1854 – The Golden Year A Year of Glamour and Growth
1854 in Melbourne is broadly considered as a golden year in the state's rich history – it was a time of glamour, excitement, significant change and growth.
The affluence brought about by the gold rush provided unprecedented investments in architecture, design and advancements in functionality and industry.
Melbourne’s vibrant culture was coming to life, with architectural icons both making their start and completion in that year, including The State Library, The Melbourne Museum, Melbourne University, The MCG and Australia’s First Steam Railway.
A Celebrated Heritage Home
Heatherbrae was first constructed as a 6 room, one level villa. In 1874, successful pastoralist and businessman, John Holland, purchased the villa and added another 4 rooms (10 rooms in total) in 1881, marking the beginning of the home’s transformation. In 1888, Thomas Watts, a noted Caulfield Architect formally extended Heatherbrae into a heritage mansion featuring 2 storeys, tripling the size of the magnificent home, planting the home in Victorian Architecture and the history of Melbourne.
Heatherbrae joins a list of extraordinary heritage homes in Melbourne, preserved for the benefit of current and future generations, reminding us of a bygone era of craftsmanship and tradition.
— Como House: 1847
— Heatherbrae: 1854
— Halstead 1857
— Ripponlea: 1868
— Werribee Mansion: 1877
— Labassa: 1880