Glenara House & Garden

10 Glenara Drive,, BULLA VIC 3428 - Property No B0046

Large single storey homestead of granite, bluestone and brick encircled by a verandah with delicate timber joinery, built from 1857 for prominent grazier Walter Clark J.P.; architect Albert Purchas; builders Hornby and Pigdon, overlooking gorge of Deep Creek. Garden notable for many years for roses grown by Alister Clark. Stone "folly" on hill included in Classification.
House Classified 'Regional': 15/08/1963
Revised: 08/04/1976:

File Note 18/06/2012: G13076 (Glenara Garden) amalgamated & filed with B0046

Garden Classification. Glenara, a pastoral property developed by Walter Clark from the mid-1850s, with a house erected to the design of architects Purchas and Swyer in 1857, extended during his son Alister's ownership by the addition of a billiard room and the garden modified to cater for his burgeoning interest in roses and bulbs, and maintained largely intact since his death in 1949, of State significance -
- historically, as a fine example of a pastoral homestead property, exemplifying characteristics such as the combination of a major residence with associated outbuildings such as gate lodge and winery, a landscaped garden contrasting with unimproved surrounding paddocks creating an oasis in the middle of the property, and its modest size reflecting its location in the 'settled districts' close to Melbourne;
- historically, for its integral links with the Clark family, best known for the work of Alister Clark (1864-1949), prominent horticulturist and sportsman famed for hybridising work with roses and bulbs still demonstrated by the garden; their long family occupation (almost one hundred years) is reflected in the relative intactness of the estate (aided by the careful stewardship of the Rundle family, owners since 1957).
- architecturally, as a large single storey homestead of granite, bluestone and brick encircled by a verandah with delicate timber joinery, built from 1857 for prominent grazier Walter Clark J.P., architect Albert Purchas, builders Hornby and Pigdon.
- for its retention of typical design elements of a mid-nineteenth century homestead garden; including an elevated and picturesque site overlooking a creek, an approach drive and associated plantation, hard standing for carriages, remnants of an orchard, spatial arrangement of residential and service buildings, fencing and gates, a balance between leisure and horticultural pursuits, and the contrast between homestead garden and open farmland;
- as a seminal example of the adoption of Italianate garden design in Victoria; this is best represented by the balustraded terrace and associated steps;
- for the retention of a lookout tower, a rare surviving feature and an integral part of the picturesque design of the garden;
- for its retention of trees and plantings from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century, including the approach plantations, specimen trees, selective retention of indigenous trees as an integral part of the garden design, flower beds and lawn areas;
- aesthetically, for the contrast between the open plains and the oasis of the garden, the dramatic setting on a gorge of Deep Creek, for the maturity of the garden landscaping, for the incorporation of naturally-occurring rocks and indigenous trees (notably on the western slopes of the Deep Creek) as part of the garden, and as the setting for an outstanding homestead; and
- For the survival of associated documentation, especially the plant invoices (1857-72), the von Guerard painting and Nettleton photographs, which are rare items in their own right and which contribute to an understanding of the development of the garden.
Garden Classified: 18/11/1997