Everything went well on Bearbrass’s first big outing for 2022 – by V-Line train to Castlemaine. The total party marshalled by convenor Jan S. totalled an impressive 23 members, friends and guests. We were delighted to welcome and get to know Mimi M. and Helen C.In a true miracle of precision logistics J, the train-riders were met at Castlemaine station by members in two cars (plus one taxi) to ferry the group a couple of kilometres to historic Buda House for lunch and guided tours.
After scoffing delicious chicken and salad, plus tasty home-made biscuits, two volunteer guides took half the party each on a tour of the 3-acre garden and mansion, which lasted an hour or more thanks to the enthusiasm of our hosts.
After, the group split for short or extended walks around historic Castlemaine before heading to the station for the hourly return trains.
One Probus member said, ‘What a great tour guide and interesting homestead. I almost felt like I got to know that family!’
The weather was perfect, the company great and our club lived up to its motto of fun and friendship.
Our next rail trip is on Friday March 4 on the Belgrave Line to Belgrave where we’ll board the 11 am Puffing Billy ($48 concession return) for lunch at the superb new Lakeside pavilion/museum. Inquiries to Julie R, Julie.reid52@bigpond.com
Register at Events on our website bearbrassprobus.org.
As a warm-up, the chief executive of Puffing Billy, Peter Abbott, will brief us as speaker at our Tuesday Feb 8 club general meeting.
Register at Events on our website bearbrassprobus.org.
As a warm-up, the chief executive of Puffing Billy, Peter Abbott, will brief us as speaker at our Tuesday Feb 8 club general meeting.
For those who couldn’t make it, here’s what we learnt about Buda (the name relating to Budapest):
Buda is one of the few historic houses which truly bears the mark of its former owners – the Leviny family.
Hungarian-born silversmith and jeweller Ernest Leviny arrived in Australia in 1853 during the goldrush era, choosing to stay in the rapidly growing township of Castlemaine. Ernest, with his wife Bertha and their talented children, developed Buda from the rather modest Indian bungalow purchased in 1863 to the ‘handsome’ home set in the expansive and enchanting gardens that we see today…
