Hello – we’re Jan and Shane O’Brien and we had our tree change to the beautiful Yarra Valley in 2017. We love sharing this beautiful part of the world with guests and hope you can experience a stay at Yarradene soon.
YARRADENE
This glorious and unique pocket of paradise has been home to some interesting characters over the years, all adding their own touches but never upsetting or harming this well balanced eco system.
A HERMIT AND HIS SHANTY
Newspaper articles dating back to the 1940s tell of the first known dwelling on the property, built by Richmond Davis, building himself a wattle-and-daub mudbrick shanty illegally on the property, using bush wood and materials at hand. It had a central fireplace for cooking and heating, and was furnished with a rug over the dirt floor, table and chairs and a bush wood bed.
BEN THE CLYDESDALE
Another well known Yarradene resident was Ben the Clydesdale, who had been agisting on the property for 10 years when we arrived. Unbeknown to us Ben was a much-loved local celebrity. So much so, we were dining at Healesville’s RACV having just moved onto the property, when a young waitress who lived near Ben/Yarradene told us that even though we’d bought the property, Ben the Clydesdale also lived there, and we HAD to let him stay. Hearing this delighted us and we reassured her that Ben the Clydesdale would most definitely be staying.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL
The original house at Yarradene was built in the 1980’s and completed and extended by its next owners Mike & Vicky who owned and loved the property for over 30 years. When they renovated it in 1996, they used stunning salvaged Oregon trusses from a 1930’s Mobil Oil warehouse in North Melbourne.
NATIVE FLOWER FARM
Upon moving to Yarradene we recognised early on the uniqueness of the property and the fact it was slightly reminiscent of a Farmstay we visited when our children were young. The wonderful family memories and natural experiences became the initial inspiration for the creation of Yarradene. When we were establishing and developing the flower farm the concept of a Farmstay seemed a natural fit. We renovated and modernised the house into beautiful holiday accommodation perfect for families, bridal parties and groups of friends looking to stay in the Yarra Valley. When we chose our house site on which to build our home, we intentionally situated it down the property, out of view, ensuring complete privacy for guests during their stay.
A NEW ERA
Fast forward to today and Yarradene is now a Yarra Valley Farm stay, home to us, our dogs, our family of farm animals and a haven for the diverse and abundant wildlife. We invite you to enjoy and experience this beautiful environment and create your own wonderful memories!
We love sharing this beautiful part of the world with guests and look forward to welcoming you to your farmstay at Yarradene soon.
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