Bickleigh Vale is a landscaped village of approximately 10ha created in

the 1920s by leading Australian landscape gardener and designer Edna

Walling (1895-1973). Bickleigh Vale was developed around Walling's own

residence, 'Sonning' built in 1921 and her studio 'The Cabin'. Walling

lived in the village for most of her working life, moving from 'Sonning'

to 'The Barn' in 1951, before moving to Queensland in 1967. Bickleigh

Vale was named after the village in Devon, England where Walling was raised.

The village was developed from the 1920s in a consistent style by

Walling and a group of likeminded purchasers until the 1950s, whilst

subsequent subdivision has created more than 30 properties. The design

of all allotments in the first few decades was closely controlled by

Walling, and part of the 'Sonning' garden was used by Walling as a

nursery from which plants were supplied to purchasers. Many of

Victoria's most influential landscape designers including Eric Hammond,

Ellis Stones and Glen Wilson gained experience working in the village.

The landscape character is of densely planted trees and shrubs across

the gently undulating topography into which cottages and roads have been

constructed. The mature enclosed landscape allows only glimpses of the

cottages and houses behind the plantings and sloping land. The planting

is diverse and includes old remnant gums, and introduced evergreen trees

and shrubs that provide contrasts of leaf and flower colour, and form

and texture throughout the seasons. The landscape design includes stone

walls, steps, ponds, arbours, flagstones and gravel drives, and richly

planted gardens. Low front fences of timber, stone or wire occur, and

some properties have place names fixed to gates or fences. An important

feature of the village is the use of wire fences covered in shrubs and

climbers to provide a continuous uninterrupted landscape amongst the

cottages and houses.

The landscape retains indigenous Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and

gums, including Eucalyptus macrorhyncha, E. rubida, E. goniocalyx, E.

melliodora, E. obliqua, E. ovata, E. radiata, E. cephalocarpa and E.

viminalis. Exotic plants were introduced into the remnant vegetation and

include conifers, deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, perennials and

bulbs, and many Australian natives that are a feature of Walling

gardens. Of the larger growing trees there are numerous pines (Pinus),

oaks (Quercus), cypress (Cupressus), cedar (Cedrus), elms (Ulmus),

poplars (Populus), ash (Fraxinus) and gums (Eucalyptus and Corymbia).

The earliest introduced plantings were pines, and numerous Monterey

Pines (Pinus radiata) occur along Pine Road and Bickleigh Vale Road, and

throughout the estate. Also along Bickleigh Vale Road are several

uncommon Bishop's-cone Pine (Pinus muricata). Other conifers of

contrasting form have been planted including Monterey Cypress (Cupressus

macrocarpa), Golden Cypress (C. macrocarpa 'Horizontalis Aurea'), Bhutan

Cypress (C. torulosa), Mexican Cypress (C. lusitanica), Smooth-barked

Arizona Cypress (C. glabra), with blue-green foliage, and the narrow

crowned Italian Cypress (C. sempervirens).

The Walling 'signature' plants widely planted at Bickleigh Vale include

Acacia, Acer palmatum, Acmena, Abelia, Amelanchia, Arbutus, Betula,

Berberis, Buddleja, Buxus, Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua,

Carpinus, Catalpa, Chaenomeles, Chimonanthus, Choisya, Cornus, Cotinus,

Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Diospyros, Duetzia, Eleaegnus, Enkianthus,

Forsythia, Hydrangea, Jasminum, Kerria, Kolkwitzia, Laurus,

Leptospermum, Ligustrum, Liquidambar, Liriodendron, Lonicera, Malus,

Magnolia Nandina, Osmanthus, Philadelphus, Photinia, Pittosporum,

Populus, Prostanthera, Prunus, Prunus lusitanica, Pyracantha, Pyrus,

Rhaphiolepis, Spiraea, Syringa, Viburnum, Wisteria; and Helleborus,

Anemone, Agapanthus, Viola, rose cultivars and numerous bulbs, including

Nerine, Ixia, Sparaxis, Narcissus, Hyacinthoides, Leucojum, Iris, and

Muscari.

The houses and outbuildings that were designed or approved by Edna

Walling in what she termed 'the English style' include her own home

'Sonning' which was rebuilt in 1936 following the destruction of

'Sonning I' in a fire, 'The Cabin' (now 'Sarn'), 'Lynton Lee',

'Cornerways', 'Mistover', 'The Barn', 'Downderry', 'Hurst', 'The

Sheilan', 'Glencairn', cottage at 11 Bickleigh Vale Road, 'Badgers

Wood', 'Wimborne', 'Braemark', guest cottage and workshop at 138

Cardigan Road (formerly part of 'Braemark'), 'Winty' and 'Bena Lodge'.

All have a harmonious combination of design elements such as rustic

stone on lower levels, dark stained shingles on upper gable ends, simple

multi-paned casement windows, dormer windows, prominent stone chimneys,

and French doors opening onto patios with attached stone and timber

pergolas.

scientific (horticultural), historical and architectural significance to

the State of Victoria.

significance as the major work of its creator, the gifted and

single-minded landscape designer Edna Walling. Walling received her

certificate from Burnley Horticultural College at the end of World War

One and was one of the first women to establish a successful garden

design practice. Her reputation was enhanced by her regular gardening

column in the Australian Home Beautiful which popularised her ideas

about gardens and their designs. The village survives as her largest

single creation, and is significant for the retention of much of the

landscape character as planned by Walling, and the survival of many

cottages created or approved by Walling, as well as garden plantings

inspired by Walling's writings and designs. The aesthetic quality of the

landscape includes the apparently casual nature of the internal lanes,

the character of the mature plantings, the continuous nature of the

landscaping which permits glimpses of carefully sited cottages, and the

complementary relationship between exotic and Australian plants.

Bickleigh Vale is of scientific (horticultural) significance for its

many outstanding trees and plantings, including stands of rare oaks and

other deciduous varieties. Numerous plants occurring at Bickleigh Vale

were popularised by Edna Walling. Individual properties have plantings

of horticultural and landscape value. This includes the following

outstanding or rare oaks; two Quercus bicolor at 'Sonning' and another

tree at 'The Barn', Quercus macrocarpa and Q. accutissima at

'Glencairn', a rare Quercus aff.lobata at 'Sonning' and a very large

Quercus ilex at 'The Barn'. In the 'Lynton Lee' garden are Quercus

'Macedon', Q. rubra, Q. macrocarpa, Q. nigra and Q. canariensis. Other

outstanding deciduous trees are wide spreading Golden Elms (Ulmus glabra

'Lutescens') at 'Badgers Wood' and 'Downderry', an outstanding Zelkova

serrata at 'Glencairn', an Algerian Oak (Quercus canariensis) at

'Locharden', and a large Hornbeam (Carpinus betulis) at 11 Bickleigh

Vale Road. Both 'Sonning' and 'Lynton Lee' have impressive stands of

Silver Birch (Betula pendula), a popular Walling planting. 'Lynton Lee'

also has an uncommon Himalayan Pine (Pinus wallichiana), and at 'Badgers

Wood' there is a wide spreading Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.) and at

'Locharden' a large stand of Tea-tree (Leptospermum sp.)'

Walling's own garden at 'Sonning' is significant for being largely

intact with a wide variety of trees and shrubs including Sequoiadendron

giganteum, Sequoia sempervirens, and Cupressus torulosa, beside the

entrance gate, Pseudotsuga mensiezii and an outstanding Chamaecyparis

funebris. 'The Cabin' has an impressive Callitris glaucophylla, and at

'Wimborne' there is a fine Chamaecyparis lawsonniana. Of horticultural

significance are the Malus x purpurea 'Sonningensis' a crabapple

selected about 1936-40 by Edna Walling from her garden 'Sonning' and

planted at 'Lynton Lea' and 'Mistover'. There is a fine example of Rosa

'Edna Walling', a rose named in her honour, growing over the front of

'Glencairn'. 'Glencairn' also has an unusual moss lawn.

Bickleigh Vale is of historical significance for being conceived and

developed some years before Walling gained recognition and achieved

commercial success as a gardener. The subdivision plan, influenced by

Walling is largely retained and is reflected in the spatial disposition

and generally low density of residences, the major boundary plantings

and fence lines, and the boundaries of roads and lanes. Bickleigh Vale

attracted a small community of her female friends who lived at various

times in the different cottages and houses. The Village is an

extraordinary experiment in urban design and was during and beyond her

lifetime an inspiration for her followers.

Bickleigh Vale is of architectural significance for the design of the

cottages and houses, particularly for the harmonious combination of

materials. Also of architectural significance are the hard landscape

elements including ponds, stone walls, paving and other works which

complement the design of the cottages and which together with the

cottages exemplify Walling's individual and original approach to a

unified and integrated cottage-village design ideal. Although many of

the original cottages have been extended or altered, all retain

significant Walling influence. (Victorian Hertiage Register 2005).

Because of its unique planning and its unitary style, the estate takes the form of a small village. (Tansley, 1978)