VISITORS came from as far afield as Melbourne to take the rare opportunity of getting a close-up look at one of the Western District’s grandest homesteads.
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An open garden day was held at the Lawrenny property at Caramut on Sunday.
Property owner Bobby Mann said the day was a fundraiser for the Liberal party, in support of local members Dan Tehan and Roma Britnell.
It was the first major open day in the history of Lawrenny.
Mr Mann and his wife Georgina run a beef cattle operation at the property.
Mr Mann said it was pleasing to have so many people come through the property.
“I was talking to someone before who had come from Melbourne, others from Timboon, Warrnambool, Hamilton,” he said.
“We are trying to preserve the place, we love living here, it is a good place to bring up our three kids.”
A big crowd attended the open day, wandering the vast gardens. Mr Mann held a number of tours across the day, explaining the property’s long history.
That history began in 1840 when Walter Cheine took up the property and set up a station.
His tenure was short, with the Kemp family taking up the lease the following year before Peter McArthur brought it in 1845. The homestead was built in 1867, with bluestone a key building material.
The homestead was built facing north, standing it apart from many homesteads of the day which faced eastwards.
The decision to face north was based on utilising the winter sun and allowing sweeping views of Muston’s Creek. The property also boasts a bluestone woolshed which is believed to have been built in 1869.
The property stayed in the hands of the McArthur family until 1904, at which time it was sold to Samuel Mann.
Along with his wife Isabella, Sam Mann raised four children at the property with the eldest of them, Jim, taking over the running of the property upon Samuel’s death.
Jim lived in the homestead until his death in 1984. His nephew John Mann took over for the next two years until his death in 1986. From this time, the property was taken over by a Mann family partnership until Bobby Mann took on Lawrenny in the mid 1990s and rented the property out.
The homestead had fallen into some disrepair and in 2003 Bobby and Georgina Mann moved into Lawrenny.
The couple began extensive renovations of the homestead and also built on another wing. They have restructured the gardens, making them a feature of the property.
