Heritage Citation Report
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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT Name TALISKER HOMESTEAD COMPLEX Address 221 TALISKER HOMESTEAD ROAD, MERINO Place Type Homestead Complex Citation Date 2006 52799 Talisker front of house Recommended VHR - HI - PS - Heritage Protection History and Historical Context The site of the Talisker Homestead originally formed part of Francis Henty's Merino Downs pastoral property. In February 1848, Francis Henty (1815-1889), youngest son of Thomas Henty, farmer from Sussex in England, applied for the lease of the Merino Downs pastoral run, 23,500 acres of land near the township of Henty (Merino Downs Pastoral Run Papers, Henty Family Papers). He had occupied the land for about a decade previously, taking it up in 1837 soon after the expedition of the Surveyor General, Major Thomas Mitchell had reached Portland Bay with news of the excellent country to the north (Billis & Kenyon, p. 243). John Henty took up Sandford, Edward Henty took up Muntham and, as a partnership, the brothers took up Cape Bridgewater (B&K, p. 81). The original Henty homesteads at Merino Downs, Sandford and Cape Bridgewater are gone but Muntham survives more or less true to its late nineteenth century situation. The scale and style of Talisker Homestead is in marked contrast to the family's beginnings. Francis Henty received a grant of 60 acres, which contained his homestead block on the west side of Wort Wort (Henty) Creek. In October 1855, Francis applied for the purchase under Pre-Emptive Right of 640 acres of land on the opposite (east) side of the creek. An early 1856 map showed a bridge linking the 60 acre homestead block with the 640 acres of PR land (Plan of Francis Henty's Pre-Emptive Purchase of 640 acres, 1856). The later history of Merino Downs, one of a number of important pastoral properties in Glenelg Shire held by the Henry family, is told in the Merino Downs citation. TALISKER HOMESTEAD COMPLEX Hermes No 52799 Place Citation Report Page 1 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT After the death of Francis Henty in 1889, his Merino Downs Estate was divided between his three daughters, Louisa (1847-1924), Caroline (1849-1914) and Alice (1852- 1932). Francis and his wife Mary Ann, nee Lawrence, had no surviving sons, their son Lawrence Shum dying at Merino Downs in 1877. Louisa became the new owner of the Merino Downs Estate, Caroline became the owner of the Talisker Estate, and Alice became the owner of the Wurt Wurt Koort Estate. The Deed of Partition was registered on 3 April 1900. It was signed by Miss Louisa Henty (who never married), Mrs Caroline McLeod, and Mrs Alice Hindson (Francis Henty and Louisa Henty Probate Papers). There are photographs of the three sisters in the publication, Back to Merino (Back to Merino, pp. 10, 15). Some 10 years earlier, after her father's death, in 1890, Caroline Henry married Alexander Magnus McLeod (1846- 1910). He was the son of John Norman McLeod (1816-1886), Scottish pastoralist and parliamentarian, who owned Castlemaddie Station at Tyrendarra from 1855 to 1873. John Norman McLeod was MLA for Portland from 1856 to 1861. He was the owner from 1854 of the historic, architect-designed residence Maretimo at Portland, where he lived with his family before they settled at Castlemaddie. The history of J.N. McLeod and Castlemaddie is told in the Castlemaddie citation. Alexander Magnus McLeod was born at Portland and educated at Scotch College in Melbourne. According to one account, 'He engaged in pastoral pursuits at Talisker, Merino, and was Deputy Chief inspector of Stock in South Australia. Married Caroline, daughter of Francis and Mary Ann Henly, pioneers of the Portland district' . Alexander and Caroline McLeod had two daughters, Caroline ('Line') Agnes Henty McLeod, and Alexandra ('Lex') Francis Henty McLeod. Caroline married Kenneth McWhae and had one son, John Henty McLeod. Alexandra married G.A. Silvester, a Casterton solicitor and member of a firm that became the McLeod family's legal advisors. Alexandra had a daughter, Caroline Mary, and two sons, Alexander Noel Henty Silvester born in 1918, and Francis Henty Silvester born in 1920 (Alexander Henderson, p. 392). The Talisker Estate was named after a McLeod family property on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Alexander Magnus McLeod became the first manager of the Talisker Estate at Merino (Henderson, p. 392; Back to Merino, p. 14). On 24 August 1901, a notice appeared in the Building, Engineering and Mining Journal (BEMJ) reporting that the notable Victorian architect, Charles D' Ebro (1850-1820) had 'recently completed a residence at "Talisker', Merino Downs Estate, for Mr. A.M. McLeod' (BEMJ, 24 August 1901). According to Mrs Diana Henty Silvester, descendant of Stephen Henty, Talisker Homestead was constructed between 1898 and 1904 (D. Henty Silvester, pers. comm., April 2006). The 1937 publication, Back to Merino, contains two photographs of the Talisker Estate Homestead. One is a view across a large grassy paddock to the homestead, a district landmark, with its long front veranda and domed tower. There is a small cottage on the east side of the homestead. A long timber fence encloses both buildings. A small hut is also shown in the foreground. A second photograph shows the Talisker Homestead in greater detail. This grand residence is shown in its garden setting with stone steps leading up to the front veranda and its distinctive domed viewing tower (Back to Merino). Charles D'Ebro was responsible in the 1880s, 1890s and the early years of the 20th century, for the design of a number of fine residences for prominent Victorian pastoralists and businessmen. He was also a very successful commercial architect. D'Ebro was born in London, where he practised as an engineer and an architect. In 1881, at the beginning of his Australian career, D'Ebro was taken into partnership by John Grainger, formerly of Adelaide, to build Princes Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne. The partnership was dissolved on 14 April 1885. He was also in partnership with John Shanks Jenkins, another architect and engineer. Jenkins had begun his professional practice in Warrnambool where he traded as a timber merchant, building contractor and machine maker. After a brief and troubled partnership with local 'architect', William Keddie Paterson, Jenkins became town surveyor of Belfast [Port Fairy] (Warrnambool Examiner, 15 Feb 1859). He claims that he 'went to Hamilton in a similar capacity in 1860, to Mount Rouse as shire engineer in 1870, and to Richmond as town surveyor in 1876, where he was also a councillor for five years (Sutherland, Vol. 2, p. 521). According to Hamilton's historian, he was Town Clerk of the Borough of Hamilton until 1866 (Garden, p. 73). Jenkins also practised privately, having several distinguished clients including the Officers of Mount Talbot, Balmoral and the Robertsons of Skene. Stephen Henty, one of the founders of Victoria, commissioned Jenkins to design his new homestead Warrayure at Strathkellar near Hamilton in 1860, which commission probably included the fine substantial woolshed. D'Ebro was responsible for the completion of the historic Meningoort Homestead at Camperdown which was built in stages in 1842, 1851 and 1886. Some years later, on II January 1890, D'Ebro accepted tenders for a mansion for TALISKER HOMESTEAD COMPLEX Hermes No 52799 Place Citation Report Page 2 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT John Wagner now known as Stonnington at 336 Glenferrie Road, Malvern. From 1901 to 1927 it was used as Victoria's State Government House. In 1902, D'Ebro was commissioned to design a large brick residence at Langi Willi Station near Skipton for George Russell, manager of the Clyde Companythatwas very important in the development of the Western District. In August 1903, D'Ebro gave a paper on the 'Design of Australian Country Houses', a subject close to his heart. Two years later, in 1905, he was elected President of the RVIA (Australian Architectural Index). When A.M. McLeod died in 1910, an obituary in the district press told how, after his marriage to Caroline Henty, he 'resided at 'Merino Downs' and, 'since the division of that estate, at Talisker.' By 1910, the couple had 'two grown-up daughters'. McLeod was described as 'a well-known figure in Merino, which he often visited, seldom missing a cricket or football match if the weather was at all favourable'. He was also a 'devoted and loyal supporter of the Church of England' and 'a zealous worker on its committee, ever ready to render substantial financial assistance'. The writer concluded that, 'although not a public man in the usual sense of the word, he took much interest in public affairs, had a good deal of business tact, and in this respect his judgement and advice could be relied on' (Casterton News, 25 July 1910). McLeod's 1908 will named his wife as his sole executor. The Trustees of his Estate were the Perpetual Executors and Trustees Association of Australia Ltd. and Eugene Silvester, the Coleraine solicitor. They were charged with holding the property in trust for his wife and daughters, and to 'continue the share system of dairy farming at the Talisker Estate'. If there was a threat of any of the estate being compulsorily acquired by the Closer Settlement Board, the Trustees were to handle the necessary valuations and negotiations. McLeod left gifts of 250 pounds to his sisters, Caroline Agnes and Constance Margaret of Portland. He was especially generous to his nephew, Hugh Vernon McLeod, former overseer of the Merino Downs Estate. He left 1,000 pounds to his nephew and also his interest in the Mount Birnie Copper Mining Syndicate in the Cloncurry District of Queensland. Probate was granted to McLeod's widow, Caroline on 17 January 1911.