Mawallok homestead and station is one of the original pastoral runs in the district, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Database.
In 1839, a 66,000 acre pastoral settlement of Stockyard Hill was established by Scottish squatters Thomas Steele and Philip Black. The name of this station was later changed to St Enochs.
In 1846, St Enochs Station was subdivided, with Thomas Steele taking 26,000 acres to the north, and renaming this run ‘Mawallok’.
In 1847, Mawallok was acquired by Alexander Russell, and it remained in the Russell family until 1980, when it was sold to its present owners.
Mawallok mansion
The primary residence is a large 50-room mansion, designed in 1908 by Melbourne architect Rodney Alsop.
There are numerous outbuildings on the station, including woolshed, meathouse, stables, coach house, blacksmith’s shop, manager’s hut, men’s quarters, and numerous other cottages and huts.
Stables
In 1909, the now-heritage listed garden was designed by William Guilfoyle, Director of Melbourne Botanic Gardens, protected by windbreaks of pine and cypress trees, privet hedges, and stone walls.
Later, a ha-ha wall was constructed between the garden and a six hole golf course. Garden features include tennis court, rockery, pond, pergola, sundial, urns and shrubberies, and a large Horse Chestnut tree that dominates the main lawn.
In 1927, Sir John Monash was commissioned to extend one of the dams into a 22 acre lake. The views over the lake extend across to Mount Cole in the distance.
Mawallok opens its gardens to the public once a year.
View across lake to Mount Cole