A Disused Piano in the Bay Window of the Original Drawing Room of Billilla Mansion - Halifax Street, Brighton, Melbourne
Although shrouded in shadows and with its curtains drawn at present, the original Billilla drawing room, built at part of the original house, is an elegantly proportioned room affording views overlooking the garden through a large demilune bay of full-length windows.
As one of the principal rooms of the mansion the former drawing room is not only elegantly proportioned, but also elegantly appointed. Replastered and redecorated at part of the 1907 renovation, the ceiling of the former drawing room is decorated with ornate stylised foliate Art Nouveau mouldings of leaves. Although not original, the room is papered in a soft green wallpaper sympathetic to the era.
The room still has its original black marble fireplace with green insert Arts and Crafts majollica tiles.
After the creation of the new drawing room in 1907, it is likely that the former drawing room, accessed via a reception room off the main hallway, was used as a music room or perhaps even a ballroom for parties when the Weatherly family entertained.
Built in High Victorian style in 1878 for successful gold miner Robert Wright, Billilla mansion was originally a thirteen room mansion erected on seven and a half acres of land.
When economic boom turned to bust in the 1880s, the property was purchased in 1888 by wealthy New South Wales pastoralist William Weatherly who named it Billilla after his land holdings and established a home there for his wife Jeannie and their children Violet, Gladys and Lionel.
The house was substantially altered by architect Walter Richmond Butler in 1907, extending the house beyond its original thirteen rooms and adding the Art Nouveau façade seen today.
After William Weatherly's death in 1914, his wife, who was much younger, remained living there until her own death in 1933. She bequeathed the property to her daughter, Violet, who maintained the home with reduced staff until her own death in 1972.
The property was purchased in 1973 by the Bayside Council who subsequently used Billilla as a historical house with guided tours, a wedding and events venue, a school and finally in 2009 as an artist's precinct in the property's outbuildings. Billilla is a beautiful heritage property retaining many of its original features thanks to its long private ownership still 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, built 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 and has exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original Nineteenth Century layout.
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 opened to the general public as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.
Billilla was used as a backdrop in the 1980 Australian 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.
A Disused Piano in the Bay Window of the Original Drawing Room of Billilla Mansion - Halifax Street, Brighton, Melbourne
Although shrouded in shadows and with its curtains drawn at present, the original Billilla drawing room, built at part of the original house, is an elegantly proportioned room affording views overlooking the garden through a large demilune bay of full-length windows.
As one of the principal rooms of the mansion the former drawing room is not only elegantly proportioned, but also elegantly appointed. Replastered and redecorated at part of the 1907 renovation, the ceiling of the former drawing room is decorated with ornate stylised foliate Art Nouveau mouldings of leaves. Although not original, the room is papered in a soft green wallpaper sympathetic to the era.
The room still has its original black marble fireplace with green insert Arts and Crafts majollica tiles.
After the creation of the new drawing room in 1907, it is likely that the former drawing room, accessed via a reception room off the main hallway, was used as a music room or perhaps even a ballroom for parties when the Weatherly family entertained.
Built in High Victorian style in 1878 for successful gold miner Robert Wright, Billilla mansion was originally a thirteen room mansion erected on seven and a half acres of land.
When economic boom turned to bust in the 1880s, the property was purchased in 1888 by wealthy New South Wales pastoralist William Weatherly who named it Billilla after his land holdings and established a home there for his wife Jeannie and their children Violet, Gladys and Lionel.
The house was substantially altered by architect Walter Richmond Butler in 1907, extending the house beyond its original thirteen rooms and adding the Art Nouveau façade seen today.
After William Weatherly's death in 1914, his wife, who was much younger, remained living there until her own death in 1933. She bequeathed the property to her daughter, Violet, who maintained the home with reduced staff until her own death in 1972.
The property was purchased in 1973 by the Bayside Council who subsequently used Billilla as a historical house with guided tours, a wedding and events venue, a school and finally in 2009 as an artist's precinct in the property's outbuildings. Billilla is a beautiful heritage property retaining many of its original features thanks to its long private ownership still 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, built 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 and has exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original Nineteenth Century layout.
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 opened to the general public as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.
Billilla was used as a backdrop in the 1980 Australian 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.