The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) is a community-based, non-government organisation committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage places of cultural significance in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. It was founded in 1956.

Establishment

With threats to fine colonial mansions in Sydney, the first National Trust in Australia was established in New South Wales in 1945. In Victoria, where the heritage of ornate land boom buildings was less valued, it took some time for heritage advocates to get organised. The publication in 1953 of the popular ''Early Melbourne Architecture 1840-1888'', by artist, writer, and public speaker Maie Casey was the first attempt at raising awareness. In the following months, major figures from society, the arts, town planning and architecture in Melbourne began to discuss the setting up of Trust similar to that in Britain and NSW. Spurred by the demolition of the spectacular 1870 mansion Wendrew in Toorak in 1954, and the likely imminent sale of the nearby grand colonial estate

Como House Como House is a historical house, with associated gardens in the City of Stonnington, Victoria, Australia. It was constructed in 1847 for Sir Edward Eyre Williams, and now serves as a tourist attraction under the custodianship of the National ...

, a series of ever larger meetings were held, culminating in the formation of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) in May 1956, as a charity, with its first aim being the acquisition of Como. A remarkable feature of the people who established the Trust was the number of prominent and influential people, and "the close network of family and business between them". These figures included author

Joan Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine * Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...

, her husband

Daryl Lindsay Sir Ernest Daryl Lindsay (31 December 1889, in Creswick, Victoria – 25 December 1976, in Mornington), known as Dan Lindsay, was an Australian artist. Early life He was the youngest son in a large family born to Anglo-Irish surgeon Robert Cha ...

, Director of the National Gallery of Victoria, R T M Pescott, director of the Museum of Victoria, architect and critic Robin Boyd, Maie Casey and her husband politician Richard Casey, Noel and Elizabeth Goss, architect Roy Simpson, and University of Melbourne Professor of Architecture Brian Lewis. Early Patrons included Sir

Dallas Brooks General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks, (22 August 1896 – 22 March 1966) was a British military commander who went on to become the 19th and longest-serving governor of Victoria, Australia. Early life Brooks was born on 22 August 1896 a ...

and Lady Brooks, Sir

Owen Dixon Sir Owen Dixon (28 April 1886 – 7 July 1972) was an Australian judge and diplomat who served as the sixth Chief Justice of Australia. A judge of the High Court for thirty-five years, Dixon was one of the leading jurists in the English-s ...

, Lord Baillieu, Lady Grimwade and Lady Murdoch.

Properties

The Victorian National Trust manages 38 properties in the state, 30 of which it owns, and eight of which are properties on Crown land. There are 24 National Trust properties regularly open to the public.National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Heritage Tourism and Eco Tourism
/ref> The most well known include the historic cell block known as the

Old Melbourne Gaol The Old Melbourne Gaol is a former jail and current museum on Russell Street, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It consists of a bluestone building and courtyard, and is located next to the old City Police Watch House and City Courts buildin ...

in Melbourne, the Melbourne Maritime Museum in Southbank which includes the restored ship the ''

Polly Woodside ''Polly Woodside'' is a Belfast-built, three-masted, iron-hulled barque, preserved in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), and forming the central feature of the South Wharf precinct. The ship was originally built in Belfast by William J. Woodside ...

'', and the historic mansion and gardens of the

Rippon Lea Estate Rippon Lea Estate is a heritage-listed historic house and gardens located in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the care of the National Trust of Australia. It was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 11 August 20 ...

in Elsternwick and

in Toorak.

References

External links

National Trust of Australia (Victoria)

Establishment

Properties

See also

References

External links

Further reading