Rippon Lea - keeping up with the Jones'

Continuing the story of Rippon Lea house and gardens now under the ownership of Lulu Nathan who inherited the estate following her fathers death in 1935.

Lulu had married a lawyer called Timothy Jones in 1921 so she was already established with a hubby and a family of four kiddies when she inherited the estate.

Lulu and Tim decided to modernise - changing the Edwardian decor for a more glamorous Hollywood style.

So.
She had a new kitchen built on the ground floor, remodeled the dining room and bathrooms (installing the luscious green bathroom tile you still see today and can be seen in earlier posts), removed the original ballroom and replaced it with a swimming pool and converted the billiard room and museum into a new ballroom.
She painted, changed carpets, de-cluttered, altered the entrance hall to bring in more light and installed a lot of mirrors.

Lulu and Tim entertained a lot and became well known for their pool parties and charity fundraisers.

A little side note.
Anyone who is a fan of Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries will recognise the pool and some of the garden, as the scenes of  Aunt Prudence's mansion were shot at Rippon Lea (and a dastardly murder was committed by the pool!)

So did the fun continue into the second half of the 20th century?

Rippon Lea, Melbbourne, Victoria - May 2016