Frederick Sargood began hosting archery events at Rippon Lea from the 1870s. In the 1890s he arranged for the construction of a purpose-built Archery House close to the range, situated between the lake and the tennis court.
The Rippon Lea Archery Club held ‘Bow meetings’ every second Saturday and the Archery House provided the club with storage facilities and functioned as a clubroom.
It is an octagonal building with a timber frame and its octagonal roof is covered with timber shingles. The walls are clad with cork-bark set between tree fern trunks.
Overall, the effect is rustic and slightly romantic!
The doors and windows of the Archery House are glazed with lead lighting in coloured diamond shaped panes. The central roundel evokes the archery targets that once adorned the nearby lawns.
The Archery House has a gabled entry porch, also decorated with cork-bark and supported on tree ferns.
While the Archery House may be closed to the public, you’re invited to catch a glimpse of its interior charm.
The interior of the Archery House is lined with varnished timber lining boards. The walls have metal clips to hold archery bows.
The above right photo is taken from the photo album of Adam Anderson (Sargood’s Head Gardener). It was taken around 1910. The photo on the left is from the 1950s, when Louisa Jones owned Rippon Lea.
The Archery House is a hidden gem and a rare survivor, offering us a glimpse into the life-style of Melbourne’s 19th Century elite.
