Paddington and Scout Visit Billilla III.
PADDY: “Hullo everyone! It was such a beautiful day today that Daddy has decided to take us out with him on an adventure to Billilla Mansion, in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton.”
SCOUT: “Paddy? Paddy!”
PADDY: “Yes Scout?”
SCOUT: “Why are there all these funny, sweeping patterns on Billilllilll….”
PADDY: “Billillia, Scout.”
SCOUT: “On this big old house?”
PADDY: “ Well Scout, Billilla is a mansion that was bought in 1888 by a man called William Weatherly, who was a very wealthy pastoralist. However, he had it altered, extended and remodelled at the turn of the Twentieth Century. These alterations were done in the popular style of the time, which was called Art Nouveau.”
SCOUT: “Ooooohhh!” *Jumps up and down excitedly.* “I know that style! It’s Daddy’s most favouritest style in the whole wide world! He has lots, and lots, and lots of books all about Art Nouveau.”
PADDY: “Yes he does, Scout.”
SCOUT: “Paddy? Paddy!”
PADDY: “Yes, Scout?”
SCOUT: “Do you see the pattern on the window behind us?”
PADDY: “Yes I do, Scout. What about it?”
SCOUT: “Well, I think it looks like a big Art Nouveau heart!”
PADDY: *Considers the pattern in the window.* “Why yes, Scout. I think you are right!”
SCOUT: “Then in that case I would like to wish Daddy and all our Flickr friends lots of big Art Nouveau love, big Art Nouveau bear hugs and snuffly Art Nouveau kisses from Billillilllll….”
PADDY: “Billilla, Scout.”
SCOUT: “From this big Art Nouveau House!”
PADDY: “Yes, we would like to wish Daddy and all our Flickr friends lots of big Art Nouveau love, big Art Nouveau bear hugs and snuffly Art Nouveau kisses from Billilla!”
Paddy is correct. He, Scout and I visited the historical Art Nouveau mansion of Billilla in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton recently, after it was opened to the public for the first time in many years as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.
Billilla Historic Mansion, which was the former the home of the Weatherly family, is a beautiful heritage property incorporating a stately formal garden and the magnificent historic house.
Billilla, at 26 Halifax Street, Brighton, is one of Melbourne’s few remaining significant homesteads. The mansion was built by merchant Robert Wright in 1878 on land which had originally been owned by Nicholas Were. The house has a mixture of architectural styles, featuring a Victorian design with Art Nouveau features. With exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original 19th Century layout, the property was owned by the Weatherley family (whom named it Billilla) from 1888 to 1972.
Billilla retains many original Victorian elements and a number of outbuildings still stand to the rear of the property including the butler’s quarters, dairy, meat house, stable garden store and coach house.
Billilla was used as a backdrop in the Australian 1980 Channel 10 miniseries adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's "Water Under the Bridge". It was used at the Sydney harbourside home of Luigi, Honor and Carrie Mazzini.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Being colder in the middle of winter here, both Paddy and Scout are wearing hand knitted scarves and Paddy is wearing hand knitted hat by Lorna's Lovely Looks. Paddy sports a crown pin and Scout insisted on wearing a pink tea cup one, which seems most appropriate. Both were gifts from a good friend who is very fond of Paddy and Scout.
Paddington and Scout Visit Billilla III.
PADDY: “Hullo everyone! It was such a beautiful day today that Daddy has decided to take us out with him on an adventure to Billilla Mansion, in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton.”
SCOUT: “Paddy? Paddy!”
PADDY: “Yes Scout?”
SCOUT: “Why are there all these funny, sweeping patterns on Billilllilll….”
PADDY: “Billillia, Scout.”
SCOUT: “On this big old house?”
PADDY: “ Well Scout, Billilla is a mansion that was bought in 1888 by a man called William Weatherly, who was a very wealthy pastoralist. However, he had it altered, extended and remodelled at the turn of the Twentieth Century. These alterations were done in the popular style of the time, which was called Art Nouveau.”
SCOUT: “Ooooohhh!” *Jumps up and down excitedly.* “I know that style! It’s Daddy’s most favouritest style in the whole wide world! He has lots, and lots, and lots of books all about Art Nouveau.”
PADDY: “Yes he does, Scout.”
SCOUT: “Paddy? Paddy!”
PADDY: “Yes, Scout?”
SCOUT: “Do you see the pattern on the window behind us?”
PADDY: “Yes I do, Scout. What about it?”
SCOUT: “Well, I think it looks like a big Art Nouveau heart!”
PADDY: *Considers the pattern in the window.* “Why yes, Scout. I think you are right!”
SCOUT: “Then in that case I would like to wish Daddy and all our Flickr friends lots of big Art Nouveau love, big Art Nouveau bear hugs and snuffly Art Nouveau kisses from Billillilllll….”
PADDY: “Billilla, Scout.”
SCOUT: “From this big Art Nouveau House!”
PADDY: “Yes, we would like to wish Daddy and all our Flickr friends lots of big Art Nouveau love, big Art Nouveau bear hugs and snuffly Art Nouveau kisses from Billilla!”
Paddy is correct. He, Scout and I visited the historical Art Nouveau mansion of Billilla in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton recently, after it was opened to the public for the first time in many years as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.
Billilla Historic Mansion, which was the former the home of the Weatherly family, is a beautiful heritage property incorporating a stately formal garden and the magnificent historic house.
Billilla, at 26 Halifax Street, Brighton, is one of Melbourne’s few remaining significant homesteads. The mansion was built by merchant Robert Wright in 1878 on land which had originally been owned by Nicholas Were. The house has a mixture of architectural styles, featuring a Victorian design with Art Nouveau features. With exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original 19th Century layout, the property was owned by the Weatherley family (whom named it Billilla) from 1888 to 1972.
Billilla retains many original Victorian elements and a number of outbuildings still stand to the rear of the property including the butler’s quarters, dairy, meat house, stable garden store and coach house.
Billilla was used as a backdrop in the Australian 1980 Channel 10 miniseries adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's "Water Under the Bridge". It was used at the Sydney harbourside home of Luigi, Honor and Carrie Mazzini.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Being colder in the middle of winter here, both Paddy and Scout are wearing hand knitted scarves and Paddy is wearing hand knitted hat by Lorna's Lovely Looks. Paddy sports a crown pin and Scout insisted on wearing a pink tea cup one, which seems most appropriate. Both were gifts from a good friend who is very fond of Paddy and Scout.