Ormiston House, Accommodation, Strahan, Tasmania
continued
The fine Tasmanian blackwood bar built in Launceston by Tasmanian craftsmen is an eye-catching attraction in this cosy room.
Just the place to enjoy a glass of fine red or an elegant crisp Tassie white. Served by Mike & Carolyn you are assured of a pleasurable
evening as they tell you all about this fine mansion.
Visit the wine cellar where the best of Australia's wines are resting peacefully on racks of Huon, Blackwood and King Billy.
Ormiston House is well known for the big selection of wines, and for those who
enjoy an 'old red', Mike makes sure there are a few 'old-timers' down there for
hose who 'know' their wines.
There are stories to tell about some of the paintings not only in the bar but also in the hallways. The Rugby Game, the Racing Clippers, Fort Clinton, the Cricket Match and RMS Berengaria but to name a few.
The 100-year-old magnolias dominate the garden. Planted in 1899, the same year as the house was built, these beautiful trees are perhaps Tasmania's finest examples of Magnolia Grandiflora. Once the gardens were enclosed behind a wall of Macrocarpa, box hedged to 10 metres. Perhaps as a wind break as much as for privacy. Today those trees are gone save for three, second generation examples on Bay Street. The 3 metre high holly hedge, covered in a mass of red berries, used to shield the front of the house from prying eyes. That
too is gone, giving passers by a full view of the house that F.O. built. Privacy is the last thing on the minds of the current owners.
A recent landscaping has restored the gardens after years of neglect. Today the azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons flower profusely giving the grounds a blaze of colour and the sweet smell of an English garden. The roses are a feature and are quickly establishing in a climate that they love so well.
Slightly to the east of the front door is a huon pine that seems to be thriving. No-one has told this tree that it is supposed to be slow growing. Hidden among some older trees is a rapidly growing King Billy Pine. No-one has told this tree it is not supposed to grow below 600m. The same could be said for a New Zealand Kauri Pine also hidden among magnolia branches.
Strahan has currently
around 1.6 metres of rainfall each year, and combined with the peaty sandy loam soil, excellent drainage provides an ideal environment for the kind of plants that would have been at Ormiston House in F.O.'s time.
The aspect of the house is facing due south. It sits symmetrically upon the junction of three titles. The grounds can never be sub-divided so the future of the house and gardens are now secure for future generations to enjoy.
Conclusion
To look at the future, we must examine the past. The true entrepreneurs of the West Coast were the original pioneers like F.O. Henry. They built empires and businesses with their bare hands. They started with nothing and created
something grand and lasting. They set an example to all that followed. They worked hard and played hard. Some died young and some lived to a ripe old age. But they all had something in common. They
had spirit and character. They built monuments to their achievements. Ormiston House is one such monument.
Acknowledgements:
I wish to acknowledge the following reference books and authors and recommend their works for further reading on Tasmania.
Through Hells Gates – Kerry Pink
Exiled Three Times Over! – Irene Schaffer and Thelma McKay
West Coast Story – Kerry Pink
The Peaks of Lyell – Geoffrey Blainey
I would also like to thank the following people for their contribution of information, memorabilia and assistance.
Mrs Margaret Henry
Mr Owen Clarke
Mr Bruce Hutchinson – Photography
Mr Peter Woolley
Mrs Thelma Watt, Shetland Family History Society