Martindale Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Martindale Hall |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Town or city | Near Mintaro, South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°56′16″S 138°43′46″E / 33.9378°S 138.7294°E |
| Construction started | 1877 |
| Completed | 1880 |
| Cost | £30,000 |
| Client | Edmond Bowman |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ebenezer Gregg |
| Engineer | Edward John Woods |
Martindale Hall is a beautiful old mansion built in the Georgian style. You can find it near Mintaro, South Australia. This amazing building even appeared in the famous movie Picnic at Hanging Rock!
Contents
Building Martindale Hall
Who Built It?
Martindale Hall was built for a rich man named Edmund Bowman Jr. He was a pastoralist, which means he owned a lot of land for raising sheep or cattle. The main architect was Ebenezer Gregg from London.
Construction Details
The building work was finished in 1880 by R. Huckson. Many skilled workers, about 50 out of 60, came all the way from England to help build it. They went back home once the mansion was done.
Martindale Hall is huge! It has 32 rooms, plus a big cellar with seven more rooms. Around the hall, there used to be a polo ground, a racecourse, a lake for boating, and a cricket pitch. Imagine all the fun activities they could have there!
The History of Martindale Hall
Changing Owners
About ten years after it was built, the Bowman family had to sell Martindale Hall. This was because of money problems and a long period without rain. In 1891, William Tennant Mortlock bought the mansion.
His son, John Andrew Tennant Mortlock, took great care of the Martindale estate. He also collected many impressive artworks, which he displayed inside the Hall. John Mortlock did not have any children. When he passed away, his wife inherited everything.
Gift to the University
In 1979, after Mrs. Mortlock died, she left Martindale Hall and its land to the University of Adelaide. This was a very generous gift!
Becoming a Heritage Site
Martindale Hall is a very important historical building. It was listed as a state heritage place in 1980. This means it is protected because of its special history and architecture.
In 1986, the University of Adelaide gave Martindale Hall and about 19 hectares (47 acres) of its land to the Government of South Australia. A few years later, in 1991, the land became a special area called the Martindale Hall Conservation Park. This was done to help protect the historic features of the land.
Recent Management
From 1991 until 2014, Martindale Hall was run as a tourism business. People could stay there, hold weddings, or just visit the grounds and the Hall during the day.
Today, the Department for Environment and Water looks after the property.
Visiting Martindale Hall
Martindale Hall and its beautiful grounds are open to the public every day. You can visit it as a day visitor and explore the mansion, which now works as a museum. It's a great way to step back in time and see how people lived long ago!
Gallery
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Edmund Bowman Jr in 1914.
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William Tennant Mortlock in 1901.
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John Mortlock in 1936.
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Martindale Hall in 1932.
