estate cartography
In Europe, during the 16th century, estate owners began to commission map-makers to record their property boundaries, buildings and gardens. Catherine O’Neill brings the ancient highly-specialised art form into the 21st century.
Combining her unique set of skills as a landscape designer, graphic designer and watercolour artist, Catherine accurately maps and records historic, iconic or simply much loved gardens.
These extensive, yet sensitive works of art are intended for framing and display. They will become valuable records of social history, treasured family heirlooms and make the most individual and exquisite gifts.
Catherine has recorded properties ranging in size from hundreds of acres to courtyard gardens. All her works are produced on handmade French watercolour paper, using archival English watercolour paint.
STOCKTON HOUSE
•WILTSHIRE•UK•
Stockton House is a Grade 1 listed Elizabethan manor house built in 1598 by John Topp, a clothier to the court of Elizabeth I. The banded limestone and flint house is set in the tranquil Wylye Valley amongst the rolling downs of Wiltshire. The 40 or so acres of parkland include yew, topiary and an intricate parterre plus a grand walled vegetable garden and orchard. A garden that links the present with its ancient history of over 400 years.
LONGHALL
•WILTSHIRE•Uk•
Longhall, a Grade 2 listed Medieval house, dates from the 15th century. A brick facade was added in the 18th century. The enchanting grounds consist of about eight acres of garden rooms, sweeping lawns with clipped yew topiary and some remnant woodland. A wonderful feature is the Butterfly Garden, planted to attract rare moths and butterflies from the nearby chalk downs.
FOREST LODGE
•STIRLING•SA•
Forest Lodge is a fairy-tale Gothic mansion which stands at the top of a twenty-acre garden high in the Adelaide Hills. It was built in 1890-91, by John Bagot, who travelled the world collecting plants for his garden. The garden consists of fifty two individual gardens laid out under a ‘forest’ of wonderful specimen trees, many of which are very rare and one of which remains unidentified. The Pinetum has the best collection of conifers in Australia.
BOLOBEK
•MACEDON•VIC•
The ten acres of garden at Bolobek, started in 1911, have evolved through several generations of gardening families into what is now described as “being of aesthetic, architectural, historic and horticultural importance to the State of Victoria”. (Victorian Heritage Register) The outstanding features are the collection of trees, a poplar walk, the white garden and more recently an immense working vegetable garden. The rose garden and water garden have also been reworked recently.
BRICKENDON
•LONGFORD•TAS•
Brickendon is one of Tasmania’s oldest farming properties settled in 1824 by William Archer. It has recongnition as a World Heritage Site along with its Convict Village. The garden is illustrated, as it might have first been imagined, without its modern additions of swimming pools etc, but showing the collection of rare trees, many planted 180 years ago. Some significant research went into examining old photographs and documents. A rendition of the first estate map sits at the top right corner of the artwork. The large vegetable garden and orchard are illustrated as they might once have been.
GLENMORE HOUSE
•CAMDEN•NSW•
Glenmore House is situated in the foothills of the Razor Back Range near Sydney NSW. The four acres of rambling garden rooms are surrounded by 24 acres of farmland and native bushland. The climate is challenging but the owners have created a remarkable kitchen garden and cooking school. This is well documented in the book ‘The House and Garden at Glenmore’.
JUMJUM
•RAVENSDALE•NSW•
The gardens at Jumjum lie in a temperate, lush green valley to the north of Sydney. The heavily planted 12 acres of garden sprawl elegantly across the terraced hillside. Many species of native birds and animals, along with the menagerie of domestic animals make Jumjum their home.
FELLOWS HALL
•N. IRELAND•UK•
Fellows Hall is a 17th century desmene with a house dating from 1664. It stands amongst the emerald green fields of Ireland. The house was restored after fire in 1762. The secluded walled garden, with billowing herbaceous borders, lies to the rear of the house. In the centre is a twelve-segmented box parterre, overflowing with roses and foxgloves. It has been a family home for generations of gardeners and is a haven for small birds, badgers, bees and resident geese.
BIRCHGROVE
•BEECHWORTH•VIC•
Built in 1892, this quintessential Victorian cottage is tucked away in the historic gold mining town of Beechworth. The captivating design by the current owner 16 years ago, cleverly belies the size of the garden. At the front, an exuberant riot of colour and perfume froth around the picket fence. Perfect order is restored in the immaculate formal parterre and fishpond at the back. There is a grove of Silver Birch which beautifully shades and names the house.
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