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Farmhouse "Morven" including garden and driveway avenue of trees
325 Lerderderg Gorge Road DARLEY, MOORABOOL SHIRE

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Moorabool Shire
Morven
Morven
Morven
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?

The Farmhouse and its garden setting at 325 Lerderderg Gorge Road, Darley.

How is it significant?

The Farmhouse and its garden setting at 325 Lerderderg Gorge Road, Darley is of local historical and architectural significance to the Shire of Moorabool.

Why is it significant?

The Farmhouse and its garden setting at 325 Lerderderg Gorge Road, Darley is of local historical significance for its demonstration of the early settlement of Darley because of agriculture. The farmhouse and its garden are of historical significant for their illustration of the components of a Victorian farming complex established for a prosperous farmer from that period. The residence was constructed in 1896 for successful cattle breeder, James Kerr. Kerr achieved considerable success as a breeder of Dairy Shorthorn cattle and was a prominent resident of the area. The property is of historical significance for its associations with the Kerr family, as well as, the Bacchus Marsh Shire Engineer, D. A. Little who designed the residence.

The Farmhouse and its garden setting at 325 Lerderderg Gorge Road, Darley is of aesthetic significance as an excellent substantially intact example of a grand late Victorian farmhouse amongst its original garden. Features of note to the residence, include the return verandah with valance and cast iron posts with capitals, the pediment to the to the verandah, the tuck-pointed brickwork with Waurn Ponds stone and string courses and the chimneys with rendered cornicing. The remaining Victorian garden setting and the avenue driveway contribute to the aesthetic significance of the place.

1995

A late nineteenth century relatively intact farmhouse complex built in 1896 to the design ofD. A. Little, Shire Engineer and located in a beautiful river valley setting. It has a rare Victorian garden layout and other contextual elements, including the driveway and cypress avenue, a windbreak and post and rail fence on the road boundary.

The complex is oflocal historical significance as an embodiment of a way oflife, its social values and an agricultural pra ctice. It has architectur al significance locally as a representative intact surviving example of an Italianate farmhouse and its setting . The garden layout is individually significant at regional level as a rare relatively intact surviving late nineteenth century example.

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    • Physical Description 1

      Farmhouse "Morven" including garden and driveway avenue of trees - Physical Description 1

      A late nineteenth century substantial brick house overlooking the Lerderderg River. It has a hip-roof with a verandah in front . The four (visible) chimneys are rendered with Classical mouldings. There is a good length of three-rail post and rail fence on the road boundary.

      Landscape.

      The front garden to Morven has been laid out with the central path from the gate, broken with a circular lawn area edged with rocks, and two splay paths leading to the east and west of the house. The driveway along the north boundary and the west side of the house is lined with Peppercorn trees providing shade to the outlaying farm buildings. To the south of the house there is a windbreak of heavily planted large trees which have some storm damage. The cottage garden to the front is in need of maintenance as many shrubs have been pruned to ground level, and shrubberies to the east are overgrown. Fencing around the garden is new steel mesh, and native species have been planted along the northern boundary, with the lawns left open. A rose garden is located on the east side of the house.

      Plant species include:

      Cupressus macrocaupa

      Schinus molle

      Pinus radiata

      Cupressus sp.

      Brachychiton populneus

      Nerium oleander

      Lagerstroemia indica

      Eribotrya japonica

      Koelreuteria paniculata

      Prunus hybrid

      Fruit Trees

      Punica granatum

      Geranium sp.

      Rosasp.

      Acacia bai/eyana

      Agapanthus orientalis

      ------------

      Monterey Cypress

      Peppercorn Tree

      Monterey Pine

      Cypress

      Kurrajong

      Oleander

      Crepe Myrtle

      Loquat

      Golden Rain Tree

      Cherry Plum

      Fruit Trees

      Pomegranate

      Geraniums

      Roses

      Cootamundra Wattle

      Agapanthus.

      Intactness

      Farmhouse "Morven" including garden and driveway avenue of trees - Intactness

      Not known

      Historical Australian Themes

      Farmhouse "Morven" including garden and driveway avenue of trees - Historical Australian Themes

      Agricultural

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Moorabool - Bacchus Marsh Heritage Study 1995

      Author: Richard Peterson and Daniel Catrice
      Year: 1995
      Grading:

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