Visit to South Morang's historic sites - January 2010

I joined Chris on a visit to South Morang where he was meeting with Jan Penney, who is the executive chair of Mint Inc. a committee of management appointed by the Victorian Government to restore heritage properties located on Crown Land for commercial and community use. Parks Victoria has divested some its historic properties to Mint Inc. as they have the funding to take on the rehabilitation and restoration required to protect and maintain these resources on a long-term basis.

Mint Inc.'s mission is to ensure these buildings are expertly restored to protect their heritage values and provide a viable commercial or community use. They generates their funds from the leasing of these buildings and management of the very successful car park on the grounds at the rear of the historic Mint Building in Melbourne.

The historic properties we visited in South Morang are located along the nature reserve corridor that is managed by Parks Victoria. As such, Parks Victoria works closely with Mint Inc. with regard to land management and issues that affect both the nature reserve and the historic property.

Farm Vigano

This heritage estate provides an important link to Mario and Teresa Vigano, a prominent Melbourne Italian restaurant family.
The Vigano's owned one of Melbourne's seminal Italian restaurants, Mario's, mid last century. The family's influence on Melbourne's cuisine continued with their granddaughters.

The Viganos used the property as a retreat and also served as their city dwelling. It was originally a small weatherboard cottage enhanced by its spectacular setting overlooking a sweeping section of the Plenty River, near the Plenty Gorge. By the early 1950s, the cottage was extended and rebuilt in at least seven stages into a three-storied, imposing brick and weatherboard residence.

The house contains distinctive Italian cultural references, such as the stone walling on the drive, similar to mountain roads in Italy, and the boarded chalet style gable ends. The French doors and iron balustrades overlooked the formal garden terraces below and spectacular views of the valley. The garden gates were one of the first major commissions for noted metal craftsman and engineer Gio Batta Stella, who later established a large workshop in Carlton.

View from inside Farm Vigano.

Inside Farm Vigano - beautiful metal and woodwork,

and an impressive terrazzo bathroom!!

We enjoyed a nice tea with Jan and the gentleman who takes care of Farm Vigano on this terrace over looking the river valley.

Carome Homestead

The Carome Homestead is made of locally quarried bluestone and is located within the Plenty River nature corridor area
to the east of the Riverdale on Plenty land. Parks Victoria manages the nature reserve and has recently divested Carome Homestead to Mint Inc. who will continue to protect this historic property preserve and provide access to the public. It has been rehabilitated to a restaurant/ dining facility and its grounds are the site of a large community garden for the neighbouring communities.

Parks Victoria works with Mint Inc. on issues related to the site as part of its management of the nature reserve. The site is beautiful overlooking the river and we saw many birds and some kangaroos who were waiting for us to leave the homestead so that they could raid the community garden. They are not an easy pest to keep out of gardens!

These Kangaroos stopped in their tracks when they spotted me and just kept staring at me keenly waiting for me to go away so that they could safely continue their quest to raid the garden!

Carome is of historical significance to Victoria as the site of one of the State's earliest water powered flour mills. Remnants of the c1841 mill remain on the banks of the Plenty River, which forms the eastern boundary of the property. The site also contains other early elements including an 1860s bluestone homestead, primitive timber sheds, remnant orchards and a graveyard.