Susan Brown… is a Fool
Historical Como House in Melbourne’s leafy inner eastern suburb of South Yarra was constructed in 1847 and owned by Sir Edward Eyre Williams, a supreme court justice, until 1852 when it was sold to investor Frederick Dalgety. After only a year, it was sold to John Brown - a wealthy master builder and wine and spirit merchant - who took possession in 1853 and commenced a program of works to transform the property including adding a second storey to the house. This meant the addition of several bedrooms for his children, including his daughter, Susan. During their short tenure of a decade at Como, Susan was given a diamond ring. Legend has it that with this ring she discovered the truth that diamonds can cut glass as she etched her name with it into one of the twelve panes of glass of her bedroom window. One of her brothers discovered her vain vandalism, and not to be outdone, added “is a fool” to the window after Susan’s name using the same ring, in an effort to shame her. History does not record whether he succeeded in this endeavour, but thanks to Susan’s and her brother’s vandalism, they have left an indelible mark on this historical house’s story.
The theme for “Looking Close on Friday” for the 18th of November is “words on glass”. I must confess that I wracked my brain for this theme. I have plenty of stickers on antique bottles of perfume, but I was hard pressed to think as to whether I have any words etched, printed or embossed into glass. I thought I might upload one of the signs made of stained glass I have, and then whilst I was going through my archive, I suddenly remembered a recent visit I took with two close photography friends to Como House, a National Trust property in Melbourne, and I recalled the funny story of Susan and her brother told to us by our lively and well-informed guide. I hope you like my choice for the theme this week, and that it makes you smile.
In December 1855 William Sangster was appointed by John Brown as head gardener and overseer at Como. At that time the fifty-three acre site comprised partly cleared land, a rocky hill and a swamp adjoining the river. The site was bounded to the north by Gardener’s Creek Road (now Toorak Road) down to the Yarra River and extended west from Williams Road to the vicinity of Kensington Road. William Sangster designed and laid out the five-acre formal pleasure gardens section of the grounds with exotic trees to create an ideal “picturesque garden” with borrowed views across the river. The design featured an impressive carriage drive from the main road. Large areas were set aside for the growing of almond trees, vegetables and fruit. In 1864 Brown's insolvency forced a mortgage to the Bank of Australasia. When John Brown’s bank sold to the Armytages in 1864 William Sangster remained until mid-1866. Charles Armytage purchased the property for £14,000.00 in 1864. The family stayed at Como for the next 95 years, eventually selling the property to the newly formed National Trust of Australia in 1959. Today it is a historical house open for all people to enjoy, and is a remarkable time capsule of life in the Marvellous Melbourne of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. The grounds are also a popular place for weddings, with the stables complex of Como now hosting a very good gourmet café. The complex also features a National Trust shop and National Trust bookshop.
Susan Brown… is a Fool
Historical Como House in Melbourne’s leafy inner eastern suburb of South Yarra was constructed in 1847 and owned by Sir Edward Eyre Williams, a supreme court justice, until 1852 when it was sold to investor Frederick Dalgety. After only a year, it was sold to John Brown - a wealthy master builder and wine and spirit merchant - who took possession in 1853 and commenced a program of works to transform the property including adding a second storey to the house. This meant the addition of several bedrooms for his children, including his daughter, Susan. During their short tenure of a decade at Como, Susan was given a diamond ring. Legend has it that with this ring she discovered the truth that diamonds can cut glass as she etched her name with it into one of the twelve panes of glass of her bedroom window. One of her brothers discovered her vain vandalism, and not to be outdone, added “is a fool” to the window after Susan’s name using the same ring, in an effort to shame her. History does not record whether he succeeded in this endeavour, but thanks to Susan’s and her brother’s vandalism, they have left an indelible mark on this historical house’s story.
The theme for “Looking Close on Friday” for the 18th of November is “words on glass”. I must confess that I wracked my brain for this theme. I have plenty of stickers on antique bottles of perfume, but I was hard pressed to think as to whether I have any words etched, printed or embossed into glass. I thought I might upload one of the signs made of stained glass I have, and then whilst I was going through my archive, I suddenly remembered a recent visit I took with two close photography friends to Como House, a National Trust property in Melbourne, and I recalled the funny story of Susan and her brother told to us by our lively and well-informed guide. I hope you like my choice for the theme this week, and that it makes you smile.
In December 1855 William Sangster was appointed by John Brown as head gardener and overseer at Como. At that time the fifty-three acre site comprised partly cleared land, a rocky hill and a swamp adjoining the river. The site was bounded to the north by Gardener’s Creek Road (now Toorak Road) down to the Yarra River and extended west from Williams Road to the vicinity of Kensington Road. William Sangster designed and laid out the five-acre formal pleasure gardens section of the grounds with exotic trees to create an ideal “picturesque garden” with borrowed views across the river. The design featured an impressive carriage drive from the main road. Large areas were set aside for the growing of almond trees, vegetables and fruit. In 1864 Brown's insolvency forced a mortgage to the Bank of Australasia. When John Brown’s bank sold to the Armytages in 1864 William Sangster remained until mid-1866. Charles Armytage purchased the property for £14,000.00 in 1864. The family stayed at Como for the next 95 years, eventually selling the property to the newly formed National Trust of Australia in 1959. Today it is a historical house open for all people to enjoy, and is a remarkable time capsule of life in the Marvellous Melbourne of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. The grounds are also a popular place for weddings, with the stables complex of Como now hosting a very good gourmet café. The complex also features a National Trust shop and National Trust bookshop.