THE picturesque gardens of the Narrapumelap Homestead will be open for guided tours this Easter Sunday and Monday, providing visitors from far and wide with the opportunity to explore the historic property.

With scheduled talks and tours held over the two days, visitors will learn about the impressive French Gothic Mansion that is widely recognised as an Australian Architectural masterpiece.

The property is set on the Hopkins River near Wickliffe and was built in 1873.

The current owner, Kevin McIntyre, whose parents bought the property at auction in 1951, said the grounds have been open for Easter tours since around 1995, with guests often expressing their amazement at the beauty and layout of the space.

“When people see it for the first time they go ‘wow’ … it’s very complete and most people find it pretty fascinating,” he said.

Mr McIntyre said the property was badly damaged by vandals in the 1960s and he had been working on the restoration for decades, completing almost all the design and labour himself.

“I build lots of things myself and I think that kind of amazes (visitors),” he said.

“When you come through, you have absolutely no idea what’s old and what’s new until I point it out.

“I’m always looking at additions, just minimal changes, but the effect is quite major for the building.

“I’ve always believed you have to make certain changes to keep a building going.”

One addition to the Homestead that Mr McIntyre was particularly proud of was repurposing the tower and adding 23 feet to the top, as well as a “gothic crown” as a nod to the original owner who was believed to be the grandson of the King of Poland.

“I have redesigned the original top based on old photographs and it looks spectacular,” he said.

“It is now the tallest tower on a single storey domestic structure in Australia.”

Another standout feature of the Homestead are the cast iron lions located on the front steps, which Mr McIntyre said were probably “the best pair of statues in a private house”.

Similar to the rest of the property, the lion statues have a fascinating history as they were created by the prominent architectural modeller and sculptor, John Simpson Mackennal, who was going to create similar lions for the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne.

The gardens will be open from 10.30am-5.30pm on April 17-18.

Guided Private Tours of the Homestead are also available throughout the year by appointment.

More information about Narrapumelap can be found at narrapumelap.com.au.