At Lower Portland, ninety minutes from Sydney’s CBD, is a grand 1860s villa with wide verandahs which overlook the Colo river. Peter Valder recently visited this tranquil country home, which is currently up for auction.
Country retreat
Situated on 20 ha (48 acres) this house and garden adjoins an old, but functional, orange orchard. On the surrounding hills the native bushland is flourishing, with birdlife visiting the large dam and riverside.
When the present owner, landscape designer Chris Wallis, arrived at Venetiaville 20 years ago, the gardens were bare but today they are blooming. Chris has sculpted the garden into several rooms, suiting the era of the house and keeping the unity between the homestead and garden. His rationale was to reorganise the garden to keep the symmetrical feel of the house. A formal layout was filled with informal plantings. Roses are favoured in this garden and feature in several garden rooms. Stone steps and retaining walls provide a defining structure to the garden design but are softened by the cascading grey foliage of santolina.
Themes
Chris has used local products where possible. The stone in the pathways came from the same quarry that supplied the building materials for the house last century. The aged style complements the 100 year old camphor laurel which dominates the garden. This tree is home to dendrobiums, bromeliads and several elkhorns, which naturalised in the branches. The large tree is also home to a thickly gnarled and twisted wisteria, which looks only a little younger than the magnificent tree supporting it.
Venetiaville is open for garden visits. Group bookings are available by appointment only. Phone: (02) 4575 5205. Fax: (02) 4575 5374.
Auction
Venetiaville will be auctioned 21 May, 1998. For further information contact Ray White Real Estate at Double Bay. Phone: (02) 9363 9999.