Werribee Park

What is significant?
The large property Werribee Park, Werribee was developed by the leading Victorian pastoralist, Thomas Chirnside, who arrived in Australia from Scotland in 1839. Together with his brother Andrew, Thomas had acquired 250,000 acres of freehold land in Victoria by 1870, including the property at Werribee. The Werribee Park estate remained in the ownership of the Chirnside family until it was purchased by the Catholic Church in 1922. It remained in their ownership for fifty years until it was acquired by the Victorian government in 1973.

The family of Edward Wedge, brother of John Batman's surveyor, was the first to establish settlement on this land on the flats of the Werribee River at least as early as 1836. After devastating floods in 1852, which claimed the life of Edward, his wife and daughter, the Wedge family severed their connection with the district, and the homestead block was transferred to Thomas Chirnside in 1853.

Thomas Chirnside appears to have had land on the Werribee River, near the Wedges, by the mid to late 1840s. He bought his first land in the Werribee parish in 1851 and by the end of the 1850s had substantial freehold in the area. By 1863 Thomas Chirnside had acquired more than 90,000 acres in Werribee, including most of the river frontage either side of the Werribee River.

Chirnside developed a complex of outbuildings on the property through the 1850s and 1860s, including a bluestone woolshed (1861-2) and bluestone stables (by 1868). The first substantial dwelling on the site was a bluestone homestead, with associated sunken ha-ha wall, built in 1865 for his own occasional use and as a permanent base for his nephew, Robert, who managed the property from 1859 to 1866, and tenanted it until 1873.

Thomas and his brother Andrew went into partnership at Werribee in the early 1870s and constructed a mansion at Werribee Park from 1873, largely for the use of Andrew, his wife, Mary and children. From 1877 this grand, landscaped estate was the centre of social life for the brothers and they hosted sporting events, hunts, balls, vice-regal visits and military displays.

The commanding bluestone mansion, faced on three sides with sandstone, was designed in the Renaissance Revival style. A number of architects have been associated with the design, including James Henry Fox, who claimed he built the mansion, however this has not been substantiated. The building comprises a two storey central block with symmetrically conceived east facade and dominant central tower. An arcade surrounds three sides of this block and provides an open balcony to the upper storey. Adjoining the block at the rear are two unfaced bluestone wings, which enclose a large service courtyard.

The exterior detailing of the mansion is generally restrained, ascending from the ground floor Doric, to the Ionic of the first floor and the Corinthian of the tower above. Interior decoration is opulent with the richly decorated entry hall, containing an encaustic tiled floor, niches, Corinthian pilasters and free standing columns, leading to a grand staircase and providing access to the main reception rooms.

The mansion is set in a landscape which Thomas Chirnside developed from the 1860s. Begun in 1877, the formal garden was conceived to complement the building, possibly with input by William Guilfoyle, although this has not been substantiated. The original inclusion of a lake and grotto, parterre and fountain, meandering paths and trees to frame views showed the influence of the 18th century English landscape movement.

Many surviving buildings were constructed between 1870 and 1890, including the gate lodge (1877) and gates (presumably of similar date), laundry (by 1875), men's hut (1880s) and blacksmith's shop (post 1880).

In 1887 Thomas took his own life and three years later Andrew died. The majority of the land at Werribee Park was divided between Andrew's two youngest sons, with George acquiring about 34,000 acres including the mansion and grounds. Mary Chirnside resided at the mansion until her death in 1908, followed by George's family from about 1911 until 1921.

The dissolution of the Chirnside estate began in 1893 when 8,847 acres were sold to the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works and this was perpetuated in 1906 when the government acquired 23,485 acres for closer settlement. At this time, Werribee Park was reduced to 2270 acres.

In 1921 George Chirnside sold the remains of the estate to grazier, Philip Lock, and the following year it was sold again to the Catholic Bishops of Victoria. The mansion, and 998 acres of land, was purchased and a Jesuit seminary, known as Corpus Christi College, was established for the training of priests.

The development of the seminary involved the construction of a series of major additions to the mansion, part of a larger scheme, which altered its character from domestic to institutional. Designed by William P. Connolly, St Joseph's wing and library (1925-28) was constructed to the north west of the mansion, and the refectory (1925-28) and the theatre wing (1936-7) to the south. Imitative detail was used externally to unite the early and modern work.

Werribee Park was used for this purpose until the college was relocated in 1972. In 1973 the estate was acquired by the government of Victoria and the property opened for public viewing in 1977. The Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works assumed management responsibility in 1985.

How is it significant?
Werribee Park, Werribee is of historical, architectural and aesthetic significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
Werribee Park is of historical significance for its close association with the very early establishment of permanent European settlement of the Port Phillip District. Werribee Park is of historical significance as an illustration of the culmination of the social and material aspirations of prominent Victorian pastoralist Thomas, and to a lesser extent Andrew, Chirnside.

Werribee Park is of historical significance as the first Roman Catholic seminary to be established in Victoria and as a major step in the establishment of an Australian priesthood. It was an important achievement of Daniel Mannix, archbishop of the Catholic Church in Australia.

Werribee Park is of architectural significance for the retention of a range of structures from the Chirnside period of ownership which clearly illustrate the evolution of the property from a very early date, through the consolidation period of the 1850s, to the culmination of achievement of the 1870s and 1880s. Of particular note is the 1865 homestead, which is the most intact of a number of similar homesteads built by the Chirnsides on their many properties, and the associated protective ha-ha wall which has been retained as a rare, early feature.

The 1873 mansion at Werribee Park is of architectural significance as one of the most finely designed and largest country houses built in Victoria. It is of significance for its design, detailing and craftsmanship and its originality and intactness internally and externally, despite later additions.

Werribee Park is of aesthetic significance as one of the few properties in the State to achieve the ideal of an English country house. The retention, in general, of the original layout, boundaries, early planting and many garden features are fundamental to the significance of the mansion. The grotto is of individual significance as a rare surviving example, typical of 18th century garden design.

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