Werribee Park - Melbourne 4.85

Werribee Park is the estate of a historical building in Werribee, Victoria, Australia.It includes Werribee Park Mansion, the Victoria State Rose Garden, formal gardens, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, the Werribee Open Range Zoo, a contemporary sculpture walk and a natural riverine which is being grown with the plants of the Kurung Jang Balluk clan who lived on Werribee River. There is also the Mansion Hotel and Conference Centre. The Park was purchased by the Victoria State Government in 1973. It was opened as a tourist attraction in 1977. It is run by Parks Victoria.Werribee Park MansionWerribee Park Mansion was built between 1874 and 1877 in the Italianate style by the pioneering pastoralists Thomas Chirnside (1815-1887) and his brother Andrew Chirnside (1818-1890), from Scotland, founders of the "Chirnside Pastoral Empire". Its residential and working buildings supported a large farm workforce. The rooms open to the public include the billiard room, the main bedrooms, the reception rooms and part of the kitchen.In 1887 Thomas Chirnside committed suicide, when his brother Andrew Spencer Chirnside then took over the running of the Werribee and all the holdings along with his sons. When Andrew Chirnside died in 1890 of heart disease, his jewellery and other personal items were left to his wife, Mary Chirnside (née Begbie), for the term of her life and then to his sons, George Thomas Chirnside and John Percy Chirnside. In addition, Andrew Chirnside bequeathed to his wife a legacy of £10,000, and also an annuity of £5000 during her life to be paid out to her every six months. Lastly, Andrew Chirnside devised to his sons all his interest in the Werribee Park and Point Cook Estates and all the other property of the partnership firm of Andrew Chirnside & Sons. One son, George Chirnside, inherited Werribee Park Mansion and surrounding lands while the younger brother, John Percy, inherited the rocky stone land above the railway line. Not surprisingly, this led to ill feelings, and when Percy purchased land and had Hamilton build "The Manor" in 1895-1896, George took out a court order to prevent Percy from using the word "Werribee" when naming his new mansion.