narrapumelap historic homestead

Having heard of this fantastic old French Gothic style mansion in country Victoria, I was thrilled to finally visit it with a group of people interested in historic gardens and buildings. The homestead is located west of Skipton, south of Ararat, and east of Dunkeld, in the traditionally wealthy Western District. It is National Trust classified but privately owned, with one member of the family having a 'magnificent obsession' to bring the main house back to its former 19th-century glory. The house fell into disrepair after the Second World War when the government acquired most of the productive pastoral land around it to create Soldier Settler blocks. The family member gave us a detailed guided tour of the house, which he is not so much restoring to exactly how it was when first constructed in 1873 as improving along appropriate lines with an eye to a modern, less cluttered aesthetic. He concedes this is a task which will take him the rest of his life.If you'd like to stay, a rear section facing into the original rear yard has been turned into a one-bedroom apartment (with a sofa bed in the sitting room able to sleep two more guests). It looks quite comfortable but would not be for those wanting all the conveniences offered by hotels and plush B and Bs. Current cost is $140 per night for a couple. Bookings: 03 53503220. The remainder of the mansion is unoccupied. The bedroom wing is undergoing an upgrade and will (soonish?) be available for paying guests. The big, showy front rooms have largely been restored. Some structured topiary and other outdoor features are in place around the front terrace and steps. And the next big project is the restoration (in enhanced form) of the tower above the entrance. Narrapumelap is open for general public visits twice a year: on the Sunday and Monday of the Easter long weekend, and on the weekend before the Melbourne Cup. Car entry is beside a stone gate lodge. Entry for coaches (for booked group visits) is farther along the unsealed road and not well signposted. Note for frail and disabled visitors: access to the front door requires you to negotiate some stairs or walk up a grassed slope; I saw a person on a walking frame manage this with help. Indoors is all on one level, with occasional steps or differences in floor levels.Those intrigued by the mansion's history and architecture can buy an $8 booklet published in 1987, "Narrapumelap and The Lions of Wickliffe" by Allan Willingham.