Werribee Park

I used mum and dad's visit as an excuse to tick off one of my must do's while in Australia; a trip to the Great Ocean Road. On our way from Melbourne to the ocean we stopped at Werribee Park.

The original Werribee Mansion was completed in 1874 for the Scottish Churnside brothers who had emigrated to Australia and made it big in the wool trade. There must have been a lot of money in wool back then! The house is a large mansion with well proportioned rooms and filled with expensive fixtures and fittings that were shipped out from the UK.

In the 1920s the mansion was sold to the catholic church who dramatically extended the building and used it as a seminary. The catholic church left in the 1970s and now Werribee Park is a substantial tourist attraction.

We only visited the main house and the rose gardens; but also at Werribee Park are a zoo, equestrian centre, luxury hotel, conference centre and extensive gardens that we didn't have a chance to look round.

It was a lovely way to break up the journey down to the Great Ocean Road.