Home Hill Pavilion Concept

Home Hill, Devonport is the former residence of Joseph Lyons (1879-1939) Tasmania’s Premier in 1923-28 and Australia’s 10^th Prime Minister 1932-39 and Dame Enid Lyons (1897-1981), the first woman elected to Federal Parliament, as a Member of the House of Representatives in 1943. Dame Enid was also the first woman to serve in Federal Cabinet as part of the Menzies Government in 1949-1951.

Home Hill was built in 1916 and was continuously extended to house the Lyons’ eleven surviving children. It survives with a large collection of original contents and provides encounters with Australian political and family life during the mid-20th century. Home Hill was the centrepiece of a 4.5 hectare property, containing 2 hectares of apple orchard. Entered via the original drive, the now 2 hectare property retains the core of Dame Enid Lyons’ original garden, including roses and garden ‘rooms’ defined by hedges.

Towards the end of her life, Dame Enid Lyons (1897-1981) was strategic in creating a partnership between Devonport City Council and National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) through selling the house to DCC and part selling/part gifting the collection to the Trust. During her lifetime, Dame Enid supported the National Trust and hosted fundraisers for it at Home Hill. The Trust has managed the Home Hill museum operation since 1981 while Devonport City Council has maintained the buildings and grounds.

In 2022 Premier Peter Gutwein toured Home Hill with Property Manager, Ann Teesdale. In 2023, Devonport City Council received $70,000 in Premier’s discretionary funding and engaged consultants, SGS Economics and Planning to advise on options for Home Hill.

As part of the consultancy, the Trust put forward the concept of a pavilion for Home Hill’s large grounds. The pavilion (called in the SGS report a new education and visitor centre) would:

• provide a versatile venue for films and exhibitions on Joseph and Dame Enid Lyons, providing greater context for the visitor experience of the house.
• provide the location for ticketing, office, collection storage, retail and catering via a commercial kitchen. Removal of storage and works areas from the house will increase the house’s exhibition capacity by a third
• The pavilion’s veranda may provide outdoor seating and a stage for outdoor events such as the Devonport Jazz Festival.

Architect, Genevieve Lilley, produced a preliminary scheme for the pavilion as part of the SGS report.

The SGS report proposed significant coach parking on site which appeared to represent a lost opportunity. National Trust properties in Victoria, the UK and elsewhere support garden tourism. The Trust has urged Devonport City Council to consider this potential at Home Hill. Devonport City Council commissioned a Home Hill Landscape Master Plan in c2016 but many of its recommendations have not been implemented. The Trust has a relationship with the Australian Garden History Society which is prepared to partner on the restoration of Dame Enid Lyons’ garden surrounding the homestead. The Trust also presented a range of actions to the recent consultancy to better preserve and interpret the buildings on site.

Devonport City Council has requested a workshop with the National Trust to finalize a Home Hill plan. With Australian Government regional grant programs available, Devonport City Council and the National Trust are considering ways to get the Home Hill pavilion concept shovel ready.