Open garden: Wairoa, Adealide Hills, a taste of 19th century

Wairoa, a well-preserved 19th-century garden in the Adelaide Hills, features camellias, hydrangeas, roses, maples and more.

Wairoa, South Australia, described as the best preserved late 19th-century garden in the Adelaide Hills.

WAIROA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

142 Mount Barker Road, Aldgate.

Owners: Dodd and Bray families.

Open: This weekend, 10am-4pm. Entry $8, under 18s free.

DESCRIBE THE GARDEN: It’s a very old garden, thought to be the best preserved late 19th-century garden in the Adelaide Hills. The main homestead and surrounding heritage garden cover 4ha. Being very much intact, with many original trees and shrubs, it has lots of character and romantic charm.

It’s a lovely garden for children to run around and explore. On one side is an arboretum of large trees; on the other lots of paths link garden rooms, tracing the contours of the valley below the house. The pathways broaden to grassed slopes, with a bowling lawn and tennis court, and croquet lawn where people have weddings. A natural rock outcrop was developed as a grotto and ponds with a small, iron-framed gazebo.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: The history of this Victorian-style estate is fascinating. It was built as a summer retreat of 13ha by William Horn around 1890 and the garden designed by George Sparrow. An 1896 painting by W. Tibbits shows the garden layout is largely unchanged. Horn was a notable and eccentric character: philanthropist, classical scholar, bushman, author and amateur sculptor. His stone sculptures are features at Wairoa. Tom Elder Barr Smith bought it in 1896 and his family made Wairoa their summer residence for 30 years, adding a vegetable and flower garden. It stayed in that family until 1965, then became the campus for Marbury school until 2007. My mother [says Kirsty Dodd] and father-in-law were involved with the property during that time, and my husband and I have been here since 1972.

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: It’s sometimes a bit overwhelming and it’s a little overgrown, but we keep winning back spaces from the blackberries. We lose a big old tree most years. We’re fortunate to have help from some wonderful volunteer gardeners. It’s a big garden to water by hand in summer but the bore here has helped it survive.

WHAT’S LOOKING GOOD: Massive old sasanqua camellias in full bloom; hydrangeas fading to pinky-purples, Japanese windflowers and a few roses. Autumn trees include maples, claret ash, pin oaks, liquidambars and elms.

EXTRAS: The Autumn Crunch cafe, run by the Montessori school on part of the old estate, is serving Devonshire teas and light lunches with live music. The art studio and gallery in the old stables is open, with artists’ talks at 11am and 2pm and the chance to try pottery, felting and plein air painting. We’ll also have a stall of plants.

ALSO OPEN THIS WEEKEND

Beechwood: 36 Snows Rd, Stirling, South Australia

Sunstone Lodge: 30 Taylor Road, Woodford, NSW

Bellis, the garden of Jerry Coleby-Williams, 56 Daisy Street, Wynnum, Queensland. $10.

SUNDAY ONLY:

Birchgrove: 16 Fishburn Road, Galston, NSW, 10am-4pm.

Orondo Gardens: Via Visitors Centre, Dwellingup, Western Australia $10.

Cruden Farm: Cranhaven Road, Langwarrin, Vic $15.