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Blackwood House

Location 597 Blackwood-Dunkeld Road,, PENSHURST VIC 3289 - Property No B2588 File Number B2588 Level State

[1/1] B2588 Blackwood House

Statement of Significance

Blackwood is one of the finest nineteenth century examples of the picturesque house in Australia and a masterpiece of the architectural practice Butler and Ussher. The long single storey gabled main building gives an Australian character to a style derived principally from contemporary English works. The homestead, stable block and coach house date from 1891 when they were erected for R. B. Ritchie, and still remains in the Ritchie family.
The perimeter walls of the house are constructed in bluestone. The terracotta tile roof (the tiles were imported from Bridgwater in the West of England) is punctuated by half timbered gables and clusters of tall red brick chimneys. The variety of window types displayed across the facade reflects the scale and importance of the rooms they illuminate.
Internally, the house incorporates a superb suite of principal rooms comprising reception hall, drawing room (with inglenook and an elevated bay window), dining room, study, and billiard room. The billiard room includes an elevated stage area, ensuite urinal, and gives access to the lower staircase.
The homestead is sited on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding plains with views of the Grampian Ranges and stands apart from the day-to-day farm buildings of the estate.
Classified: 03/11/1983