality draught horses.
The original Stables and Loft, built in 1850, are situated at the rear of the Homestead. These have been restored and re-pointed. To the west of the stables is the original Brass Bell, rung at 6.45 a.m. each morning to gather all the workers for their instructions for the day.
The property became like a small rural village with its own School and apparently even a Jail (not sure where this was though).
The Learmonths went through many hardships, including the tragic death of Thomas Learmonth’s infant daughter in 1858. They also suffered through drought and were held up by a Bushranger called Gowrie, and some say that the discovery of gold not long after the sale of their Gold Mine at Mount Egerton and consequent court cases probably caused them to return to the Home Country.
Sir Samuel Wilson buys Ercildoune
Ercildoune was thereby sold in 1873 to Sir Samuel Wilson, now 26,823 freehold acres in size and carrying 26,000 sheep, for the record price of £236,000. He employed 125 workers, as well as seven gardeners and ten indoor staff.
At one stage he owned 600,000 sheep ‘possibly more than anyone else in the world’ spread throughout his many substantial land holdings in Australia.
He built the brick 2-storey addition of the Homestead to house his staff, and a dumb waiter was even installed to haul up the wood, etc. Judging by the steepness of the ‘Servants Stairs’ I’d say this was gratefully received.
He also built Ercildoune’s 1-acre granite Walled Garden (1870s). This area has been extensively re-planted, and the impressive Arbour was designed by John Dever and built by a local Blacksmith, Jamie Armstrong.
South-west of the walled garden is the ancient pinkish marble Wellhead shipped out from Palestine by the Wilson sons as a gift for their father. This was also the subject of a Court Case that resulted in Sir Samuel Wilson paying a hefty fine (unsubstantiated) to keep the ancient artefact that some say is 2000 years old! In 2001, John Dever also had to negotiate a deal to have it brought back to the property where it is to permanently remain under Heritage Listing.
Granite and handmade brick
Most of the buildings are constructed from Ercildoune granite or from handmade bricks that were produced in a kiln on the property and include the Italian Gothic Revival Style Manager’s House and timber shingled Outhouse (1850s), and the ‘crow-stepped parapeted and gable-ended’ Old Man’s Quarters (1870s), situated above the lake at the rear of the homestead.
The commodious 8-stand Shearing Shed (1850s), originally re-numbered and transported from Learmonth’s Buninyong property, has been mostly restored/re-stumped, etc., except for the large rear area of the battened floor where the sheep pens are situated, which is still on the ‘to do’ list.
The granite Gatehouse (1850s and 1870s) has now been restored but minus the lean-to kitchen/laundry area.
The latest project is the sheep wash area, and although we have a hand-drawn plan by Thomas Learmonth, who designed it, it is still a bit like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, and there is not much old photographic evidence available for the property or the Homestead.
The Currie years and the hydro scheme
East of the lake at the rear of the Homestead is Ercildoune Cottage (1860s), once lived in by Lady Currie’s Chauffeur. Opposite this is the mud-rendered Barn/Loft that includes the Generator, Tack and Blacksmith’s rooms, etc.
Ercildoune was apparently one of the first properties outside Melbourne to have electricity. Sir Alan Currie purchased Ercildoune in 1920 and installed one of the State’s first of only three privately owned hydroelectricity schemes in 1925.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though, and occasionally, some poor member of staff was sent off into the darkness to drag a hapless sheep out of the channel that was blocking the water flow when the odd homestead dinner party was plunged into darkness!!!
Further north is a complex of buildings (built mid-late 1800s), including the Shearer’s Quarters that slept 15, Meat Room, another Cottage and the Rabbiter’s Hut. The road beside these buildings leads to the Ercildoune Cemetery and Valley Walk, where the remains of the old fish-breeding ponds and some interesting rock formations along the creek bed are festooned with vegetation.
Famous visitors
East of the front lake is the Tennis Court, where Dame Nellie Melba probably played a few sets when she leased the property in 1907. It was originally a green cement court that was beyond repair, and some of it has been used in the nearby crazy-paving seating area.
The Duke of Windsor visited, and the Duke of Gloucester stayed here in 1934.
The Visitors Book, now housed at the Ballarat Art Gallery along with many other wonderful pieces of original Ercildoune Furniture and Art donated by Lady Muriel Currie, contains signatures of other famous visitors, including former Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
Caretakers of history
Since that fateful day in June 1999 when we became ‘caretakers of history,’ it has been a constant challenge, and one that would never have been possible without John’s incredible energy, determination and eye for detail.
Apart from the extensive restoration of the Homestead (with special thanks to Dianne Gow at Harlequin Designs, Ballarat, and Kelvin Reid, Builder), there is the continual challenge of preserving the many outbuildings and grounds, as they would soon revert to a weed-infested jungle if not constantly maintained.
We never expected to suffer through ‘the worst drought on record’, and it is often difficult to maintain all of the new plantings, including the small vineyard and two orchards with over 100 fruit trees, plus the hundreds of other shrubs, bulbs and Roses.
Special thanks to Robin Hill, who has just reached ten years of hard work (labour) here (with barely a day’s absence), & also to Horticulturist Neil Paterson, Peter Taylor & Steve Briody, and the many others too numerous to mention!
Christine (the almost full-time weeder) and John Dever – 2010.
