Looking inside the house
The Carrick Hill house and gardens had been closed for a few months with some work happening inside the house and I was curious to see what had changed.
The house itself isn't that old, having been built in 1937 to 39, it's what inside the house that makes it historically interesting.
The young couple Edward and Ursula Hayward were given the land as a wedding present and then travelled to the UK for a year long honeymoon. It was during their time there they attended a salvage sale of a stately home. Beaudesert House was owned by the Marquess of Anglesey, it had been a Tudor mansion. The house was set to be demolished as the Depression had left the family with huge depts and the house was uneconomical to run. In July 1935 the Haywards had bought the windows, doors, fireplaces, oak panelling and the staircase.
It was then all shipped back to Adelaide and an architect who was a family friend set about designing the house around these items, the house would resemble a seventeenth century manor house. (With all the modern features of a 1930s house, ensuite bathroom, heated towel rails, electric bell pushes to summon the staff)
When Edward Haywood died in 1983 (Ursula had predeceased him) and having no children, the house, its art collection and the grounds were left to the South Australian government. The estate was opened to visitors, the gardens are free to enter and there is a fee to enter the house.
The new work included an elevator so all the floors are accessible to everyone, the attic has been converted to a dedicated gallery for special exhibitions, and some other rooms have been opened up.
The bathroom was the height of late 1930's design and construction and it's aged remarkably well. It can be entered through the lady's and the gentleman's bedroom. There's a heated towel rail, large shower, even the colouring has held up. The black object on the right handside I first thought was a spotlight for some event. Then realised it was a hairdryer! Lady Hayward certainly had all the current day mod cons at home!
Ursula Hayward as a friend of Nora Heysen who was a well known South Australia artist who painted lovely floral displays. Apparently Ursula provided her friend with some of the cut flowers that she painted as florists weren't very common at the time. There's a Nora Heysen painting over the fireplace and several others in the room as well.
This room is one that has been opened up as it had been used as an office. The paintings on the wall are ones done by Ursula Hayward, she apparently didn't think she was terribly good but I really like how colourful they are.
The attic is a space for special exhibitions. The current exhibition has paintings on loan from the South Australian Art gallery. In 1949 the Haywards hosted an English art specialist named Kenneth Clark, during his stay in Adelaide Ken Clark introduced himself to the director of the South Australian gallery and offered his services as a buyer of British art for the gallery. Over the next five years he acquired twenty-six pieces for the gallery. The current exhibition displays some of those acquisitions.
Carrick Hill is a lovely day out, formal gardens with extensive lawn areas are great for strolling and picnicking. The house makes for an interesting visit whether you're an art aficionado or just like looking at nice paintings and sculptures. There's a gift shop and a cafe that has seating overlooking the rose garden and on a clear day you can watch the cargo ships going to Port Adelaide and the planes land at Adelaide Airport. As I found out while sipping my latte!
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