The History of Eynesbury

Eynesbury has a special place in Victorian history. The estate was taken out by Simon Staughton as part of the Exford run in 1841, and in 1863 the property totalled more than 101,000 acres (40,000 hectares). After 1870 the family subdivided the property into four sections, Exford, Nerowrie, Staughton Vale and Eynesbury, each with its own homestead. The Eynesbury parcel totalled 18,000 acres.

Eynesbury homestead was built bySimon Thomas Staughton, the eldest son of Simon Staughton. Staughton rose to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Victoria, and had a distinguished career both as a pastoralist, politician and soldier, seeing service in the Boer War.

At first, the estate only contained a few relatively humble buildings. The earliest of these, the original overseer’s cottage, was built in the 1850s and now forms part of the Discovery Centre precinct, overlooking the lake near the Homestead. The Homestead itself was built in the early 1870s, together with the stables and staff quarters. The two-storey home was extended in the 1880s with symmetrical wings containing a Billiard Room and formal Dining Room, resulting in the configuration seen today. The Billiard Room, with its impressive Alcock and Sons table, survives today virtually intact, including the original wall papers, paintwork and furnishings.

Some of the ancillary structures, such as the timber water tank, meat house and killing shed were added, and these have been retained and restored, adding to the fascinating character of the homestead precinct.

The risk that Eynesbury might be absorbed and obliterated by urban sprawl has led to a commitment to honour the qualities of this environment with a township development that protects its singular qualities, and creates a place set within, and contained by, a rural and bushland boundary. The variety of structures and landscapes is evidence of the rich history of the property, all available for the enjoyment of residents and their guests and creating the unique environment that is Eynesbury.