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The White Hat Guide to Toorak House (The Swedish Church)
Toorak House
(The Swedish Church)
21 St Georges Road
Toorak
(Mel ref 2M K5)
2-9pm, Mon-Thur
2-6pm, Fri-Sun
Enquiries: (03) 9827 5580
see also | | |
This impressive mansion was built for the merchant James Jackson and like Como, further down river, was situated in its large estate running down to the Yarra River. The name of the estate and house, which may have been Aboriginal, was later adopted by the suburb of Toorak. Jackson died in 1851 and the house was leased by the Government of the Colony of Victoria to serve as a residence for the colonial governor. The government of the day spent a large amount of money upgrading the building for the arrival of Governor Hotham whose tenure was short and tumultuous, covering as it did the events of the Eureka Stockade. It served as Victoria's Government House from 1854 until 1876 when the current purpose-built Government House took over that role. A sketch of the building by S.T.Gill presents us with a reminder of Toorak House in its days in its days as Government House The mansion reverted to being a family home until it was pressed into service during World War II as the Women's Australian Air Force hostel. The property was bought in 1956 by the The Swedish Church who undertook further renovations. In particular an impressive chapel was created on the ground floor. The estate has long since disappeared and is now occupied by some of the most expensive homes in Melbourne, and the Victorian Italianate mansion now stands in a much smaller but delightful setting. It is regularly used for church services and cultural activities, and has a small shop selling Scandinavian crafts and Scandanavian food. 
Click on the Toorak House link to the right of the map. Use the controls to zoom in or out on the map or change to satellite view.
Related links
Some links related to historic homes on this site
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| Page last updated: | 05 December, 2009 | | URL:
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SCIENCE NEWS
Australia's first female Nobel Prize Winner
White Hat congratulates
Dr Elizabeth
Blackburn on becoming Australia's first female
Nobel Prize Winner.
Readers of our site will know that we have predicted that she would
become a Nobel Prize winner for some time and that Elizabeth
Blackburn has long been on our list of
200 Significant
Australians and 100
Important Living Australians despite the National Trust Living
Treasures list passing over her and people like Fields Medal winner
Terry Tao in favour of
minor media presenters. Congratulations Dr Blackburn from those thousands who
like you studied science at the University of Melbourne. |
TOURISM NEWS
Qantas In Flight Magazine chooses
White Hat
Cemetery Tour as its featured Australian tour for May
There are many fine historical tours
throughout Australia including cemetery tours. From these, the
prestigious Qantas In Flight Magazine has chosen the White Hat Tour
of Melbourne Cemetery as its featured Australian tour for the May
2007 edition. This tour was also featured by ABC radio on 24 May and
will feature in a documentary series on Burke and Wills to be shown
on European television in 2008. The tour has been operating for many years and has won
praise from a wide range of sources. This is not a dry and stuffy
tour but in keeping with all White Hat offerings it is Informed,
Intelligent, Independent (and occasionally) Irreverent. You can find
details of the tour at White
Hat Tour of Melbourne Cemetery and view the article at
Qantas In Flight Magazine. |
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