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Henty House, Ruyton Girls' School

Architect: Unknown

East | E08

Booked Out

In 1872, Henry and Marian Henty moved in to ‘Tarring’, a two-storey, polychrome brick mansion built for them by prominent Melbourne architect Albert Purchas. The house and nearly four acres of grounds served as their family home until the death of Marian Henty in 1919. The following year the property was purchased by Ruyton Girls’ School, and ‘Tarring’ became the Boarding House and the iconic heart of the School. At that time, it was also renamed ‘Henty House’ in order to honour the connection to the Henty family, Victoria’s earliest European colonists. Boarding ceased at Ruyton in 1971. Ruyton Girls’ School was founded in Kew in 1878 by Mrs Charlotte Anderson and is one of Victoria’s oldest independent schools for girls. In 2018, its 140th year, Henty House remains at the centre of Ruyton. The building retains many original, Victorian-era features, while also showing the layers of change, made over the decades in order to meet the evolving needs of one of Melbourne’s leading schools.

Need to Know

• Open: Sun 10am-3:30pm - Booking required for this building

• What's Open: Reception lounge, boardroom, grand entry, upper & servant's hall, view Principal's Office

• Tour Details: First release Friday 13 July 8.30am until booked out, second release Friday 20 July 8.30am until booked out, small booking fee applies. Tours at 10.15am, 11.15am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, running for 35 minutes, in groups of 10

• Building Type: Education

• Age Restrictions: 8 years and above

• Facilities: Toilets

• Access: Able bodied access only

• Year Built: 1919

• Transport: Tram stop: Wellington St/Glenferrie Rd on route 16

• Photo Credit: 1904 & 1956 images (Ruyton Heritage Collection). Others by Mark Chew

• Tour Type: Pre-booked

  Booked Out

Location