Description
An 1880s Italianate mansion overlooking the Yarra at Studley Park, Villa Alba houses one of the most important examples of late 19th century decoration in Australia. Now a museum, the mansion features rare hand-painted, stencilled and gilded decoration by renowned Scottish-trained interior designers, the Paterson Brothers.
Villa Alba is one of the seven sites featured in Take Hold of the Clouds, a curated exhibition for the Weekend that embeds responsive works within Melbourne’s most-loved architectural spaces.
What's On
The house and garden will be open each day for visitors to explore the elaborate painted and stencilled decorations and the recreated heritage garden. Guided tours of the principal ground floor rooms will run at 11.15am and 1.15pm.
Images: (1) Drawing Room. Photo: Mitchell Luo (2021). (2) Detail of South wall of Vestibule depicting the North Shore of Sydney Harbour c. 1880. (3) Detail of Dining Room frieze depicting a scene from Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian. (4) Detail of Boudoir ceiling with initials AMG for Anna Maria. Photos 2-4: Russell Winnell (2011).
Important Details
Time & Date
Open 11am-3pm
Tours run 11.15am, 1.15pm
Sunday 31 July
Open 11am-3pm
Tours run 11.15am, 1.15pm
Running for 30 minutes in groups of 15 people.
Sign up on arrival. Tour group capacity is limited and operates on a first come, first in basis.
Villa Alba also showcases creative practitioner Julia McInerney's work Joanna (2022) as one of the seven sites featured in Take Hold of the Clouds. The curated exhibition embeds responsive works within Melbourne's most-loved architectural spaces across the Weekend. More information here.
Age Requirements
Accessibility
Location
44 Walmer Street, Kew 3101
