barwon park

Go for a drive in the country - Open from Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 4pm during the Love, Desire & Riches Exhibition which runs until 28 Feb 2015. See Jennifer Hawkins wedding dress or a princess of Denmark or Kylie Minogue's prop wedding dress and many more - Have a pot of tea and cake explore the 42 rooms - House and adjacent stables in original condition, faithfully restored. Features delicate ironwork over the entrance and verandah, a grand staircase, stained glass windows, and interior arches on the upper floors.A beautiful venue space, perfect for a country wedding, run by amazing volunteers and managed by the National Trust all proceeds go to the upkeep and restoration of this beautiful building and piece of history.

Grab a couple of friends and have a day in the country. We adored arriving at barwon park and exploring this wonderful example of another era. It was as if the walls were talking and sharing their secrets and the current exhibition Love, Desire and Riches finds an amazing backdrop in this gracious homestead. You can only marvel at the determination and tenacity that created such beauty in what must have been challenging pioneering conditions. The wedding dress exhibition is clever and beautiful and gives us insight into the hopes and personalities of many brides. There are light refreshments served by national trust volunteers and for $10 you get tea, coffee, a slice of quiche and biscuits. Surround yourself in all the deliciousness of the place.

First time visitor to this mansion and was very impressed. Saw the current exhibition of Love, Desire and Riches, The Fashion of Weddings , perfect setting for showcasing a superb collection .

We went with cameras in hand to check out the mansion and ended up spending several hours there. Great house, grand staircase, lovely furniture and ornaments. Beautiful place to give your camera a workout. Don't forget the huge stables out the back. Finish off your visit with tea and biccies from the kitchen and a browse in the gift shop. Lovely place and very friendly helpful staff and volunteers. Well worth the $10 admission.

This home is the icing on the cake. Interesting in his construction appearance and the history within. There is so much to discover and to see in in this beautiful old home, including Mrs. Austin's original mourning shawl, the beautiful tapestry that will wow you with its size, and so many other personal items. But think for moment of all the people who worked and lived within the walls and grounds of Barwon Park and the roles they played in keeping such a large house and farm lands functional. They too each have a story of their own but the major player in this property is Mrs Elizabeth Austin- a lady who was stoic and determined to do good for those less fortunate than herself. She lost her husband Thomas six months after they built this Bluestone mansion as a place fit to entertain royalty, and fell into deep mourning. People react with grief in so many ways and at first Mrs Austin became almost a recluse, angry and unable to see past her grief. Enlightenment changed her whole path one day when her cook became ill with TB and she saw firsthand that there was no where for those without money to go and be nursed except the prison hospital or an asylum. She stepped up and determined began the grand plan for the building of the Austin hospital in Heidelberg, Victoria as a hospital for all incurables. Mrs Austin cared deeply for those she considered were less fortunate than herself and built homes in Geelong for women who had been servants and were now retired and for women left widowed who needed homes. These are amongst so many other projects to aid the community she lived in. Mrs Austin became a house hold name and was seen as a great benefactress. She is buried in the Geelong Cemetary. If you love history and to see how our pioneers have shaped Australia then Barwon Park is rich with history. It is a wonderful place for picnics with families, weddings and to be a part of the many events they hold during the year. Now don't get me started on all the beautiful architecture and furniture inside the house it is amazing - so glad I didn't have to do the housework. I chose 2-3 hrs if you want to picnic and play with kids in grounds. Wheelchair access is at ground level only.

Barwon Park is a two storey mansion at Winchelsea a short drive south west of Geelong, It was built in 1871 and has been well maintained by the National Trust.The mansion has over 40 rooms and is a great way to spend a Sunday wandering through room after room filled with most interesting furniture and fittings. One gets a very good impression of how the wealthy lived in the late nineteenth century.The $10 entry fee is value for money giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the early settlers. The landowners who built the mansion, the Austins, made their money from wool. Elizabeth Austin was very active in the community and her name is remembered for helping to establish a number of medical facilities in the Geelong area.The volunteers are very helpful and they advised us well. Tea is served in a quaint café.

If you love history you must visit this beautiful 45 room italiante mansion in Winchelsea. $10 adult entry gives you a glimpse into the life of our early settlers, in this case the Austin's who made their money on wool. Mrs Austin was also responsible for establishing the Austin Hospital.

Lots to see and do. Well explained - the volunteers were all very helpful. Good day out with children.

I enjoyed visiting and exploring Barwon Park mansion, a two storey bluestone mansion at Winchelsea, not far from Geelong, It was built in 1871 for wealthy pastoralist Thomas Austin and his wife Elizabeth Austin, and their tribe of children. It's a National Trust property and while it may seem a little out of the way, it is well worth a visit. It's quite impressive driving up to the grand entrance, with its wide verandah and lovely ironwork, and the central staircase is also very appealing. The mansion has 42 rooms - everything from the cellar to the servants' quarters to the children's nursery to "his" and "her" bedrooms for Thomas and Elizabeth; even a room used exclusively to empty commode contents from the night before! All in all, Barwon Park is quite grand - I think Phryne Fisher would be right at home here!

My family and I recently attended a function at the mansion, the local scouts carols by candle light. My family is familiar with the home and its beautiful features as we had my sister's wedding there five years ago and have been to the mansion several times over the past few years and are locally from the surrounding winchelsea area. My sister and myself were so excited to take our children to see the mansion, we had talked it up for days prior to going. Our two girls were excited as we were waiting eagerly in the foyer for someone to help us. It was a busy evening so to pass the time while we waited to be served we walked over to the door way of the first room and looked in. The girls were so excited, pointing at the different furniture and fancy carpets when from behind us we heard a very curt voice tell us "come out of there!" I turned around and said to the lady, dressed in an old fashioned maids outfit "sorry we were just looking while we waited for someone to serve us" We must have caught this lady on a bad day because there were no smiles just a very stern angry face. She proceeded to tell us in her rude hostile tone that "tours were not starting until 5:30, you will have to get out!" (Yes she said GET OUT!) I looked at my watch it was 5:20. I was dumbfounded by how rude this lady was. I turned to her and said I won't be paying you any money for a tour when I get spoken to that way, I turned on my heal and headed to the door.She continued dictating to my sister, saying if you read the flyer it said 5:30pm, tours starting, we were given no flyer, simply went by what the Internet had said- starting time 4pm! When she realised we were slightly upset she began to say you can come back at 5:30, but by then the damage had been done. My sister said, don't worry and we returned outside to the lawn for the carols. It was a matter of 10 minutes that we were early. It really ruined our evening as we had been looking forward to showing our girls the house. It's left a bad feeling now about the house we both enjoyed so much. I have been in contact with the national trust, such an iconic part of our history should be run by the right people. It left my girls frightened by the 'cranky old lady at the house!' The mansion hosts weddings and I would hate for a happy bride to encounter this grouchy woman on what is supposed to be such a memorable day. I will finish by saying the mansion itself is amazing and the beautiful sights it holds won't leave you disappointed in anyway. I just hope you don't have to encounter the same rude lady we did! Since discussing this with other locals we have heard other similar stories about the same lady- how truly disappointing that someonein customer service acts this way!

We enjoyed this property very much with lots of information to read and the displays were very well done. The local volunteers were so friendly and dedicated and provided lots of information to us.

The Austins were the parents of Victorian Horse Racing, the instigators of the Austin Hospital, the introducers of the rabbit vermin into Australia, the hosts of C19th visiting Royalty, the owners/builders of this extraordinary home. The National trust has worked hard to restore and explain - well worth the visit.

This is a gorgeous estate not that far from inner Melbourne and a really worthwhile day trip, especially if you go via Bannockburn or Inverleigh. A lovely mansion surrounded by vineyards and plenty to explore, make a day of it, have a picnic or visit the Bannockburn pub, and find a little niche to settle in and enjoy the surrounds. Not too pricey. Worth a visit.

Winchelsea is a very small country town in Victoria, Australia on the road between Geelong and Warnambool. This mansion is a few kilometres off the main road and easy to find. Only open on Wednesday and Sundays and staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. Volunteers guide you round the residence and all rooms are open to the public. Very well preserved building and original furniture has been repurchased after being sold off when house was given to the historic houses trust. Central staircase is three levels, no elevator. Outbuildings containing carriages and stables are interesting. Rabbits were introduced into this area so the future English king could hunt while he was visiting here. The Austin family came from convict roots and made a fortune with wool. Only two generations lived here with no heirs. The first Mrs Austin was a generous benefactor who outlived her husband by over 40 years. Devonshire teas with home made scones make a nice end to the visit. Not much else around this area but it makes a nice stop between towns.

This is a beautiful National Trust property that I found enjoyable to visit.However it is infamous as the site in Australia where rabbits were introduced to Australia some 150 years ago: a decision that all of us who love native animals have come to regret. Nonetheless, enjoy the property that is open on Wednesdays and Sundays.