It’s one of South Australia’s most impressive mansions - but you can’t buy it. The grand pastoral homestead of Martindale Hall welcomes thousands of visitors a year as they step back in time to a world of grandeur and greatness, racecourses and polo grounds. With almost 150 years of history woven in the walls, it's not surprising that some say they’ve even met with some of the home’s former residents in their ghostly form.Built in 1879-1880 for Edmund Bowman Jr, the Georgian style mansion 130 kilometres from Adelaide doesn’t do anything by halves. It boasts 32 rooms, a cellar with seven rooms, and the surrounding grounds feature a boating lake and a cricket pitch where the England 11 played at least once. It cost £30,000 and when the final ornate detail was completed, almost all the tradesmen who built the house returned home to England.
Living large, entertaining with gusto and buying several South Australian pastoral properties saw the Bowmans through the 1890s. But the good times came to a crashing halt when drought, followed by a depression in Australia, took their toll. Wool prices plummeted and the Bowman’s sold up. In 1891 William Tennant Mortlock became the new owner of Martindale Hall. It was owned by his family until 1950 when it was bequeathed to the South Australian government.
Today the glorious homestead and the surrounds of the 4450 hectare Martindale Station attract visitors keen to experience a living museum. Guests are transported to an era where wealthy pastoralists lived an extravagant lifestyle and were cared for by a rumored 14 servants. For many, it’s instantly recognisable as the setting of one of Australia’s best known films, Picnic at Hanging Rock.
While all visitors can enjoy a self-guided tour, some have even reported a little extra, albeit friendly, guidance. The ghost of one of Mortlock’s sons, Valentine Mortlock, has been known to have paid some guests a visit. William Mortlock and wife Rosye had six children, with only two surviving. However, the most tragic story is that of Valentine Mortlock, born in 1898 and believed to have cerebral palsy. Whether by necessity or to hide him away, Valentine was kept locked in his room by a gate until he died aged just eight years old. The gate markings can still be seen today.
Whether it’s for an interest in history, homes or the supernatural, Martindale Hall unveils stories of love, loss, grandeur and despair for all those who wander its halls.