Brechin Gardens Plaque
Transcription
‘Brechin Gardens’ (once part of the farm ‘Holly Green’) was first / owned by Gippsland pioneer Thomas Walton. Walton built the original / house in 1855 and some of the garden is thought to date from this time.
Businessman Sidney J Webb was the new owner in around 1880. In / 1890, Webb planted the row of oak trees along Princes Highway (National Trust classified), obtained from the Nobelius Nursery in Gembrook, Webb / Street is named in his honour, because he helped begin the Narre Warren / Mechanic’s Institute, the school and railway station.
John Lloyd took over the farm in the 1930’s and replaced the original / buildings with a new home called ‘Brechin’. Lloyd probably planted the / Pin Oaks and rose garden (now relocated). ‘Brechin’ was bought by the / Overland Development Corporation in 1988 and later demolished.
‘Brechin Gardens’ is of regional significance to this district because it has / associations with prominent members of Casey’s past; contains plant species rare to the area and collectively has historical, aesthetic / and botanic significance within the region.
Surveyed on: 28 December 2011
Surveyed by: Steven
Narre Warren VIC 3805, Australia
I am related to Thomas Walton. He was my great great great grandfather on my maternal side.
I live in the city of Casey and have visited Brechin gardens a few times.
It’s amazing to think that the land that is now occupied by Fountain gate shopping centre and Bunjil place was once owned and farmed by my ancestors.
My maiden name is Brechin, so it was delightful to sit and eat lunch in the Brechin Gardens today. Despite living only about 8km away, this was the first time that I’d stopped to peruse the gardens.It’s a lovely little oasis in the midst of a sprawling shopping precinct, and therefore of significant value both aesthetically and historically. The very old trees are amazing and the gardens have a lovely rambling, old-world feel about them. However, it was also a little sad to see the gardens looking somewhat unloved and overdue for a good prune and ‘tidy up’ with the onset of spring. I can only assume that perhaps it depends on voluntary labour to maintain its upkeep. It would be such a shame to lose these gardens to neglect.