Rippon Lea
192 Hotham Street ELSTERNWICK, Glen Eira City
Glen Eira City
Rippon Lea
192 Hotham Street ELSTERNWICK, Glen Eira City
Glen Eira City
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Rippon Lea Elsternwick, August 1994
Statement of Significance
"Rippon Lea" is a most imposing Italian Renaissance revival villa resjdence in the Lombardic Romanesque style with extensive and highly picturesque landscaped grounds and garden structures. It has aesthetic significance as a superlative example of its architectural style, retaining exceptional associated features including the conservatory, the Hollywood style ballroom and the swimming pool. The gardens are described in Tanner, H. and Begg, J., The Great Gardens of Australia, MacMillan (1983) p.85 as "probably the finest extant example of nineteenth century landscape taste as used to provide ornamental grounds to a suburban mansion". The rustic garden structures, lake and grotto form noteworthy features within the grounds whilst the fernery is of exceptional scale and form.The Estate has historical importance for its associations with Sir Frederick Sargood, Sir Thomas Bent and Benjamin Nathan. It is an important example of the work of architects Reed and Barnes who were highly influential in the popularisation of polychrome brickwork for all classes of building during the mid to late Victorian period.
