Safekeeping history: Hillside Lodge

Not so long ago, Mount Eliza’s Daveys Bay was part of Frankston, as were the hills and dales of inland Frankston South up to Sweetwater Creek. Hillside Lodge, built in 1879 on 78 acres and improved in the 1950s, has the distinct imprint of the weatherboard holiday homes popular in the area during the middle of last century with touches of local folklore owners of the home have carefully reconstructed.

The view from the kitchen takes in mature olive tree, tennis court and a shed secluded within the mature garden.

There’s still work to be done in uncovering historical facts and significance about the property, including whether or not Prince Charles spent a weekend exeat here whilst at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus. It brings into focus homes like Hillside Lodge are never truly owned, but rather held in trust for generations to come.

Old world charm hides a swimming pool within the property’s large footprint, where hedging and landscaping ensure complete privacy.

There’s an old-world, country living charm, retained through numerous subdivisions narrowing it down to a manageable acre at 8 Parkland Close. On the market with RT Edgar after a relatively short stay by its current owners, it’s move-in comfortable but with enough projects to keep the curious, architectural adventurer occupied. Wet areas were improved to reflect a timeless aesthetic around 10 years ago and the en tout cas tennis court has been completely renovated under the current caretaker-owners for an enduring weekends in the country year-round vibe.  

A grand entry via the towering hedge from the street hints at the property’s heritage charm.

Refined views of the garden are framed throughout along corridors, large living areas and bedrooms tucked away for complete privacy on days that melt into warm nights in the many outdoor rooms. The towering magnolia grandiflora and a hedge enclosing the pool and front garden bring greatness to life where rolling lawns would have you forget this well-shaded property is a short walk to Minimbah and an easy drive to Mount Eliza’s Village where a tradition of the landscaped environment has evolved over time.

One of numerous outdoor rooms, this one steps out from the dining for alfresco living by a pizza oven. A recent, but nonetheless, timeless addition to the home.

As the Greek saying goes, “Societies become great when old men plant trees the shade of which they will never sit in.”

The addition to the home at right surrounds a headily-perfumed Magnolia. Completed in the 1950s, it added the convenience of two additional bathrooms and two family bedrooms.

Natural reflection: 5 live loves with Emma Davies

Plenty to reflect upon in this evolving sculptural garden.

Passing through the evolving garden where pittosporums are falling away to a preference for Western Australian natives, succulents and Victorian coastals, it's easy to see why this acre in North Mount Eliza (erhem... South Frankston) has captured Emma Davies' heart.

The artist, who was recently featured in the window of The Colour English for the Drift Mt Eliza Sculpture Trail, views the garden as a work in progress. "When you've got a garden like this, it is like sculpting," explains Emma of the acre she shares with her two children.

A portrait of the city, as seen from a rise in the garden with a purposeful hammock.

"It's a balance trying to keep the garden not looking overly manicured but you've just got to sort of manage it. Otherwise, it goes wild." The back garden gives the impression of a park, where landscaped vignettes give way to lawns, a forest of trees to a cubby house hidden in the trees, and a view of the city from a hammock slung lazily between two trees.

The home itself is has heritage credentials. The previous owner built the Knox House on the property, positioning it with enough area at the front and rear to shroud it in privacy. Constructed on three, tiered slabs with local and reclaimed materials, the ingenuity of the design is in its flexible floorplan, adaptable to working from home, a large family, entertaining with a timeless grace and functional generosity found in grand homes designed for generational longevity.

Slate and brick underpin solid timber frames and furnishings in the home where decorative features inspire conversation and creativity.

When homes have bona fides like these, living in them is more caretaking than owning. "I'm passing through this house, leaving it for the next person to enjoy," says Emma with reverence for a building near-perfectly designed for the post-modern Australian lifestyle with human values that effortlessly transcend eras.

From a grand fireplace dominating the living area to the Aga stove in the kitchen that runs year-round, it's a home where a cup of tea is always moments away and as Emma says with some pride, "It's the heart of the house. It's the best cake maker I've ever met." Even in summer, when the home is naturally cool and breezy, the stove is an attraction, the hearth of the home, where taking in the scope of the property and the home itself is delivered by a towering ceiling and views outdoors on three sides of the kitchen.

Views out to the garden are best enjoyed from the kitchen, where eggs harvested each day help the AGA’s reputation as an excellent cake maker.

Ritual as religion in pieces that pay homage to craftsmanship and instruments to create artistry.

"I went to Montsalvat (in Eltham) when I was young and I wonder if I manifested this house," offers Emma. It's stained-glass windows, cathedral ceilings and even acoustic merbau salvaged from the Sydney Opera House appear at turns to create an impressive slate – scalable and adaptable to the personality of those who dwell within.

Emma wasn't sure of the area when she found the house six years ago. But it was love at first sight. "I was the only bidder at the auction. There were heaps of people, but they'd all come up from the street Christmas party!" she laughs.

Extensive travels off the beaten path to Torres Straight, Arnhem Land, Soweto and Japan inform Emma’s work.

Joking that she now lives in Portsea North, Emma's initial hesitation at a location far from her studio in Highett is rewarded on the daily by the quiet, remote location that allows her to turn the music up as loud as she likes. "I pretty much wake up every morning and love living here," she says as we chat in her home studio, where large scale projects are underway.

"I drive in and I could be anywhere."

Emma's range of decorative pieces are available at:

The Colour English

Shop 7, 87 Mount Eliza Way

Mount Eliza

Blending and molding: the garden’s perfection lies in its fragile confidence of purpose and comfort.

5 Live Loves

Live for the vegetation – "It's a big thing for me. I love the trees and the leaves."

Love the beach – "...without trying to sound like everyone else."

Live for my work –  "Having an environment where I can make things..."

Love the space – "I'm just moving through here, keeping it for the next owner."

Live for the inspiration – "If I go for a walk, I feel like all my sense are alert.