Mona Vale is a large heritage listed 1860s country house in

Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. Completed in 1867, it is well known locally as the " Calendar House", for its reportedly 365 windows, 52 rooms, 12 chimneys and seven entrances. The property is on the Tasmanian Heritage Register and the Register of the National Estate (since 1978).

Etymology

The origin of the name of Mona Vale is disputed. Jupp, J lists it as named after

Castle Mona Castle Mona is a former private residence later used as a hotel in Douglas, Isle of Man. The house was built between 1803 and 1804 for John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl during his capacity as the Isle of Man's Governor General.Isle of Man Times, ...

, a historic home of the

Duke of Atholl Duke of Atholl, named for Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male of h ...

and presently a hotel. Bennet, A states that the name is derived from Monaeoda, the Latin name for the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

History

Mona Vale was built by

Robert Kermode Robert Quayle Kermode (1812 – 4 May 1870) was a British politician. He was a member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council and the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the 1850s and 1860s. In 1852 Godfrey Mundy claimed Kermode to be the richest Man ...

and designed by

William Archer William or Bill Archer may refer to: * William Archer (British politician) (1677–1739), British politician * William S. Archer (1789–1855), U.S. Senator and Representative from Virginia * William Beatty Archer (1793–1870), Illinois politician ...

, his brother-in-law. At the time of its completion, it became the largest private house in Australia. It has received multiple royal visits over its lifetime. In 1868,

Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 184430 July 1900) was the sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1893 to 1900. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was known as the Duke of Edinburgh from 1 ...

visited, and later the then Duke of York (future King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

) and the Duchess of York visited in 1927, with then Princess Elizabeth (

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

). It was purchased by the Cameron family in the 1920s. The estate was also the site of a military training ground, and the camp of a light horse regiment during WWII.

External links

Trove collection of pictures and paintings of Mona Vale

References

{{coord , -42.09251 , 147.50262, type:landmark_region:AU-TAS, display=title 1867 establishments in Australia Tasmanian Heritage Register Houses in Tasmania