By Miriam Bilander, BSRV Program Manager.
On Wednesday the 14th of May, 2025, Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria organised for twenty three people with vision loss, along with their volunteers and support workers to visit the historic Black Rock House for Devonshire Tea and a tour of the house, its stables, kitchen, servant quarters and surrounding garden.
Built between 1856 and 1858 by Charles Ebden, Victoria’s first Auditor-General, half of this ‘holiday home’ was made to look like a castle, using brown sandstone quarried nearby. Where upon the local stonemasons of the time disappeared to join the gold rush, the other half of the house had to be constructed with wooden panels to give a cottage-type appearance.
Tour guides, Fred and Malcolm, dressed in traditional colonial costumes with none other than a top hat and cravat, sharing endless knowledge about the contents of the house, all sourced by the Friends of Black Rock House, excluding one original chair!
Highlights included touching three 170 year-old fig trees surrounding the house, and socialising while eating yummy scones.
On the train home, one participant exclaimed, “Both guides were very informative and it was fascinating learning about the history of Black Rock House”.
Thank you to the City of Bayside for all their support, as well as BSRV volunteers, Carmel, John, Rob and Cassandra for helping on the day.
