Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s

Longerenong, Horsham Victoria Australia

Longerenong Homestead near Horsham, is a jewel-like exception among country houses in Victoria. Its location and style come as a complete surprise and pure delight. It sits on rocky banks of the Yarriambiac Creek which flow gently through the flat plains of the Wimmera, a sparse wheat growing region in north-western Victoria. The appearance of a spectacular example of the picturesque Gothic villa style in a somewhat desolate Australian environment could be described as surreal. Certainly, finding this two-storey triple-brick Gothic revival house in the midst of the flat, brown sparsely-treed bush is a surprise and of course rare in Australian country houses.

Sir Samuel Wilson came to Australia from Ireland in 1852 and in 1856 and established his vast grazing run and pastoral lease of about 153,000 acres. On the 30th June 1862 he laid the foundation stone of his new villa residence. Melbourne architects Crouch and Wilson designed this axially planned, two storey triple-brick residence with balcony verandah as a picturesque and complete Gothic villa derived from early American pattern book designs and scholarly work of Melbourne architects Crouch and Wilson. Sir Samuel, came from Northern Ireland and was a distinguished Victorian politician, pastoralist and philanthropist who was elected to the British House of Commons in 1886.

Longernong remains one of the finest intact Picturesque Gothic style villas in Australia and designed around an axis. Many of its features, such as the central oriel window on the first floor, decorative Gothic bargeboards and groups of label-mould windows, produce a lively and picturesque composition and unique character of the house. All rooms are of grand proportions including formal living, drawing room, dining room, library, office, large kitchen and powder room. The upper floor includes a spectacular dome ceiling ballroom, reception room, two grand principal bedrooms, four additional bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The quality of design and workmanship is outstanding with sweeping divided cedar staircase, Belgian stained-glass entrance panels and skylight. Internal features include Italian marble floors and fireplaces and ornate trefoil carved cedar doors and architraves which add to the homestead’s grandeur. The advance Australia Coat of Arms in the centre of the spectacular stained-glass skylight above the stairs is the earliest known motif in stained glass in a private residence in Australia.

What makes Longerenong unique, is that it stands as the only remaining tribute to the pioneers of the Wimmera settlement. This magnificent two storey heritage listed mansion overlooks the Yarriamblack Creek and includes original Morton Bay Fig and Schotia trees, Bunya Bunya, and Norfolk Island Pines. Another unique feature of Longerenong is its architectural history can be traced back to the complete gothic villa derived from Downing’s American pattern book designs published in 1850 and makes it a rare and surviving example of pattern-book design.