Werribee Park - Werribee Park Mansion

Werribee Park Mansion was built by pastoralists Thomas and Andrew Chirnside between 1874 and 1877 in the Italianate style. Its residential and working buildings supported a large farm workforce. The rooms open to the public include the billiardroom, the main bedrooms, the reception rooms and part of the kitchen. In 1887 Thomas Chirnside died, his brother Andrew Spencer Chirnside then took over the running of the Werribee run and all the holdings along with his sons. When Andrew Chirnside died three years later in 1890 of heart disease, his jewellery and other personal items were left to his wife, Mary Chirnside (née Begbie) as and after the death of Mrs. Chirnside bequeaths the said household furniture &c, to his sons George Thomas Chirnside and John Percy Chirnside. He bequeaths to Mrs. Chirnside a legacy of £10,000, and also an annuity of £5000 during her life, to be considered from day to day, and to be paid by equal half-yearly payments, the first payment to be made at the ex piration of six calender months from testators death. Charges the annuity upon his one-third share and interests in the lands forming the Werribee Park and Point Cook Estates, and the stock, chattels and effects thereon, which share and interest was held by him in partnership with his sons, George Thomas Chirndise and John Percy Chirnside. He devises and bequeaths to his sons, George Thomas Chirnside and John Percy Chirnside all his share and interest, in the Werribee Park and Point Cook Estates, and in all the other property of the partnership firm of Andrew Chirnside and Sons, to be held by them in equal shares, as tennants in common (charged with Mrs. Chirnside's annuity). George Chirnside inherited werribee park mansion and surrounding lands while younger brother, Percy inherited the rocky stone land above the railway line. Not surprisingly, this led to ill feeling between the brothers and when Percy subsequently purchased land and had Hamilton build "The Manor" dated to around 1895-6. his brother George took out a court to prevent Percy using the word "Werribee" when naming his new mansion. From 1923 to 1973, Werribee Park Mansion was a Catholic seminary, Corpus Christi College. The wings which are now the Mansion Hotel were added during that period. In 1996, episodes, set in England, of the television series The Genie From Down Under were shot at the mansion. Also most rooms in the house were used for an American based film called, The Pirate Movie starring Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins from The Blue Lagoon. The mansion was also used in the 1976 film The Devil's Playground.

In December 2007, the Werribee Park Mansion hosted two Elton John concerts as part of his Rocket Man Solo Tour.

Every year the Werribee Mansion Grounds are used to host the Werribee Christmas Carols event, the harvest festival, and the polo championships.