A LABOUR OF LOVE By Melissa Walsh Photos Yanni
W
hen John Tallis died in 1996 and bequeathed the family property, Beleura, and its considerable contents to the people of Victoria, he left behind a treasure to be nurtured, trusting that his wishes would be honoured. That is something the volunteers at Beleura House and Garden have very much taken to heart as every day they treat the Mornington property as a labour of love. One of those volunteers is Jan Cleveland who has lived on the peninsula for twenty years, and been working as a tour guide for the past twelve. Along with forty other dedicated house and garden guides, Jan ensures that every visitor will be able to unravel how we lived in the second half of the 20th century, an astonishing legacy. “I was originally introduced to the property through my association with the Mornington Gallery. We came to do a tour here and Anthony Knight OAM, director and trustee of the Tallis foundation, took us through the house which was completely empty at that stage as they were preparing it to be opened to the
public,” said Jan, sitting in the grand Beleura homestead. “The year was 2000 and I was immediately hooked. “ Anthony Knight has been known to say ‘Once Beleura gets you, you’re gone’ and this could not be more true for Jan and her fellow tour guides. “It becomes like a second home here and, when you do your research before becoming a tour guide, you feel like you know the family,” said Jan, whose favourite part of the home is the library. “I love the whole place but I could spend hours in that library. All the books have been put back exactly where John Tallis had them. Everything in the home belongs to the Tallis family. Sometimes it feels like they are still there and I half expect John Tallis to walk into the library and get a book,” she says with a laugh. To become a tour guide, volunteers need to read a lot about the home and gardens, and go through the house often to get a feel for it. There is also a fabulous archival section where all the Beleura questions can be answered. continued next page...
September 2018
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