High up on Bass Street in Eden, a grand house proudly faces out towards the ocean, as it has done for the last 140 years, holding many memories and meanings.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There are happy reflections of childhood, stories of historical significance, admiration of the craftsmanship that went into its making, a ghost story or two, and an awareness of the importance of the land itself on which the home stands.
Local artist Vicki McCredie purchased the property and moved into town from Towamba last year. She sees herself as the caretaker of the property, which is known to many as Hopetoun House.
"The house wasn't actually for sale, and I had never really paid it any attention," Vicki said.
"I love the land. I love the house. I love being here.
"I instantly felt the land. A special location where many have stood before, as a vantage point for the bays and lake now obscured by later-constructed buildings."
The house was built in 1880 by WJ Moorhead, as a holiday place for Lord Hopetoun, the Governor of Victoria. The British aristocrat also served as the first Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1902.
Moorhead's great-great-grandson Brian Moorhead still lives in Eden today.
"My ancestor was the first Imlay Shire president at the time. He and Lord Hopetoun were very good mates and tied up in those circles together, that's how the house came to be with us in those days," Brian said.
"We had a good family life there, it's a lovely old home. We would sit out on the verandah, look out to sea. Inclement weather would blow into the French doors.
"I remember rushing down to the beach to take refuge from the bushfires in 1952," Brian said.
In getting to know the place she now calls home more intimately, Vicki has reflected on what the place may represent, to her and to those from other backgrounds.
"The building is a symbol of colonialism, conquest and oppression of the original people who stood here, sat where the house is built and perhaps ate and slept with their families," she said.
"I am processing these thoughts, hoping to harmonise with the land, the house, the spirits that are here.
"Many people don't stop to think this is an Indigenous site. The original inhabitants would have looked out at the whales from this location.
"We have a community still struggling to integrate. We have a building like this called heritage - the land should be heritage - this could raise a lot of issues for people interested in opening their minds," Vicki said.
Down the track, Vicki wants people to feel they can come and look at the house and "play in it".
"Perhaps the symbolism of the house might provoke people to think, 'Oh, I never looked at it like that'," she said.
Brothers Justin and Danny Yuille of Nethercote Painting have worked on the house over the last 15 years.
"There aren't many Victorian houses like that in town," Danny said.
"It's a joy to work on, it's an awesome house. Out of the 100 houses we have painted in town, we have always wanted to work on that one... it's grand.
"A lot of tradesmen have worked on it over the years, there has been some extraordinary work done. Most of it is hand-hewn," Danny said.
Author Cheryl Adam, who has written two novels set in Hopetoun House, is also a descendant of WJ Moorhead and remembers years spent in the family home.
"We had an old aunty who lived next door, we used to walk over there and deliver her dinner for her at nighttime," Cheryl said.
"We had to make sure we did it early enough, or else she would stick a gun out the back door, she was scared of intruders," Cheryl said with a laugh.
Vicki has chosen to live in the shed on the property for the time being.
"Initially the house was hard to feel comfortable in. I feel that it belongs to the community, even though I'm minding it," she said.
When purchasing the house, her conveyancer asked Vicki if she was aware it was heritage listed.
"This simple question helped me to understand some of the reasons I'm somewhat unsettled being inside the house. I asked myself what that meant to me, and what it might it mean to others," she said.
"What makes a building more important than the land it sits on? Who built it, when and why? How do I feel about being here? Who lived here?
"There is beauty and skill, the obvious love that has held the building in its well preserved state. There are the gardens surrounding, and the exquisite views of the ocean," Vicki said.
The house is currently being painted, Justin and Danny carefully repairing and restoring the wear and tear of the weather, readying the house for a new era in its life as part of the history of Eden.
A B4 zoning will allow a business to operate on the premises, but Vicki is still unclear exactly what she will do there.
"I have placed cairns and pillars in the open spaces on both sides of the house to adjust the flow of energy around the building. There is a seat and a little pile of rocks for passersby to create their own," she said.
"The knowledge of the heritage listing affected me deeply. I now look at many structures around the shire with a different understanding from that which I previously had.
"I look at the park nearby with a gun pointing out into the bay, next to the school, the church, a convent, a playground, the hall, and question afresh what that collection of structures means on a deeper level.
"I'm concerned for our beautiful Earth, the true mother of all life that exists here, not being heritage listed," Vicki said.
She looks forward to hosting an open day for the community once COVID restrictions lift.
Read also:
Leah Szanto
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
