Ormiston House, Accommodation, Strahan, Tasmania
continued
They had done what the sceptics had said couldn't be done. They had restored a stately home in 5 months, during a West Coast winter and were ready for the first houseguests to arrive. The first day the house was finished, and before the journalists arrived, the Strahan Primary
School Parents and Friends were given the opportunity to raise funds. Ormiston House had always had an aura of mystery about it. Only a few of the locals had ever been invited into it's hallowed halls. But on that first open day over three hundred locals visited the house and experienced
the grandeur of a bygone era.
It was sad that only a few months after Mike and Carolyn arrived that Frederick Ormiston Henry the third passed away suddenly after a heart attack. He was never to see the house, that he and his predecessors loved so much, completely restored but he saw much of the early work completed and shared in the vision that was
to become a reality.
The Rooms
Ormiston House is a 20-room mansion, however it was not the intention of Mike & Carolyn to change the general layout and feeling of the house by making every room a bedroom purely for the sake of obtaining revenue. Ormiston House was a special place and as such deserved to be kept close to the original owner's
intentions. With a few 20th century comforts, of course.
Although the plan was to eventually have four luxury suites it was decided to open with three and after the first year open a fourth suite. The rooms were named after the original members of the Henry family. F O Henry, Mary Alice, Amelia and Jessie. The Restaurant would be named Fredericks after the three Frederick Ormiston Henrys and the History Gallery would be named after Harry Lyell Henry who was tragically killed during the First World War.
The Restaurant, Fredericks, occupies two rooms that are joined by an internal sliding door. Quite an innovation at the turn of the century.
(After
8 years operation Carolyn and Michael closed the restaurant and decided that
they should concentrate on accommodation and beverages ). Originally the two
restaurant rooms were the library and the music room. The bar and lounge is
called the Port o’ Call. It was decided that this room would have a nautical
theme as Strahan is a port and F O owned ships and had dealings with shipping
companies.
After much debate, the area under the stairs was to become a wine cellar. The floor was removed and the rubble amongst the footings was removed. The bricks that were removed from the walls to make doorways for en-suites were used as a floor and steps. The result is an excellent wine cellar stocked with the very best of Tasmanian and mainland wines.
The room at the East end of the front of the house became the morning or breakfast room. This room accepts the sun through the bay window in early morning and is a bright and cheerful room to start the day.
There was a sitting room next to the kitchen that was to become the office and today is the " nerve centre " ( nervous centre ) of Ormiston House.
The F.O. Henry Room
This room is the premier suite at Ormiston House and quite rightly so. This room was the bedroom of F.O. and Mary Alice. Originally we believe there was a solid brass four poster bed. This was sold by the Henrys some years ago. It seemed only fitting that such an imposing room should have an equally imposing bed. The mahogany hand-carved four poster bed with tartan drapes exudes a Scottish feel, another tribute to the heritage of the Henrys.
The wardrobe in this room is the only piece of furniture that has remained in the house since it was built. The magnificent cedar robe has a brass inlaid set of drawers in the centre section with hanging space within each side section. The beveled glass mirrors give this huge
room yet another dimension. The fabrics in this room are beautifully co-ordinated between the window drapes and four poster bed giving this room a very stately atmosphere.
The dresser is English and dated around 1890. The chaise lounge is also English and dated around 1860. As with all the rooms at Ormiston House, the pieces of furniture were handpicked to suit each room.
The bathroom was originally a servant's room that had a doorway into the hallway. This doorway was closed off and another put in place as access from the bedroom. The bathroom has a unique curved glass shower and like all bathrooms in Ormiston House is typical federation design with exposed brass tapware and some
original cast iron fittings.
The Mary Alice Room
Mike & Carolyn felt that Mary Alice deserved a room of her own. Even though she shared the master suite with her husband, such a Victorian matriarch should have a room with décor to match. There is no doubt that Mary Alice was the homemaker.
F.O. was the businessman and from all accounts it was Mary Alice who was the decision-maker in the home.
Because of her strength of character, Carolyn chose an antique four poster bed as a statement to her authority in the house. The colours and fabrics, while feminine in design, have a depth to them in keeping with Mary Alice's stature as the woman behind the man.
The wardrobe and dresser in this room are French which was not unusual in stately homes of the time. The furniture dates from 1885 and combines well with the cedar four poster bed, c1850.
This room has an interesting mantelpiece. Originally this mantelpiece was in the sitting room (now the office). The original fireplace in this room was very large and at some stage was made smaller, probably after the Henrys sold the house in 1975. Originally this
room was the breakfast and meals room. There is a door behind the wardrobe that leads to the old kitchen and pantry. Another door has been closed off which led to the scullery.