Federation Details: Burnewang, Bendigo Vic

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Burnewang, Bendigo Vic

Burnewang House, Elmore Vic

One of Australia’s grandest country homesteads

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See also Queen Anne or Federation Queen Anne?
See also Federation Queen Anne style
Elmore township is situated in part of the Burnewang pastoral run (1841) of which a section was sold in about 1857 and named Elmore Estate. The name was probably inspired by Elmore, Gloucestershire, England.
Elmore was close to the route travelled by gold diggers from Bendigo to the Ovens/North East goldfields, and a village was formed about 5 km southwards at Runnymede.[1]

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Burnewang House (1903)

Other Names Burnewang Homestead, RSL War Veterans Home

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.Monday 18 September 1922:
BURNEWANG PARK ESTATE

The executors of the late Mr. Robert Hunter have sold the Burnewang Park Estate, Elmore, comprising 8,000 acres, to the Closer Settlement Board.
Burnewang Park is one of the best station properties in Northern Victoria. The land is rich and fertile, and there is a fine modern homestead, with other farm buildings. The price paid was about £70,000.

Heritage listed by the National Trust

Built (in 1903) for the Holmes Family, then owners of the Eastern portion of Burnewang Estate, this magnificent mansion is situated on the banks of the Campaspe river a few kilometres east of Elmore. Designed by Reed, Smart, Tappin, “Burnewang” is regarded as one of Australia’s grandest country homesteads.

Above photographs by Collins, John T., 1907-2001

It is constructed of red bricks and has thirty two rooms and extensive outbuildings. Inside, massive oregon beams support the tiled roof and a feature is polished ceilings in some rooms. It also has stained glass windows on the ground floor.
Extensive lawns, flower gardens, large vegetable garden, citrus grove and barbecue area surround this stately home which has had a chequered career.

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It was built as a family home but after the Second World War, when Burnewang was partly subdivided for Soldier Settlement the house was sold to the RSL for use as a home for War Veterans.

In 1984 the Salvation Army purchased it for use in the Bridge Program for the rehabilitation of people with alcohol problems.
After WW2 the farm was subdivided for Soldier Settlement, and the 34 room Jacobean and Elizabethan style house fell into decline.
Melbourne based couple Dominic & Maria Romeo extensively renovated the property in the 1990′s it was then sold to the Burns family who have continued on with many improvements and is used as their family country house.

Marie and Dominic Romeo brought it back to life in the during the 1990’s, restoring the interior, with its massive oregon beams, polished ceilings and stained glass windows, as well as the extensive lawns, flower beds, large vegetable garden, citrus grove and outbuildings.