Chateau Yering Hotel
Chateau Yering Hotel
{{For|other uses of Chateau Yering or Chateau Yering Historical House
| Chateau Yering Hotel | |
|---|---|
| File:Aerial view chateau yering hotel.jpg | |
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| Former names | Chateau Yering Historical House Hotel |
| General information | |
| Type | Historic Home |
| Location | 42 Melba Highway, Yering, Victoria |
| Town or city | Yering |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°40′16.2″S 145°22′59.9″E / 37.671167°S 145.383306°ECoordinates: 37°40′16.2″S 145°22′59.9″E / 37.671167°S 145.383306°E Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Completed | 1854 |
| Renovated | 1996 |
| Owner | Max Zhang |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 32 |
| Parking | on-site |
| Website | |
| www | |
Chateau Yering Hotel
Chateau Yering Hotel (Chateau Yering Historic House Hotel) is situated in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. The Yarra Valley is a cool climate wine region known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The hotel is situated on 250 acres and the grounds slope down to a 2.7 kilometre frontage along the Yarra River.
The main house and gardens of Chateau Yering Hotel were heritage listed by the National Trust in 1998.[1] They are of particular historical significance for their role in the history of viticulture and winemaking in Victoria. The first Victorian grapevine was planted at Chateau Yering and Victoria’s first wine production began at the property in 1845.[2]
In 1837 the Ryrie Brothers were granted a grazing license for 43,000 acres of land they called “Yering” and their Yering homestead was located on the present-day site of Chateau Yering.[3] In the late 19th Century, the property was considered one of the most successful Victorian wineries winning the Grand Prix award at the Paris Exhibition of 1898.[4] Chateau Yering currently operates as an elegant Country House-style hotel. The hotel has 32 suites and 2 restaurants.
Early History
Early Settlement in the Yarra Valley
The first European settlers to arrive in the Lilydale district were William, Donald and James Ryrie. Three sons of Stewart Ryrie[5], a Scottish gentleman. The Ryries arrived in Sydney in 1825. Several years later Stewart Ryrie resigned his commission as Deputy Commissary General and took up a pastoral lease in Monaro, New South Wales. In 1837 his sons travelled overland with a herd of cattle from Monaro (New South Wales) to Victoria (Australia) in search of new grazing land.[6] The trip served a dual purpose, as the brothers were also interested in investigating the possibility of the establishment of a mail route from Yass to Port Phillip. This was subsequently reported to the Colonial Secretary.[7]
At the end of their journey, the Ryrie Brothers took up a grazing licence of 43,000 acres, which stretched from the Woori Yallock Creek to the Olinda Creek, and was bordered on the north by the Yarra River.[8] The property was called Yering, which was its Aboriginal name. Nutt’s original survey of the area indicates that by 1839, the Ryries had established a cattle station at Yering and a sheep station on land further east, on the site of the present town of Yarra Glen.4 Two other out-stations were also established on the north bank of the Yarra River, at Tarrawarra and Dalry.5 The brothers later took up the leases on land elsewhere in Port Phillip; the Lake Station at Koroit (1843-4), Parambool (June 1853 onwards), and View Hill (October 1853 – December 1853).6
The Ryrie Brothers
It appears that William Ryrie ran the Yering station and View Hill station, while Donald Ryrie was in charge of nearby Dairy. James Ryrie stayed in the district for only 17 months, whereupon he returned to Sydney where he died in 1840.[9]
At one stage, however, all three brothers were quite prominent in Port Phillip society in the 1840s. All were founding members of the Melbourne Club.[10] William Ryrie, in particular, was well-known in the colony, and was considered to be a part of Port Phillip's 'inner circle', those men who were considered to be the leaders of Melbourne society.[11]
As well as the Melbourne Club, William Ryrie was a member of the 'Sons of Scotia', a club which was meant to be comprised of ‘men from good society’,[12] and the Pastoral and Agricultural Society of Port Phillip.[13] Ryrie can also be found on the list of magistrates for 1841.[14] According to one source, Ryrie was known as ‘Fiery Ryrie’ because of a duel with Peter Snodgrass in January 1840.[15] Despite this, Ryrie retained his position in the inner circle, serving as a trustee of Scott's Church, and as one of the original trustees of James Forbes' Presbyterian school in Collins Street.[16]
The First Vines and Homestead
The Yering station homestead was located on the present site of Chateau Yering. The first building on the site seems likely to have been a simple wooden hut. Charles Joseph La Trobe, the first superintendent of the Port Phillip district and later Governor of Victoria, visited in March 1840 when he reported William ‘Ryrie living in his old hut at this time. Garden planted and scantling of new house on the ground’.[17] When completed this ‘new house’ was described by Rolf Boldrewood as ‘a neat weatherboard cottage’.[18] Westgarth recalled visiting the homestead around 1842.
"Another pleasant trip about this time was to Yering, the Ryries' station ... This had already been made a charming home to any contented mind, satisfied to fall back upon country resources. It was a cattle station ... - and the homestead had the importance of a little straggling street, with the main building at the cop, u at the end of a cul-de-sac, and the dairy and what not in marshalled line below."[19]
By the early 1840s then, the Ryries had built a timber homestead and a dairy. Nearby a single fence kept the working horses and bullocks and the milking cows penned next to the Yarra River.[20] Significantly for the future use of the property, the Ryries planted both fruit and vines near the homestead at Yering. Donald Ryrie recalled in 1882 that the brothers had brought vines from New South Wales.
"Looking over some old papers I find that wines were first planted at Yering in August 1838," for my brother William and I, in May 1838, left Amprior, on the Shoalhaven River, near Braidwood, with sheep and cattle ... The vines planted, taken from Amprior, were the black cluster of Hamburg, and a white grape the Sweetwater. We afterwards had sent from Sydney other vines taken from McArthur’s vineyard, at Camden."[21]
The stone cellar built in 1840 is still in use today by Chateau Yering Hotel. The first wine in Victoria was made at Yering in 1845. The Ryries had James Daidel, a Swiss vigneron who established the Paradise vineyard at Batesford near Geelong in 1846,[22] travel to Yering to prune the vines and teach the Ryries to produce wine from the harvested grapes.[23] Ryrie is generally considered to have been Victoria's first vigneron, though there may already have been vines growing elsewhere in the colony.[24]
It is thought that William Ryrie was forced to sell both Yering Station and View Station in 1850 because of financial difficulties which may have been a belated result of the 1840s Depression. His sister, Mrs Jane Wallace, is reported to have written to William in May 1850:
"You must have felt keenly the loss of all your property but I hope the same hand which permitted it will help you to bear up against it and make you successful in all yr [sic] occupations."[25]
Paul de Castella
The Yarra Valley (wine) wine industry was born when the Ryrie brothers planted the first grapevines in 1838 and by 1850 there was over an acre of wine-producing vines at Yering. Donald Ryrie ironically labelled his wine “Chateau Yering” and bottled the first Chateau Yering vintage in 1850.[26] It was at this time that Paul de Castella purchased the property from Willaim Ryrie.
Paul de Castella was born on 22 May 1827, second son of Dr Jean Francois Paul de Castella and his second wife Eleanore (Eleonore’s Restaurant at Chateau Yering Hotel was named after Paul de Castella’s mother).[27] Paul arrived at Melbourne in November 1849, in July of the following year, he purchased the property from William Ryrie.[28]
In order to significantly expand wine production, Paul de Castella took advice and assistance from Swiss immigrants, Samuel de Pury and Guillaume de Pury. Two more vineyards were founded at this time: 1 Yeringberg founded by Guillaume de Pury and St Huberts founded by Hubert de Castella (Paul's brother). Both Yeringberg and St Huberts were part of the original Yering settlement and are still operational today. All three vineyards achieved great success with their wines winning awards in Australia and overseas.[29] Paul de Castella won the Grand Prix at the Paris Exhibition in 1889.[4]
By the late 19th Century, the demand for table wines had declined and Paul de Castella sold Chateau Yering in 1896. The Yarra Valley wine industry was in serious decline as vineyards were replaced by cattle and dairy farming. The industry did not undergo a renaissance until the 1960s.
Photograph of two men with long beards sitting in an outdoor setting with a small table between them. On the table is a lace cloth with a vase of flowers on a Photography Annual for 1895 and three wine bottles including one labelled Chateau Yering Wine Company. Each man holds a glass.
House and Garden
Although the homestead has been modernised, renovated and extended, there are still parts of the building that date back to the Ryrie’s time. The large mansion is built from solid, handmade brick and has a slate roof. Some of the southern section once formed part of the Ryrie’s timber house (built before 1850). Much of the north section was part of de Castella’s dwelling constructed in the 1860s and 1870s. The central section was added in 1954 and it was at this time that the “porte chocere” and veranda were added. The current hotel construction was completed in the late 1990s.
During Paul de Castella’s ownership of the house, it was a social hub for Melbourne socialites as this contemporary description highlights:
"Each night they danced, there were riding parties and picnic and flirting [sic.]. shooting parties, kangaroo and possum hunts, and fishing for the sweet native blackfish in the River Yarra."[30]
The Library, Chinese Room and Lounge are still in their 1854 form with original fittings, Australian Cedar window jambs and doors, substantially as they were in de Castella's day.
Eleonore's Restaurant is partly the original Dining Room which was connected to the main house by a passageway. This was later extended and widened into what is now the Blue Drawing Room. The cellar pre-dates the house having been constructed in the 1840s and then extended in the 1850s.
Donald Ryrie established the original gardens and they were later expanded by Paul de Castella with the assistance Ferdinand von Mueller (Baron), the founder of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
The Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea Chilensis) was planted by Baron von Mueller in 1867. This historically significant tree is now classified by the National Trust of Victoria. The two Bunya Pines (from Queensland) in the front garden were also planted about this time and are recorded on the Significant Tree Register. Both the house and garden are listed for protection by Heritage Victoria.
Twentieth Century
The 20th Century saw a significant change to Chateau Yering. The property was sold to several owners in quick succession and was used mainly for grazing land rather than vineyards. In 1907, two parts of the property were sold in their entirety. The two tracts of land are the locations for the present-day Domain Chandon and St Huberts wineries.
The property continued to be run as a farm under different owners including Joseph Timms and, later, the Gibson family who purchased the property in 1927 and sold it in 1943 to Mr J. Sullivan. The property was owned by Mr Sullivan and his heirs until it was sold in early 1996.3
In the 1996 sale, the property was divided and the adjoining property, Yering Station Winery, (which includes the old winery buildings and vineyard (replanted 1988)) was sold separately to brothers Doug and Graham Rathbone.
Historic House Hotel
In 1996 Chateau Yering was purchased by Len and Elly Milner with a view to developing the property as a country house hotel.
Building
The transformation of Chateau Yering from historic house to 5-star hotel required significant extensions to the existing buildings to build accommodation rooms and other hotel facilities. The Milners were respectful of the building’s heritage and designed the new structures in harmony with the mid 19th Century style of the Grade 1[31] listed building. The original stables were converted into guest suites.
On completion, the hotel comprised 32 suites, 2 restaurants and function rooms. Hotel facilities included a swimming pool and tennis court.
Interior Design
The interiors were designed by Elly Milner. Mrs Milner’s objective was to create chic interiors that reflected the elegance of the original mansion. She sourced much of the antique furniture, fittings and art from Europe and the UK and created the Yarra Valley’s first 5-star hotel.
Gardens
The Milners undertook significant restoration work on the heritage-listed gardens to restore both the gardens and the antique bronze crane to their original brilliance.
Dining
Eleonore’s: the restaurant is named after the wife of the early settler Eleonore de Castella.2 The award-winning restaurant is situated in an elegant, conservatory-style setting offering magnificent views of the Yarra Valley.
Sweetwater café: named after the first grape variety (Sweetwater / Chasselas) planted at Chateau Yering. This casual dining option is located in an expansive atrium that connects the original building to the new accommodation wing.
Present Day
In 2018 well-known Chinese Architect Max Zhang purchased the property. He is a long-term resident of the Yarra Valley who intends to continue to maintain the property’s elegant grandeur.
Chateau Yering Hotel
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- ↑ "Chateau Yering Complex". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Council of Victoria. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ↑ Garryown (1888). The chronicles of early Melbourne, 1835 to 1852 : historical anecdotal and personal. Fergusson and Mitchell. p. 417. Search this book on
- ↑ Aveling, Marian (1972). Lillydale : the Billanook country, 1837-1972. Gray Hunt. p. 16. ISBN 0959975403. Search this book on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Australian Vigneron and Fruitgrowers’ Journal: 5. 8 May 1901. Missing or empty
|title=(help)[full citation needed] - ↑ "Ryrie, Stewart (1812-1882)". trove.nla.gov.au. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ↑ Aveling, Marian (1972). Lillydale : the Billanook country, 1837-1972. Gray Hunt. p. 14. ISBN 0959975403. Search this book on
- ↑ Cannon, Michael. Historical records of Victoria. Victorian G.P.O. pp. vol. 4. pp. 549-552. ISBN 0724182594. Search this book on
- ↑ Aveling, Marian (1972). Lillydale : the Billanook country, 1837-1972. Carlton, Vic.: Gray Hunt. p. 16. ISBN 0959975403. Search this book on
- ↑ de Castella, Hubert (1987). Australian squatters / by Hubert De Castella translation, with introduction and notes, by C.B. Thornton-Smith of Les Squatters australiens (1861). Melbourne University Press. p. 189. ISBN 0522843336. Search this book on
- ↑ Garryown (188). The chronicles of early Melbourne, 1835 to 1852 : historical anecdotal and personal. Melbourne: Fergusson and Mitchell. p. 417. Search this book on
- ↑ De Serville, Paul (1980). Port Phillip gentlemen : and good society in Melbourne before the gold rushes. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 58. ISBN 0195542126. Search this book on
- ↑ De Serville, Paul (1980). Port Phillip gentlemen : and good society in Melbourne before the gold rushes. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 58. ISBN 0195542126. Search this book on
- ↑ Paul de Serville, Paul (1980). Port Phillip gentlemen : and good society in Melbourne before the gold rushes. Oxford University Press. p. 212. ISBN 0195542126. Search this book on
- ↑ Paul de Serville, Paul (1980). Port Phillip gentlemen : and good society in Melbourne before the gold rushes. Oxford University Press. p. 211. ISBN 0195542126. Search this book on
- ↑ Graham, James (1985). Pioneer merchant : the letters of James Graham, 1839-54. South Yarra: Hyland House. p. 100. ISBN 0908090854. Search this book on
- ↑ Sullivan, Martin (1985). Men and women of Port Phillip. Sydney, NSW: Hale & Iremonger. p. 259. ISBN 0868061247. Search this book on
- ↑ La Trobe, Charles Joseph. Charles Joseph La Trobe : Australian notes 1839-1854. State Library of Victoria. p. 179. ISBN 0646463322. Search this book on
- ↑ Boldrewood, Rolf (1896). Old Melbourne memories. London: Macmillan. p. 181. Search this book on
- ↑ De Castella, Hubert (1987). Australian squatters / by Hubert De Castella translation, with introduction and notes, by C.B. Thornton-Smith of Les Squatters australiens (1861). Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. p. 179. ISBN 0522843336. Search this book on
- ↑ Aveling, Marian (1972). Lillydale : the Billanook country, 1837-1972. Melbourne: Gray Hunt. p. 179. ISBN 0959975403. Search this book on
- ↑ Garryown (1888). The chronicles of early Melbourne, 1835 to 1852 historical, anecdotal and personal. Melbourne: Fergusson and Mitchell. p. 432. Search this book on
- ↑ Australian Vigneron and Fruitgrowers’ Journal: 5. 8 May 1901. Missing or empty
|title=(help)[full citation needed] - ↑ Garryown (1888). The chronicles of early Melbourne, 1835 to 1852 historical, anecdotal and personal. Fergusson and Mitchell. p. 432. Search this book on
- ↑ Benwell, William Samuel (1978). Journey to wine in Victoria. Carlton: Pitman Australia. p. 2. ISBN 0858966174. Search this book on
- ↑ De Castella, Hubert (1987). Australian squatters / by Hubert De Castella translation, with introduction and notes, by C.B. Thornton-Smith of Les Squatters australiens (1861). Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. p. 186. ISBN 0522843336. Search this book on
- ↑ Curtis, W. (29 January 1881). "Illustrated Australian News - A Holiday Ramble On The Yarra Track". Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ↑ Horn, K.A.R. "'Charles Hubert de Castella and Paul Frederic de Castella". Australian History Of Biography. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ↑ Billis, R.V. (1974). Pastoral pioneers of Port Phillip. Melbourne: Stockland Press. p. 43. ISBN 0909474087. Search this book on
- ↑ "Argus". 17 October 1861. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ↑ McDonald, Jessie Elaine, Papers, Box 53/1 b, p. 95 Missing or empty
|title=(help)[full citation needed] - ↑ "Chateau Yering". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Council of Victoria. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
