Why 1880-1900?

Posted on Saturday, 23rd August 2025 by Janine Rizzetti

Why does our ‘Heidelberg of the Heidelberg Artists’ exhibition span 1880 to 1900? That’s because there were two different phases of Melbourne artists coming out by train to ‘the end of the line’ at Heidelberg. In the first phase in the late 1880s, the artists stayed in an old weatherboard homestead of some 8-10 rooms in Summit Drive Eaglemont- and here’s the plaque to prove it!

This plaque was unveiled on 23rd May 1970 by Cr. Vernon Henderson, Mayor of Heidelberg. In the second phase from the 1890s, they stayed in a house and cottages on the Chartersville estate, in Burke Rd North. The main Chartersville house is still there, but the cottages are long gone.