Melbourne Stories: The Women of Beleura with Martin Green

Beleura is a grand, Italianate-style villa located in Mornington, Victoria. It was built in 1865 on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung / Bunurong people for James Butchart, a stock and station agent who created a thriving and prosperous business during the Victorian Gold Rush.

For a different viewpoint on Beleura’s story, this lecture introduces the stories of five women who have had a connection with Beleura over time. Learn about 1840s aboriginal woman Eliza; Amelia, Lady Tallis glamorous hostess, charity fundraiser, mother and wife of a theatre entrepreneur; artist Christian Waller in the 1930s; ceramicist Klytie Pate; and contemporary jazz pianist Andrea Keller.

The Johnston Collection was the direct inspiration for Beleura as a house museum, and there are many connections and intersections between both properties. In the early nineties, Anthony Knight was Director of The Johnston Collection and a Director on the Board of the National Trust.