Former Springbank
5-6a Robb Close BULLEEN, MANNINGHAM CITYThe site of Springbank (Clarendon Eyre) is notable historically for its association with early pastoral settlement in Victoria. J& H. Wood had a pastoral run on the site which was later purchased by John Hunter Kerr & Robert Laidlaw. Robert Laidlaw was president of the Shire of Bulleen for many years.
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| Former Springbank VHD-66020 |
Springbank was built by David Mitchell (father of Dame Nellie Melba)for Robert Laidlaw in 1879. Springbank has significance as part of the lanscape immortalised in the works of the Heidelberg School of painters.
Classified: Local23/06/1960
http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/66020
Springbank stables, now "Clarendon Eyre"
Author / Creator: Charles Bush 1919-1989, artist. Undated but circa 1950s
Description: 1 painting : watercolour on paper ; 37.6 x 50.5 cm. Paper tabs at edges where image was originally mounted. Notes: Artist's name inscribed on image l.r.: Bush.
Copyright status: Use of this work allowed provided the creator and SLV acknowledged. Source / Donor: Gift; Mr. Jock Palmer; 2011.
Subjects: Springbank (Bulleen, Vic.); Historic buildings -- Victoria -- Bulleen; Victoria -- Buildings, structures, etc; Watercolors
Index terms: Bulleen; Victoria; dwellings; Clarendon Eyre
Contents / Summary: Looking across grass towards single storey bluestone building, with other part of building rising behind it.
Biographical / Historical note: Charles William Bush was born in Brunswick East, Melbourne. At the age of 14 he won a place at the National Gallery schools and won several prizes; holding his first exhibition in 1939. Charles Bush was employed as a war artist during World War II. His work won multiple awards and is exhibited at the National Gallery of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, State and regional galleries and private collections worldwide. Charles Bush was married to artist Phyllis Paulina Waterhouse.
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/204370
Postcards: Clarendon Eyre with Dee Dee Dunleavy
https://www.9now.com.au/postcards/2016/clip-ciqw3ippy00050hnxzu2flulsBrodie catches up with radio royalty Diane 'Dee Dee' Dunleavy and gets a tour of her spectacular home Clarendon Eyre. Channel 9Now TV 2016
CLARENDON EYRE - Springbank
ADDRESS 6 Robb Close, BulleenHISTORY
Clarendon Eyre (formerly Springbank) was built for Robert Laidlaw in 1879, within extensive gardens (now reduced by subdivision) and sited on a terrace above the Yarra River overlooking Bolin Swamp.
It is a large double-storey, slate, hip-roofed, triple-fronted, Italianate house. The frieze has many
bracket pairs, with panels between and a cornice mould. There are quoins and string course at
first floor level. The windows have architrave moulds with pendants, segmental heads and castiron
balconettes, and the sills are supported by brackets. There is a hip-roofed verandah in the
angle and another double-storey verandah on the south front. The verandahs have a dentillated
cornice, cast-iron frieze over a timber transom, a cast-iron lace balustrade and cast-iron barley
sugar columns. The first floor frieze has a scroll pattern.
The south front appears to be the main front, although curiously, the house seems neither to face
Bulleen Road nor the river valley view. The single-storey T-shaped wing to the north has a
massive external 'breadoven' and finely moulded dentilated cornice. The chimneys have deep
classical moulds, brackets and recessed panels, and the chimney breast steps with a Viollet Le Duc
Gothic gable. There is also a round-headed leadlight stair window, facing east.
Robert Laidlaw was a successful local farmer (winning various prizes for his potatoes and wheat
in the 1850s). He started as a squatter in the area in conjunction with John Kerr in the early
1840s. In 1853 he bought 90 acres from the Carlton Estate and named his new farm 'Springbank',
from which the house still takes its name.
Surviving garden elements include elms and a date palm on Bulleen Road, and a Red Gum and
Moreton Bay Fig at 1 Robb Close (refer to separate citation in this Study).
The house needs repair, particularly the verandah and roof.
Comparable to "Tullamore".
DESCRIPTION - Condition Fair Integrity Minor modifications
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A large late Italianate house architecturally of State significance with unusual massing and
interesting details. Adjoining is a single-storey section which could be an earlier cottage.
Heritage Register Listings Place No. 147
Creation Date 1879
RECOMMENDATIONS: Register Reference Zoning Status
Planning Scheme Listed HO147
Associations: Robert Laidlaw
Local Themes: 5.01 - Squatters, selectors & small farmer
Manningham Heritage Study Context Pty. Ltd. page 19
Extra Research
Conservation Management
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Context Pty Ltd, (1991), City of Doncaster & Templestowe Heritage Study, Manningham Heritage Study Context Pty. Ltd. page 20
http://images.heritage.vic.gov.au/attachment/3311
Clarendon Eyre (Originally Spring Bank) 6 Robb Close, Bulleen.
Robert Laidlaw, a successful early district farmer, was associated with this property from 1853 when he leased the site, Farm 28, 90 acres in Campbell's Carlton Estate subdivision of the Unwin Special Survey at Bulleen. The rent was 50 pounds per year.332 Although these farm allotments were leased at relatively low rents, they were sold at much higher rates later that decade. Property values rose steeply as produce prices improved as a result of increasing demand during the goldrush era.333In 1857, Laidlaw purchased the 90 acre Bulleen farm from Campbell for 2400 pounds.334 It became known as Springbank and was rated as such in early Templestowe Road District records(335) It is not known whether there was a house on the property at this time.
An examination of Templestowe Riding records confirmed that the present Italianate residence was constructed during the 1870s, perhaps as early as 1875. In that year, a house with a substantial valuation, owned and occupied by Laidlaw, was listed in Teniplestowe Riding rate records.336 No evidence has been found, however, to confirm that the designer was David Mitchell, Melba's father,337 as has been claimed.
During the 1870s, Laidlaw owned other farming land in the vicinity and also rented a couple of farm allotments.By 1879,he owned the former Sandilands Farm in the Carlton Estate on Koonung Creek and rented the "late Foy's" and "late Greenaways" farms from Campbell.338 By the 1880s, Laidlaw owned or rented about 300 acres of Bulleen farm land..3"
The Spring Bank property on its 90 acres increased in valuation during the 1880s, particularly between 1885 and 1888.34° This suggests either improvements made to the house, or increased property values during the 1880s boom era.
Robert Laidlaw, who was from Scotland, came to Melbourne in 1839. In the early 1840s, with John Kerr, he selected land on the Kooyong Creek. He then went into partnership with Alexander Duncan. The pair selected land along Bulleen Road in the Carlton Estate area. Laidlaw became a most successful Bulleen farmer. In 1855 (after his purchase of Spring Bank) Laidlaw took first prize at Geelong for both wheat and potatoes. According to an 1888 report, he also "from time to time obtained a number of medals for farm produce, and the second prize for the best managed farrn"341 . In 1856, he was elected member of the Templestowe Road District Board and was one of the first six councillors elected in 1875 to the Shire of Templestowe. He was active in the Victorian Agricultural Society and was a district JP.342
An 1890 article contained a sketch showing Spring Bank as a local landmark on its elevated site above Bulleen Road. By this time, Laidlaw's house stood within a garden setting with some well-established trees. Cattle were grazing in the surrounding paddocks. Passing the gates of Laidlaw's home, the writer commented on "the highly favoured Spring Bank whose site is a matter of envy." Standing on the summit of the hill, its "grounds slope down to the river on the one side, and stretched along in luxuriant wealth on the other. "343
Laidlaw died in 1907 but other members of the family lived on at Spring Bank until 1915. It was sold in 1925 to JBM Wood, former Mayor of Hawthorn. He renamedthe property Clarendon Eyre after the jersey stud which he purchased for it.3" A 1920s auction plan of the area between Rosanna and Bulleen showed the two great district residences, Banyule in Heidelberg and Clarendon Eyre in Bulleen as important landmarks.345
The former Spring Bank was sold in 1940 to the White family who ran it as a dairy farm until the WIMBW (now Melbourne Water) acquired most of the land.346 The old property (still a local landmark) stands today on a much reduced allotment, although some garden elements remain. It now forms part of a housing estate constructed around Robb Close and Jima Court, two new streets created off Bulleen Road lb a recent subdivision.
Of regional historical significance as the 1870s residence of Robert Laidlaw, a successful district farmer and early settler.
332 RGO Search 485 (Caldicott).
333 James Bonwick,"A Sketch of Boroondara Thirty Years Ago", in Kew Alercury,23 March 1888.
334 RGO Search 13028 (Laidlaw).
335 Templestowe District Board RB 1864 No. 139.
336 Shire of Bulleen RB 1875 Templestowe Riding No.72NAV 165 pounds).
337 Irvine Green, "Springbank, now called Clarendon Eyre," 1982,p3.
338 Shire of Bulleen RB Templestowe Riding Nos.61-63.
339 Shire of Bulleen RB 1881 Templestowe Riding Nos.64-68.
340 Shire of Bulleen RB 1885 Templestowe Riding No.66 (NAV 230 pounds); 1888 No.80 (NAV 425 pounds).
341 Victoria and its Metropolis,1 888, vol.2,p.523.
342 Marilyn McBriar,"Springbank-Clarendon Eyre,"Oct.1984,pp.1-4; Victoria and its Metropolis
343 Illustrated Australian News, .1 Feb .1890.
344 McBriar,p.4.
345 E.Haughton Collection,SLV.
346 McBriar,p.4.
Doncaster & Templestowe Heritage Study Additional Historical Research . Page 53
Clarendon Eyre (1874) - Google Maps 2017
Clarendon Eyre pictured behind 7 Rob Close - TJ Edgar Sales Photo 2017
Spring Bank
Now called Clarendon EyreSpringbank is a two-storey mansion set on a rise of the river flats at Bulleen. Its origins go back to 1839 when the ship "Midlothian" arrived in Port Phillip bringing the first migrants from Scotland. On board were twenty-three years old Robert Laidlaw and his friend John Kerr.
Laidlaw had come from Aramullock, near Abbotsford, in Scotland and had worked on the estate of Sir Walter Scott. At Bulleen, he found a pastoral run for sale. With John Kerr as a partner, he purchased Woods sheep station. They lived in a slab hut with a stockman and two shepherds they had hired.
At first the partnership flourished, but eighteen months later there was a severe depression. The sheep, that they paid 36/-d each for, were now only worth 4/6d. They broke up with Kerr moving to Balwyn.
Laidlaw formed a new partnership with Alexander Duncan, a dairy farmer on the river flats at Koonung Creek. The swamps were cleared and crops planted.
The fertile ground was soon covered with fields of wheat and barley. At harvest time it was a picturesque sight with rows of men swinging scythes as they moved across the golden fields, leaving stacks of sheaths in neat rows behind them. A shipment sent to Edinburgh in 1847 brought back a letter of congratulations for the quality of the grain.
Three cousins of Laidlaw were pastoralists in the Western District. Through them he met Annie the sister of James Gordon who had the famous Newlands grazing run. Robert and Annie were married in 1843. Annie's younger sister also became Mrs Laidlaw when she married Robert's cousin Walter.
In 1853, he bought ninety acres, with a river frontage, from the Carlton Estate. The land cost two thousand four hundred pounds, which he paid off over five years. He called his farm Springbank. The farm thrived. A parcel of wheat won a medal at the London Exhibition in 1857 and the agriculture department inspector reported that Laidlaw was the most successful farmer in the Melbourne area.
In 1868, Laidlaw purchased the 22,000 acre Longlands Station. Springbank was leased while he went to the Western District to run his new holding. A few years later, he returned in time to be elected a foundation member of the new Shire of Bulleen. Laidlaw had previously been a member and Chairman of the Templestowe Roads Board. He remained a councillor for nine years being elected President on three occasions and he was a Justice of the Peace and Magistrate of the Heidelberg Court.
After selling Longlands, plans were made to build the most magnificent home in the district. Laidlaw commissioned David Mitchell to construct a two-storey mansion and in 1879 the family moved into the house which they called "Springhank".
An unusual feature of the house is the verandah and balcony with their cast iron built, not at the front, but on the side to gain a superb view over the river flats. The first impression of the front is the chimney wall, without windows, but beautifully proportioned and rich in decoration. The front door is on the right in a single-storey verandah with black and white paving tiles. Over the front door is a beautiful window with a cast iron window box and to the north with interesting roof levels are the servants' quarters.
There are fourteen rooms in the house. In the hall the panelled doors and elaborately moulded architraves are a rich clear Queensland maple. The plaster arch that divides the hall is expertly wood-grained. The graining perfectly matches the woodwork. Over the landing of the staircase is a high stained glass window with rural scenes of cattle grazing.
Robert and Annie Laidlaw had eight children. Two boys and six girls. The eldest girl, Mary- Anne, married John Todd, a councillor of the Old Colonists' Association. Laidlaw donated a brick house known as "The Laidlaw Cottage" to the Association's colony in North Fitzroy.
In 1907 Robert Laidlaw died at the age of 91. His wife Annie had died two years before. He had been the first permanent settler in Bulleen and became an important figure in the district.
Only four girls survived their father. Mary-Anne and Margaret married; Christine and Isabella lived on their own at Springbank looked after by Mary's daughter Annie. In 1915, Christine, then 65, died and four months later Isabella followed her.
For the next ten years the land was leased. Grant Hay used part of the land for his race-horses. During this time, the Findon Hunt sometimes met there and often parties were held at Springbank.
In 1925, Springbank was sold. The new owner was J.V.M. Wood - an accountant and former Mayor of Hawthorn. Wood purchased a Jersey stud including the best bull in Victoria. The stud was called "Clarendon Eyreî. The name was kept and Springbank became known as Clarendon Eyre. The 45 cattle were treated with the greatest care. The cows were hand-milked and accurate records were kept of milking times and weight. Herd testing was carried out by the Department of Agriculture. At the Centenary Royal Show in 1934, the Clarendon Eyre stud was the most successful dairy exhibitor.
Since 1946, Clarendon Eyre has belonged to the White family. The river flats provided grazing land for their dairy farm that operated until a few years ago.
Clarendon Eyre is on the register of the National Trust. A fine cluster of trees surround the building giving it the privacy desirable in a private home.
Irvine Green writing in 1982 02 DTHS Newsletter
CLARENDON EYRE 6 Robb Close BULLEEN
A large late Italianate house architecturally of State significance with unusual massing and interesting details. Adjoining is a single-storey section which could be an earlier cottage
http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/22364
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| Part of the front of Clarendon Eyre (formerly known as Spring Bank), Bulleen Road, Bulleen. This mansion was built in about 1865 by David Mitchell (the father of Dame Nellie Melba) for Robert Laidlaw. The house still stands, although most of the front garden has now been built on. Photo 1991 by Irvine Green. |
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| Photograph of an early motor car at the Laidlaw mansion 'Springbank', now called 'Clarendon Eyre', Bulleen Road, Bulleen. Early 1900. DTHS Archive do0275 |
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| Robert Laidlaw horseback behind stables Springbank Clarendon Eyre DTHS-dp0285 |
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| View of the north-east corner of 'Clarendon Eyre', Bulleen Road, Bulleen. The house, originally known as 'Springbank', was built for Robert Laidlaw by David Mitchell about 1865. Photograph c1982 by Irvine Green. DTHS Archive dp0391 |
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| The Yarra River in flood at Bulleen. In the foreground is a training track, possibly for trotters. The caption states that Clarendon Eyre (formerly 'Springbank') is in the centre of the photograph. DTHS Arhive do0401 |
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| Springbank from across the billabong. 1920s. DTHS Archive dp0402 |
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| Aerial photograph of Bulleen 1922 , taken to showing Springbank subdivision into 3 lots following death of owner Robert Laidlaw. Foreground - intersection of Banksia Street and Bulleen Road. short distance along Bulleen Road its junction with Manningham Road. At the north-west corner of Banksia Street and Bulleen Road is the dairy farm and house that was bought in the 1930s by John and Sunday Reed. The house became known as 'Heide 1' and is still standing. Photo . DTHS-dp0392 |
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| Robert Laidlaw dressed in formal attire. DTHS-dp0286 |
"Springbank" Now "Clarendon Eyre"
On the river flats in Bulleen, was built a lovely two storey mansion. Commissioned by the owner Robert Laidlaw, David Mitchell father of Dame Nellie Melba, erected a gracious home worthy of a prominent farmer, J.P and Magistrate of the Heidelberg Court.’Springbank" named from the surrounding farm, was occupied in 1865 by the Laidlaw family .The house had the most attractive view facing the river, so the veranda and the balcony, complete with graceful cast iron decorations, was built on the side. The front facade, is dominated by an imposing chimney wall, without windows, but in beautiful proportions and richly decorated.
The front door, reached by a verandah paved in white tiles is on the right. Above the single storey verandah and over the front door is an unusual window with a pretty cast iron window box. The rest of the house, with varied roof levels, contains the original servants quarters. "Springbank" contains 14 rooms. The hall features panelled doors and beautifully moulded architraves in Queensland maple. The plaster arch, dividing the hall, is wood-grained, by an expert who has perfectly matched the grain in the surrounding woodwork.
A tall stained glass window, depicting a peaceful scene of cattle grazing, is the outstanding feature of the landing on the staircase.
This splendid old home still stands in its own grounds, gracefully framed by lovely old trees protecting it from the passing traffic of a modem suburb.
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