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Place

East Melbourne, George Street 179, Kilmaurs

East Melbourne

  • 179 George Street

Building names

Date built
1867
Builder
Peter Reid, Carlton
First owner
William Hindson

Description

A photo in 'We of the Never Never with a memoir of Mrs. Gunn by Margaret Berry' shows the house as a large two storey house with a verandah and balcony with cast iron decoration on the west side; and on the east a simple rendered facade with a pair of arched windows above and below. Rate Books describe it as a brick house of twelve rooms. A sale notice in the Argus of 27 Oct 1877 describes it as bluestone.

History

Mrs. Aeneas Gunn, author of Australian classic, We of the Never Never, occupied the house with her two sisters, Elizabeth Christine Taylor and Carrie Templeton. We of the Never Never with a memoir of Mrs Gunn by Margaret Berry describes the household of "three middle aged very abstemious ladies with a maid". There are photos of the house, and author in the garden. Margaret Berry (nee Derham) was Jeannie Gunn's niece. The three sisters were the grand-daughters of the Rev James Taylor, who built the house on the corner of George and Powlett Streets, known as Koorine. The house they lived in had been the family home of John Montgomery Templeton and his second wife, Carrie (they married in 1905) until his death in 1908. John named the house after his birthplace - Kilmaurs, Ayreshire, Scotland. The house was sold on the death of Carrie in 1931.

Owners and occupiers

1867-c.1877 William Hindson and family including John Hindson, stock and share broker 1878-1885+ J.R. Tuckett c.1890-1900+ Charles Smith c.1905-1908: John Montgomery Templeton and his wife, Carrie 1910-1931: Mrs. Aeneas Gunn (Jeannie Taylor); Elizabeth Christina Taylor; Carrie Templeton (nee Taylor)

Sources

We of the Never Never with a memoir of Mrs. Gunn by Margaret Berry, Hutchinson, Richmond, Vic., 1983 Melbourne Mansions database: http://fmpro.abp.unimelb.edu.au/ ref 891 City of Melbourne Rate Books Electoral Rolls, Melbourne division, Melbourne sub-division Burchett index of Intents to Build, City of Melbourne, 8 Oct 1866 The Argus, 27 Oct 1877, p.2 The Argus, 7 Sept 1931, p.2, Judicial and Law Notices: http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4427814 Australian Dictionary of Biography online: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/templeton-john-montgomery-4697 Otto Kristin, email to Sylvia Black 12 May 2009.

Place & context

Location

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East Melbourne, George Street 179, Kilmaurs
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