Described as amoung the best Australian temperate climate gardens.

LOCATION
Culzean is situated on the outskirts of the Westbury township, 30km west of Launceston, Tasmania’s second largest city. The coastal city of Devonport is 60km to the north west. Countryside around Westbury is fertile farming land, famous for intensive cropping, prime livestock and extremely beautiful English style hedgerow’ scenery.

HISTORY
The original land purchase was made in 1842 but the garden plans did not commence until 1878-1879.

In 1907 Mr Charles William and Mrs Minnie Busby became the new owners of the property, which they renamed Culzean (pronounced Cullane) after a Castle on the Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland from where she imported some seedlings of significance’, namely the Indian Bean Tree, the Magnolia Grandifloria and the Carpentaria California these and scores of other European species thrive in the 2.8 hectare garden surrounding the lake and parklands.

In 1965 the Laker family came to Culzean and were responsible for the creation of the 3 acre lake, which has become a major feature of the garden. The Laker family stayed 35 years and left in 2000.

The current Owners commenced their life at Culzean when the Western Australian couple moved from the bustle of Perth to Westbury in 2001. They love the quiet existence whilst being close to nature. It has become their sense of place’. Though Westbury is often described as a very English village, the first European settlers were predominantly Irish: ex Irish convicts, retired soldiers and free settlers, many fleeing the Great Irish Famine in the 1840′s.

GARDEN
Featuring streams of permanent water, bridges to cross, a lake which is home to water fowl, wild duck and platypus. Quamby Brook flows along a tree lined boundary from where a registered Irrigation Right can been drawn from a tributary. Culzean enjoys an abundance of water. Today the garden is watered by underground 50mm irrigation mains and monitored systems.

The canopy of 130 year old trees protects the changing display of spring flowering azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. These old trees include cedars, sequoia, ash, lime, elms, pines, larch, sycamore, beech, sweet and horse chestnut.

The large lake boasts displays of water lilies and yellow water irises. Drifts of bluebells, Solomon’s Seal, wood anemones, forget-me-nots, snowdrops, Belladonna lilies and more, create sheltered, tranquil woodland rooms throughout the garden.

Culzean totals 12.98 hectares (32 acres) in 5 land Titles. There is approximately 2.8 hectares of garden and two lakes measuring approximately 3 hectares.

Other farm paddocks are framed with early hawthorn hedges.

HOMESTEAD
The builder of this fine old homestead was Captain Edward Martin, who had been serving in the British Army at Madras, India. He built the homestead, styled in early Anglo-Indian architecture (circa 1842) with locally made bricks. The house benefited from an extension in 1901.

Today, after a major renovation (2002) the home boasts 5 reception rooms and 5 bedrooms. Famous features of the home include original cedar turned columns along the flagstone veranda, an eliptical fanlight above the west facing front doorway, brick stables and a three-sided courtyard. The original workman’s cottage has also been modernised and features 2 bedrooms, making for very comfortable accommodation.