Captain John Percy Chirnside was born 1865 in Skipton Victoria, the youngest son to wealthy pastoralist Andrew Chirnside. On the death of his father in 1890, Percy along with his brother George inherited the Werribee Estate that included the historic icon Werribee Park Mansion and land stretching all the way from Laverton to Geelong.
Percy married Ethel Mary Fenner in 1893 and after a world wind honeymoon they returned to Werribee and began to construct the family home on the banks of the Werribee River. The home was constructed slightly west of the Wattamolla Avenue/Guyra Crt intersection.
Construction commenced around 1895 and 1,000,000 bricks were used to construct the 30 room mansion, stables and river garden wall for a whopping budget at the time of £8,000. A wool shed equipped for 20 shearers and managers quarters were also constructed. It was here that Percy ran a vast merino sheep farm on approx 35,000 acres of land until in 1909, he decided to sell and the property was subdivided and sold in farm blocks until the family finally sold off the original mansion in 1921.
You can view images of the property here, here, here, and here.
The property changed hands on a number of occasions and in 1934 the late Mr Sidney Myer just before his death was arranging to purchase the property to present to the Catholic Church as a training farm for adolescent boys.
In 1936 a company was formed to purchase the property as a film colony. Film studios, workshops and offices to rival any Hollywood studio were planned but the project never got off the ground and the sale fell thru.
In December 1937 The Manor was sold again for approx £12,000, after failing to attract a bid at auction to Werribee Councillor M. A. Galvin.
On the 25th July 1966 at approx 6:26pm the Werribee Fire Brigade received a call to say The Manor was ablaze. Approx 60 fireman from Werribee and Melbourne fought the blaze for over 2 hours with 3 firemen being injured. Tragically for the current owners the Hayes family the property was completely destroyed and had to be demolished, ending the life of one of Melbourne’s finest properties.
In this location you will find the cache not more than 100m from where The Manor once stood. More information can be obtained from the Werribee and District Historical Society.
Source:
Australian Dictionary Biography, http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070650b.htm
The Argus Newspaper, 5 May 1909, 23 June 1938, 6 Dec 1937
Werribee and District Historical Society DVD
Please no hints in your logs or pics thanks!!