Altona Homestead Museum
Altona Homestead Museum is housed in a historic single-storey bluestone homestead overlooking Logan Reserve near the Altona foreshore. Built in the 1840s, the homestead is one of Altona's most significant historic buildings and is now home to the Altona Laverton Historical Society.
Explore displays of photographs, documents, paintings, household items and other objects which illustrate everyday life and the development of Altona and Laverton from the early settlement period through to the mid-1900s.
The building has had a varied history. Originally a private residence, it was later used for holiday accommodation, council offices, meetings and community activities before being restored and opened to the public as a museum.
Features:
Features include:
- Historic bluestone homestead
- Local history museum
- Historic photographs and documents
- Household and community memorabilia
- Paintings and historical objects
- Displays covering the history of Altona and Laverton
- Group and school tours by appointment
- Special exhibitions and events
- Devonshire tea sessions on selected Sundays
- Ghost tours on selected dates
Accessibility:
Wheelchair access is available through the Queen Street gates and throughout the building. Accessible parking is available near the homestead and in Sargood Street.
Access for Dogs:
Guide dogs and other registered assistance dogs are welcome inside the Altona Homestead.
Location:
128 Queen Street, Altona VIC 3018. Map: 54 Ref: H11.
Opening Hours:
See Altona Homestead visitor information for current opening days and times.
Cost:
Entry is free, with gold coin donations appreciated. See Altona Homestead visitor information for current details and group tour information.
Alfred and Sarah Langhorne
Born into a family of merchants and stockbrokers, Alfred longed to follow three older brothers to the new colony when he arrived at Port Jackson NSW in 1835 at the age of 17. He quickly developed the skills of a stockman and along with his brothers entered into a number of business ventures including over landing stock to Melbourne and Adelaide, plus shipping stock to Tasmania.
In Adelaide Alfred met the young and beautiful Sarah August, marrying her in 1841. The newly weds set up house in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne while Alfred established his flour merchant business in Bourke Street. In 1845 they moved to Laverton Homestead, as Altona Homestead was then known, to build up the pastoral property as their principal place of residence.
Alfred was a member of the provisional committees establishing the Bank of Victoria and the Melbourne and Williamstown Railway Company. He was a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club, the Victoria Industrial Society and the Melbourne Club.
In 1854 Alfred and Sarah decided to return to London to educate their two children, Robert and Alice, where 13 yo Alice fell ill with diphtheria and sadly didn’t survive. In 1867 and 1868 Alfred and Sarah returned to Australia, leaving the young Robert in boarding school to complete his education in England.
Alfred and Sarah re-established themselves at Laverton Homestead where Sarah passed away in 1871 from Parkinson’s disease. Alfred remained at the homestead until his health began to fail so he sold to the Phelp brothers in 1874, then moved into a private hotel in St Kilda where he passed away later that same year.
Homestead History
1845 - Alfred and Sarah Langhorne built up the Laverton Homestead run as their principal place of residence; first homestead run built on the foreshore of Port Phillip.
1851 - Black Thursday, the first major bush fire listed for Victoria, barely affected Alfred’s property but it was enough for him to decide to rebuild the timber home in bluestone he brought in from Tasmania.
1857 - Point Cook Homestead built.
1874 - Homestead and remaining 2,546 acres sold by Alfred to brothers Joseph and John Phelps. At the height of his holdings, Alfred owned 13,000 acres in Hobsons Bay, plus land in Melbourne, Prahran and Dandenong.
1874-7 - Werribee Park Mansion built.
1889 - Property bought by Altona Bay Estate Co Ltd.
1896 - Property bought by Trust & Agency Co of Australia Ltd.
1903 - Melbourne solicitor, William Henry Croker, bought the property, renovating the homestead extensively joining the separate wings into one building, establishing a new main entrance, adding bay windows and stucco work to the front, and the modern innovation of an internal bathroom.
1915 - Property bought by Altona Beach Estates Ltd.
1920 - Property bought by Footscray company Cuming Smith & Co Pty Ltd (Commonwealth Fertilisers) for use as a seaside holiday resort for their employees, installing trams in the park for sleeping accommodation and adapting the homestead to provide all kitchen and bathroom requirements. Meddings family lived in the homestead employed as caretakers.
1937 - Property bought by Werribee Shire Council, leasing it to the Twentyman family.
1957 - Shire of Altona formed after seceding from Shire of Werribee when ownership of the homestead was transferred to the new municipality for use as offices until the new Civic Parade offices were opened in 1963.
1963-1988 - Homestead housed a number of local organisations including the camera club, children’s dentist and Altona Historical Society.
1988 - Homestead underwent major restoration funded by City of Altona and the Australian Bicentennial Authority.
1989 - Restored homestead officially reopened to the public under care of Altona Historical Society.
Floor Plan
Location
128 Queen Street, Altona 3018 View Map
✆ 0409 382 510
Email Enquiry
Web Links
→ alhs.com.au
