Open House: Rocky Vale Villa, Maiden Gully
A visit to Rocky Vale Villa and the story of English stonemason William Beebe Snr who built it from local quarried sandstone and granite over 20 years from the early 1870's.
The residence is testament to the skill and perseverance of its builder, who died the year the house was completed (1891). Beebe’ stonework is found at cemeteries throughout the Bendigo area. The property is also associated with two of Beebe’s sons, William and John, who were also local stonemasons and architects, with John eventually forming a partnership with noted Bendigo architect, William Vahland; and William later becoming Mayor of the City of Bendigo (Criterion H). Rocky Vale Villa is a rare local example of a substantial two-storey stone house built in the picturesque Gothic Revival mode. It is protected by a Greater Bendigo Council heritage overlay, however, its recent story needs to be told . It is hoped that members of the Beebe family can also add to its known history.
A house that is rarely seen but so many admire its photographs.