Rippon Lea - The Nathan Family

Continuing the story of the house called Rippon Lea which is about to change hands again due to the  death of yet another owner.

In 1910 the property was bought by Benjamin Nathan who had made his fortune selling furniture.

Ben moved in with his wife and two daughters and the house became a family home again, though he did use it to host fundraising events for the First World War and other charities.

Like Fred, Ben was a keen gardener and particularly liked orchids.

He built the entrance lodge (photos of which can be seen in the first Rippon Lea blog post), 

a large conservatory and 14 glasshouses, and employed up to 17 gardeners.

Ben's orchids became famous and started winning awards.  Visitors started coming around to view the gardens and possibly glean some gardening tips (and maybe a cuppa).

Life was happy at Rippon Lea for the next 25 years until Ben died in 1935 and his eldest daughter Louisa (Lulu) inherited the estate.

What did Lulu do?

Rippon Lea, Melbourne - May 2016