Martindale Hall

 Martindale Hall was built in 1879 and 1880 as a stately Georgian mansion commissioned by Edmund Bowman Jr., a leading pastoralist. His grandparents, Mary and Thomas Bowman, embarked from England for the distant island of Tasmania in 1829, accompanied by their ten children and a sturdy flock of sheep. Eventually, they carved out a new home in the grassy expanses of South Australia. Their eldest son, Edmund, laid the foundations of Martindale Station near Mintaro in 1839, where he nurtured a renowned Merino sheep stud.

Edmund drowned tragically, and his son Edmund Jr inherited the estate. While studying law at Cambridge, Edmund Jr wandered beneath ancient archways and through manicured courtyards, captivated by the stately grandeur of England's manors. The soaring halls, lush lawns, and towering facades kindled in him an unshakable resolve: he would one day build a manor to match their splendour.

English craftsmen came to design the interiors, adding blackwood staircases, Italian marble fireplaces, and English wallpapers.

Financial pressures forced Edmund to sell the property in 1891. 

In 1891, William Tennant Mortlock bought the house for his bride, Rosye, for thirty-three thousand pounds. They had six children, but only two sons lived to adulthood. Jack Mortlock was the last private owner of Martindale. After his brother died in 1936 and his mother in 1939, Jack arranged for his large estate to go to the State Library and the University of Adelaide. 

He married Dorothy Beech in 1948 and died in 1950, leaving an estate worth over one million pounds. Dorothy stayed at Martindale until 1965, when it was handed over to the University.

The Coachhouse:

The film Picnic at Hanging Rock, directed by Peter Weir in 1975, was shot here and starred Jackie Weaver, Helen Morse, and Ann-Louise Lambert.

From here, we drove a short distance to the historic town of Mintaro and enjoyed lunch at the Magpie Stump Hotel, founded in 1851.

As often happens, our departure day from Clare turned out to be a lovely day without a cloud to be seen.