By Dan Hadley – JLB Adelaide
South Australia holds some impressive historic buildings as well as scenic parklands and botanic gardens. Whilst most think immediately to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, the foothills of Adelaide hide a treasure known as Wittunga Botanic Gardens in Blackwood. The old heritage listed house, once owned by Keith Ashby until it was gifted to the South Australian Government, now stands as a community building for visitors to the Gardens. Having seen decades of time, a major bushfire in the 1930s and thousands of visitors, the house is a state treasure. Restoring old world charm to its tessellated front porch required master craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Before the restoration
The completed restoration
The Wittunga Botanic Garden is one of three Botanic Gardens in Adelaide, South Australia, the other two being the Adelaide Botanic Garden located in the inner city's eastern side parklands, and the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. The Wittunga Botanic Garden is located on the western section of the Adelaide Hills along Shepherds Hill Road in Blackwood,.
With a faded and worn front porch, once glorious in the tessellated old world style, its entry greeting demanded a restoration. Tessellated tiling is not the job for a weekend renovation warrior however, but rather demands a master craftsman touch. What might take 2 days to do in large modern-day tiles, can demand weeks of fine placement coupled with patience and a desire for exactitude. Stripping away the old to make way for the new was an obvious first step, combined with careful planning to bring the front porchway back to what it was in 1901.
At the end of weeks of work, Metcalf Group (SA) had bought the look back to a pristine new (yet yesteryear) appearance. Straight, to plan and to the needs of the State Government, who issued the project, Wittunga House had a new welcoming entry way to those lovers of flora and fauna.
Metcalf Group (SA)’s Managing Director said; “heart and soul, must go into work like this to ensure the outcome is quality and the standard that master craftsmen demanded in by-gone years is made real. We don’t sacrifice on quality and I am pleased Metcalf Group (SA) could assist this hidden treasure of the State to keep its appearance up,”
Starting out as a formal English garden at the home of Edwin Ashby in 1901, the house and landscape have changed over the years, in large part due to the efforts of Edwin's son, Arthur Keith Ashby. Later yielding South African as well as native Australian plants. Wittunga’s displays of these plants are particularly enjoyable in spring and include displays of exotic and unusual bulbs as well as colorful annuals. The majority of the South African plants in the garden come from the Cape Province district and thrive well as the climate is highly similar to that of Adelaide.
Metcalf Group (SA) has a long and successful history of restoring and building high quality homes, commercial buildings, retirement villages and other applications in South Australia. It doesn’t matter if the home goes all the way to the 1800s or is a new design you want to see made a reality, Metcalf can handle it. The Company is also a leader in shop fit-outs and renovations to properties of any scale. With a 30-year-old family owned history, the Company has a strong focus on quality, safety and environmental care in everything it does.
Now the heritage listed home’s porch is restored to what it once was. Not merely, a standard tiling job, this piece by piece restoration could only be performed by a trusted builder with care. The public can enjoy the look of the yesterday and a bygone era for many more decades to come.
About the author: Dan Hadley (MBA, BCOMM, IMC) is a Senior Management Consultant and Economist for JLB based in Adelaide, South Australia and works regularly with Metcalf Group (SA) to assist in best practice outcomes. His services include specialties in quality systems, risk, strategic advisory services and economic consultation.