Osborne House (Geelong) facts for kids
Osborne House is a very old and important building located in North Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It was built in 1858 and has a long and interesting history, serving many different purposes over the years.
Contents
The Story of Osborne House
Building a Grand Home (1858-1900)
Osborne House was built in 1858 for a man named Robert Muirhead. He was a local squatter, which meant he settled on and used a large area of land, often for farming, without officially owning it at first. Robert Muirhead named his new mansion after Osborne House, which was Queen Victoria's summer home in England. He hired famous architects from Melbourne, Webb and Taylor, to design the house.
Robert Muirhead lived in Osborne House until he passed away in 1862. The house was then sold a year later after his wife also died. For some years, the house was rented out. Finally, in 1878, it was sold to James Francis Maguire.
A Home for Governors? (1900-1913)
In 1900, the Victorian Government bought Osborne House. They thought about using it as a country home for the Governor of Victoria, who is the King or Queen's representative in the state. However, it was never actually used for this purpose.
A few years later, in 1905, the Geelong Harbour Trust bought the house. They added a dining room and seven bedrooms in 1910. The Trust used Osborne House as a guest house for visitors for several years. In 1911, they even offered the house to the Royal Australian Navy, but the Navy didn't accept the offer at that time.
In 1913, the Navy changed its mind and decided to use Osborne House as a training college for its officers. Many improvements were made to the buildings. They built new quarters for unmarried sailors and two new classrooms. The main room was also changed to make a large sleeping area for 28 cadets (young officers in training).
The college officially opened on March 1, 1913. The Governor General, Lord Thomas Denman, opened it, and the Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher, was also there. Lord Denman arrived by a special boat called a torpedo boat, and 200 invited guests came by train from Melbourne. The college housed 28 cadets, four petty officers (experienced sailors), and 10 seamen, along with their instructors and staff. The first group of 28 cadets was chosen from 137 applicants!
Osborne House was considered a great spot for the naval college because it was close to train transport and had a safe place for ships in Corio Bay. However, the college moved to HMAS Creswell at Jervis Bay in 1915.
During the Wars and Beyond (1915-1995)
During World War I, Osborne House was used as a military hospital to care for injured soldiers. After the war, between 1919 and 1924, it became a base for the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service. They used it for their J-class submarines.
The Geelong Harbour Trust got control of the house back in 1929, and only a caretaker lived there. In 1937, the Shire of Corio council bought the property to use as their offices. But then, in 1939, the Department of Defence took over the building to use it as an army training centre during World War II.
After the war, in 1945, the Shire of Corio council got Osborne House back again for their offices. They bought more land next to it in 1947 and updated the offices in 1966. In 1995, the shire joined with the City of Greater Geelong, and Osborne House was left empty for a while.
Osborne House Today
Today, Osborne House is still an important part of the community. The old stables are now home to the Geelong Maritime Museum, where you can learn about ships and the sea, and the Geelong Memorial Brass Band. The main house itself is used by various community groups, continuing its long history of serving the people of Geelong.
