History

Before the arrival of Europeans, the Guraldjin Balug clan of the Gulidjan language group (Clark, 1995) were the Traditional Owners of the land Ingleby stands on today. Today, we acknowledge the Eastern Maar people as the Traditional Owners, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.

Semper Paratus – Always Ready

The Homestead and outbuildings

Ingleby, formerly known as Glenmore, was settled by the Armytage family in 1837. By 1849 Thomas Armytage was one of the earliest pastoralists to follow Batman and Fawkner into the Port Phillip District, arriving at Port Phillip in 1836.  His time at Ingleby was short-lived. He died of typhoid fever in 1842 and the property passed to his brother, George Armytage Jnr. At that time, Ingleby was 26,840 acres, grazing 100 cattle and 10,000 sheep.

The last Armyatge to own Ingleby was Oscar Ferdinand who travelled regularly between the UK and Melbourne. One of our treasured pieces is the lid off a timber sea chest located hiding against a wall in the store room of the mens quarters.

The homestead as it stands today was completed in 1860 after flooding forced the family to move from the house they built on the south side of the Barwon River. Designed by well-known Geelong architect Edward Prouse in a Colonial Georgian style with Italianate stylistic motifs, the two-storey homestead has seven bedrooms, a billiard room, dining room and drawing rooms.

In 1882-83, architect AT Moran designed the woolshed and outbuildings, which included stables, a coach house, workshop, staff and attendant’s quarters, a bluestone woolshed and three cottages. While still standing, the woolshed is no longer part of Ingleby today.

The Armytage family also built the Hermitage in Geelong and bought Como House in South Yarra not long after it was built. They sold Ingleby in the 1920s and over the years that followed the land was sold. In the 1950’s, the remaining land was subdivided for soldier settlers.

Today, Ingleby is a sheep and beef farm, and is classified on the Heritage Council of Victoria’s register as buildings of historical significance.

Timeline of ownership

George Armytage

George Armytage Jnr

Oscar Armytage

E H Lascelles (Lessee) 1911

Mr Philip H Lock1923

William Clive Reid 1923

Harold Fowler 1951

Ian Steel late 1950’s

Mr & Mrs Adamson 1984

Parks Family 1988

Pam and Peter Habersberger 1989

Kaye and Andrew Chapman 1997

Georgie Thomson 2020