History
The land that became Narrapumelap was first taken up as a pastoral run by John Dickson Wyselaskie in the 1840s. Wyselaskie was the illegitimate son of a Polish officer who was interned in Sanquhar in Scotland during the Napoleonic Wars, and his father was reputedly the son of the illegitimate son of the last king of Poland. Wyselaskie, a successful pastoralist and philanthropist, named his property after an Aboriginal word associated with the Hopkins River region, and by the 1850s had established a large pastoral station in the district. [2]
Between 1873 and 1878, Wyselaskie commissioned architects Davidson & Henderson to design and build the substantial bluestone homestead that stands today. The resulting mansion is an unusual and eclectic expression of French Gothic Revival architecture, featuring a central projecting wing, castellated tower, bay and bow windows, and decorative cast-iron verandahs. The surrounding estate also included extensive gardens and parkland laid out from its earliest years, making it one of the most impressive pastoral homesteads in rural Victoria by the late 19th century. [1]
Following Wyselaskie's death in 1883, the estate passed through different ownerships, including pastoralist Gerald Neville Buckley, the son of Mars Buckley (who went on to co-found Buckley & Nunn, which later became David Jones) and Elizabeth Marion Neville. After the death of Gerald in 1935, the property then passed on to his brother Charles, until his death. Like many large pastoral holdings in Victoria after World War II, portions of the estate were subdivided for soldier settlement farms, leaving the homestead on a much reduced parcel of land. By 1951, when the McIntrye family bought the property at an auction, the mansion had fallen into a long state of disrepair and suffered from vandalism, and it was widely considered beyond restoration. The McIntyre family resided in a smaller, wooden house 300 metres down the hill for the time being. [1]
The restoration of Narrapumelap has been a long-term project led by Kevin McIntyre, with significant effort and time dedicated to preserving and reviving both the house and its grounds. A key element of the restoration was the reconstruction of the homestead's original tower roof, removed in the early 20th century after storm damage. This was rebuilt in 2017 using historic photographs as a guide and restored the mansion's distinctive skyline feature. [3] Extensive work has also been done on the surrounding gardens and parklands to reflect their 19th-century character, bringing back the estate's historic setting. [4]
Today, Narrapumelap can be visited with guided tours and accommodation offered. The house is only opened for tours twice a year, on Easter Sunday and Monday, and the weekend before the Melbourne Cup.
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