Rupertswood
Encyclopedia
Rupertswood is a mansion
and country estate located in Sunbury
on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia
. It is well known as the birthplace of The Ashes
, awarded to the winning team in cricket
Test match series between Australia and England. Rupertswood is one of the largest houses constructed in Victoria and, although now subdivided, has significant farm land. The estate also had its own private railway station (until closure in 2004), and artillery battery. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
.
The foundation stone for Rupertswood was laid on 29 August 1874 with some 1000 people in attendance. The house was completed in 1876 for Sir William Clarke
a land owner and pastoralist who was one of Australia's wealthiest men and the first Australian born baronet
. It was designed by local architect
George L Browne in the Free Classical style.
It was sold in 1922 to Hugh Victor McKay
, a wealthy industrialist and inventor of the Sunshine Harvester. When McKay died in 1926, Rupertswood was then bought by pastoralist William Naughton. It was purchased by the Salesian Society in 1927, and the mansion and surrounding property were then used as a male boarding school, currently known as Salesian College Rupertswood. In the past the school used the mansion for male boarders, but has discontinued the practice and is now a co-educational school.
The mansion was restored with the help of interior designer and Victorian architecture specialist Jacqui Robertson and is now a hotel that is often used for weddings and other formal events. In March 2006, the Commonwealth Games
Queen's Baton Relay
travelled to the area, where a re-enactment of the handing over of The Ashes to the British
took place, in front of a small local crowd.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
and country estate located in Sunbury
Sunbury, Victoria
Sunbury is a regional city, located north-west of Melbourne's central business district, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume. At the 2006 Census, Sunbury had a population of 31,000...
on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is well known as the birthplace of The Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
, awarded to the winning team in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Test match series between Australia and England. Rupertswood is one of the largest houses constructed in Victoria and, although now subdivided, has significant farm land. The estate also had its own private railway station (until closure in 2004), and artillery battery. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
.
The foundation stone for Rupertswood was laid on 29 August 1874 with some 1000 people in attendance. The house was completed in 1876 for Sir William Clarke
Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet
Sir William John Clarke, 1st Baronet was an Australian landowner.He was born on 31 March 1831 at Lovely Banks, Van Diemen's Land, the eldest of three sons of William John Turner Clarke, and his wife Eliza, née Dowling....
a land owner and pastoralist who was one of Australia's wealthiest men and the first Australian born baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
. It was designed by local architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
George L Browne in the Free Classical style.
It was sold in 1922 to Hugh Victor McKay
Hugh Victor McKay
Hugh Victor McKay CBE, was an Australian inventor of the Sunshine Harvester and industrialist.-Early life:...
, a wealthy industrialist and inventor of the Sunshine Harvester. When McKay died in 1926, Rupertswood was then bought by pastoralist William Naughton. It was purchased by the Salesian Society in 1927, and the mansion and surrounding property were then used as a male boarding school, currently known as Salesian College Rupertswood. In the past the school used the mansion for male boarders, but has discontinued the practice and is now a co-educational school.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
Queen's Baton Relay
Queen's Baton Relay
The Queen's Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace in London...
travelled to the area, where a re-enactment of the handing over of The Ashes to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
took place, in front of a small local crowd.
See also
- Rupertswood railway station
- Salesian College (Rupertswood)
- Sunbury, VictoriaSunbury, VictoriaSunbury is a regional city, located north-west of Melbourne's central business district, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume. At the 2006 Census, Sunbury had a population of 31,000...
- The AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...