History

History of Bringalbit

Bringalbit has developed over time.  The 1263 acres of land was first bought by John Apperley who owned it from 1858 till 1866.  After it’s settlement in 1858, the granite homestead was build in at least three stages, while the garden too has had contributions to it, by various people, over man years.

John Lang and family were at Bringalbit from 1866 – 1877 and the house as it is today was begun. A date on the outside stone wall is 1/4/71 (1871).

William Fysh lived on the property from 1887 – 1908, and is credited with landscaping the lake and planting many of the now mature, exotic tree species.

During the second world war, and following, a family named Gardiner leased the property. More trees were planted, including a spruce in the old mine.

Further garden development took place at Bringalbit during its ownership by William Runting, from 1955 – 1962. A stone wall was built around the garden at this time, pines were planted along the fence near the ‘tombstone paddock’, and numerous other building projects also contributed to the site.

The Fox’s purchased Bringalbit in 1990, and since then have carried out considerable restoration work concurrent with the development of new areas. Dead trees, branches and undergrowth have been cleared, and willows on the lake have been thinned to prevent the choking of cordylines, flax and agapanthus.

The climate is harsh with hot dry summers, cold wet winters of frequent cracking frosts, occasional snow falls and a strong southerly wind. A small creek rising nearby feeds a couple of dams and the garden lake before cascading down its rocky falls below the spillway. The granite soil is well drained and particularly fertile due to a long and continuous build up of humus from massive oaks and other deciduous trees.

In 1991 there were no actual garden beds at Bringalbit, and with few photographic records available, it does not seem that flowers were a feature. The paddock north of the house has now been developed into a garden area, which includes a quince and crabapple walk, shrub and perennial borders, vegetable gardens, an olive grove and an orchard.