Moran Garden
The Moran house and garden was designed in 1925 by Harold Desbrowe Annear, a towering figure in the history of Australian architecture. The building is a mix of classical and baroque elements, while the garden has an Italian and Mediterranean influence. The property is of State cultural significance because it represents an important phase in the urban development of Toorak. It is one of the best surviving examples of its style, especially when you consider that the residence is largely unaltered and the garden design generally remains intact.
The owners of the house, Caz and John Moran, both love gardening but Caz spends more time working in the garden and is more involved with its everyday needs. John is a former Saint Kilda Football Club player, but these days he is better known as the managing director of furniture company Moran of Melbourne. John’s love of furniture dates back to his youth. He started his business 31 years ago with the aim of producing good quality furniture at a reasonable cost.
Features of the garden
The herbaceous perennial border was designed by Edna Walling in 1926. When John first moved in with his late wife they cleared all the weeds from the area in the centre and were delighted to discover the original stone pathway. Today the border is lovingly maintained by Caz. Mature trees form the bones of the garden, including beech (Fagus sylvatica), jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Manchurian pear (Pyrus ussuriansis), quince (Cydonia oblonga) and tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Caz thinks the wonderful old cypress hedge (Cupressus torulosa) bordering the tennis court was planted in 1925 when the house was built. White Flower Carpet roses look sensational against the green lawn. They are hardy, disease resistant and flower for many months of the year. The fern walk on the southern boundary was planted about twelve years ago with a wonderful collection of foliage plants including tree ferns, hellebores and stream lilies (Helmholtzia glaberrima). Stream lilies are a great Australian native alternative to clivias. They do well in moist, shady positions and have lovely creamy white to pale pink flowers.
Further information
The Moran garden is featured in the March 2000 edition of the Burke’s Backyard Magazine, on sale now at newsagents for $4.20.
