Circa 2003
View from street.
Observations:
- The front yard is over grown and in poor condition
- The paint colour scheme is green and white
- The upstairs verandah is built in
- The journey to remove the bumpy render hadn't commenced
2003, July
Sold for $635,000.
2003
Dorothy Anderson publishes a book: Henry Richards Caselli, 1816-1885, of Ballarat, Architect: His Own House.
I have not been able to find a copy of the book, however I did track down a copy of the hand written manuscript in the Architecture Library at the University of Melbourne.
2008, June 22nd
DULCIE Sullivan and her husband Vince were house hunting in 1955 when they stumbled across a dark, forbidding home."Vince stopped outside a huge place in Webster St and said `What about this one?'," Dulcie said. "He was joking. "The home was painted a dark colour and mould from broken gutters streaked down the walls. Already large when it was built in 1865, its second set of owners, Reverend Dr Cairns and his wife Miss Hurst, had added many more rooms and a croquet court and renamed it Cairnshurst. The Sullivans bought the home and began the painstaking task of restoring it. They already had six children and while living at Webster St two more joined the boisterous family. The home was a source of joy for the couple, who held a number of parties and fundraisers for the Ballarat Orphanage children. "I have lots of happy memories," Dulcie smiled." Lots of lovely parties and our children growing up. "While neighbours were curious about the large house it didn't scare Dulcie, who vehemently denies any spooky presence in the old home. "There was absolutely no ghost as far as I was concerned," she laughed. "There were too many Sullivans - we frightened them all away!" Dulcie said she was devastated to have to leave the house, but as their children grew up and navigating the many flights of stairs became too difficult, it became time to move on. She recently revisited the home to meet its newest owners, Deb and Chris Coughlan, who welcomed her warmly." At first I felt I didn't want to go back, I just felt reluctant," she said." It was great to see exactly how much Deb and Chris have done with the place. "We left over 30 years ago and since we left very little was done to it. "It's great to see at last a young family has moved in and love it as much as we did."
2012
View from street.
Observations:
- Brickwork restored on front and east faces of the 1865 building
- Substantial landscaping of front yard
- Painting has occurred back to black and white
- Front fence has been replaced
- The large tree has been hit with lightning and lopped. Exact timing of this unknown.
2017, February 6th
The house is listed for sale with Harcourts.
2017, November 30th
Debra Coughlan recounts the story of how they purchased Kent Villa from Sheila O'Keefe in The Courier.
2017, December 6th
The Courier - Letters to the Editor
The article (Courier Saturday, 2 December 2017 p 14) headed "Home to city's architect" by Caleb Cluff stirred memories. It also raises some questions regarding the identity of the Dr or Mr Cairns and his wife who were responsible for the c1900 extensions, the date of the house's conversion to flats and the precise form of the renamed house before it once again became Kent Villa. The Reverend Doctor Adam Cairns, Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church (whose wife was Jessie Ballingall), died in Melbourne in 1881, but a descendant might have enlarged the house c1900. In 1948-1949 three large rooms on the top floor (possibly beneath the 'widow's walk'), were occupied by eleven senior boarders from the then Clarendon Presbyterian Ladies' College. The main boarders' residence was almost opposite present-day Kent Villa, but an increase in the number of boarders required some additional temporary accommodation until a new building was erected across the road. This means that the conversion to flats probably took place in the 1950s. In 1948-1949 the remainder of the house was probably occupied by the family of a relative of the late Mrs Cairns who had been a benefactor of Clarendon College. Her maiden name could well have been Hurst. A house was named for Mrs Cairns and continues today in the co-educational Ballarat and Clarendon College. We boarders understood at the time that our occupation of those three rooms was related to an entail in someone's will. Frequent requests from our school principal for us to be quieter indicated that the patience of the family living below must have been sorely tried at times. Other recollections are of a rather stark house exterior, a dark side entrance hall and stairway, large and light bedrooms with elegant dimensions, wonderful views which included a nearby green church steeple, open (but unused) fireplaces in all rooms which caused some draughtiness despite the modern heating, a bathroom on the landing below and possibly a balcony sealed off for safety reasons. And of feelings of exuberance and relief to be free of direct strict supervision. Most of the above details have been confirmed by a fellow boarder of 1948. We cannot recollect hearing of a ghost, but we both remember the name of the house as Cairnhurst rather than Cairnshurst although we have not seen it written. I provide the above information only because this house is so historically significant.
Val McCallum, Alfredton
2020, October
The current owners purchase Kent Villa, and commence what is shaping up to be a lifelong journey to restore this grand old building.
2021, July 13th
View from the street during winter.
Observations:
- The name Kent Villa painted on the fernery wall.
- The lamp post visible in 2012 has been removed.
