Toorak House
(The
Swedish Church)
21 St Georges Road Toorak
2-9pm, Mon-Thur
2-6pm, Fri-Sun
Enquiries: (03) 9827 5580
Website:
The Swedish Church
This impressive mansion was built for the merchant James Jackson and like
Como, further down river, was situated
in its large estate running down to the Yarra River. The name of the estate
and house, which may have been Aboriginal, was later adopted by the suburb
of Toorak. Jackson died in 1851 and the house was leased by the Government
of the Colony of Victoria to serve as a residence for the colonial governor.
The government of the day spent a large amount of money upgrading the
building for the arrival of Governor
Hotham whose tenure was short and tumultuous, covering as it did the
events of the Eureka Stockade.
It served as Victoria's Government House from 1854 until 1876 when the
current purpose-built Government House
took over that role. A sketch of the building by
S. T. Gill presents us with a reminder
of Toorak House in its days in its days as Government House
The mansion reverted to being a family home until it was pressed into
service during World War II as the Women's Australian Air Force hostel. The
property was bought in 1956 by the The Swedish Church who undertook further
renovations. In particular an impressive chapel was created on the ground
floor.
The estate has long since disappeared and is now occupied by some of the
most expensive homes in Melbourne, and the Victorian Italianate mansion now
stands in a much smaller but delightful setting. It is regularly used for
church services and cultural activities, and has a small shop selling
Scandinavian crafts and
Scandanavian food.
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Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar
Discover Scandinavia in Melbourne at the annual Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar
in the beautiful gardens of the
Swedish Church, Toorak. Festive atmosphere with
stalls full of gorgeous items from Sweden, Denmark and Norway, especially
imported for the Bazaar. Handicrafts, Scandinavian food, entertainment and lots
of fun activities for the kids. Full information at
Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar.
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