Perched regally atop a bluff, overlooking the Yarra River and its verdant surrounds, Tay Creggan (now Strathcona Girls Grammar Hawthorn Campus for Year 9) invites visitors into a world where architectural grandeur meets the enduring spirit of Melbourne’s educational heritage. For our 2026 Open Houses guests, this historic estate promises not just a tour, but an immersive experience: a journey through craftsmanship, history, and the celebration of women’s education across more than a century. Every step through its corridors reveals a story, every beam and window whispers of artistry, and every vista reminds us why this is one of Victoria’s most cherished Queen Anne Revival homes. Constructed in 1893 by the architect-builder Robert Guyon Purchas, Tay Creggan which is Scottish for “house built on a rock,” was inspired by an Italian chateau Purchas admired on his European travels in the 1870s. Though Purchas lost his fortune during the 1890s depression, and the house passed to the newlyweds Michael and Flora Spencer in 1897, his vision for a landmark residence endured. The Spencers commissioned modifications, transforming parts of the original plan to suit their needs, including replacing the intended orchestra gallery above the ballroom with six foundation pillars, traces of which remain visible in the cellar passageways today. The moment guests approach Tay Creggan, the commanding façade impresses with its rich asymmetry, turrets, terracotta roofs reminiscent of snake scales, and a mix of brick and stone that signals the Arts and Crafts ethos. Looking up from inside, the triple-domed ceilings of the former ballroom draw the eye A Crown Jewel of Architecture and Women’s Education TAY CREGGAN, STRATHCONA GIRLS GRAMMAR, HAWTHORN CAMPUS FOR YEAR 9 11
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