Living history

The Myer name needs no introduction, but not so well known is the Melbourne garden loved by four generations of the philanthropic family.

The street view of Cranlana offers tantalising glimpses of the splendour within. Framed by sandstone pillars and wrought-iron gates, the park-like grounds stretch out as far as the eye can see, divided by a gravel driveway that sweepsuptotheporticoofanEdwardianhome.Manicured lawns are outlined by rows of hedging and punctuated by colossal trees reaching into the sky. It’s an extraordinary sight. But then, there is nothing ordinary about this property.

Located in the prestigious Melbourne suburb of Toorak, Cranlana was the home of businessman, philanthropist and founder of the Myer department store, Sidney Myer, and his wife, Merlyn. They bought the 1903 home and property as a newly married couple, in 1920, and immediately began planning and planting around the home, intent on creating a ‘house in a garden’.

The Myers welcomed their first child, Ken, in 1921 and within several years, they had four young children running around the grounds. As their youngest daughter, Marigold – now 92 and known as Lady Southey – wrote in the foreword of Cranlana: The first 100 years, a recently released history on the property: “The house and garden grew and matured together, and in those two places a happy family was raised”.

In 1928, Sidney engaged architect Harold Desbrow-Annear, an exponentoftheArtsandCraftsMovement,tooverseearefurbishment of the house and to revamp the design of the garden. The aim was to create a cohesive layout in which the home would connect with its surrounds. Harold responded by creating a series of terraced lawns and garden beds that fan out from the house, with a grid of stone paths and retaining walls dividing the expanse into zones.

In 1932, Sidney and Merlyn acquired an adjoining paddock, expanding their plot to just under one hectare. Desbrow-Annear was asked to transform this new parcel of land. He had a grand vision: a formal sunken walled garden in the Italianate style. Designed with strong axial lines, the sunken garden features a lily pond with central fountain, marble statuary and clipped topiaries.

Sidney Myer died suddenly in 1934, at the age of 56. Dame Merlyn continued to live at Cranlana until her death in 1982 and the Myer descendants still own the property. The entire clan holds a deep affection for this special place: Lady Southey still walks the grounds every day with her dogs.

“WE’ RE NOT IMMUNE TO THE CHALLENGE SO FOUR CHANGING CLIMATE. WE’ RE MINDFUL OF OUR RESOURCE USE AND OF FOSTERING BIODIVERSITY .” Anna Thompson, head gardener, Cranlana

For all its sophistication, the garden at Cranlana has been a popular playground for successive generations of younger Myer family members. Sidney and Merlyn’s children swam in the fishpond on hot days and played leap-frogovertheyoungevergreensonthelowerterrace.KenMyer’sdaughter, Joanna Baevski, says the garden is what she loved most about visiting her grandparents’ home. “The garden was paradise. It still is. My grandson, Simon, recently had his seventh birthday at Cranlana. One of his little friends said to his mum, ‘We went to the bush in Toorak’.”

Dame Merlyn loved the garden in all seasons. For her, it was not only a place from which she derived aesthetic pleasure, it was also the largest ‘room’ at Cranlana. In good weather, she loved entertaining guests under the trees in dappled sunlight or under a heated candlelit marquee decorated with flowers from the garden.

Cranlana’s current head gardener, Anna Thompson, says the garden is bothpeacefulandahiveofactivity.Intandemwiththeconstantmaintenance, she and her team also propagate many of the plants – vegetables, flowers, even the oaks – for Myer family members. Anna says there are challenges, too, in balancing the preservation and renewal of this historic plot. “We’re not immune to the challenges of our changing climate,” she says. “We’re mindful of our resource use and of fostering biodiversity.”

While the property is no longer a permanent residence, it is used as a gathering place for the extended Myer clan and as headquarters for the Cranlana Centre of Ethical Leadership, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to assisting better decision making in business and government.

There will be much to celebrate when Sidney and Merlyn’s descendants gather together this year – under the boughs of Merlyn’s beloved trees – to mark the family’s 100 years at Cranlana.

The Myers acquired a paddock neighbouring their property in 1932; architect Harold Desbrow-Annear transformed it into this classical sunken garden with topiary, statuary and pond. Feature trees in the garden include a giant Californian redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens) planted by Ken Myer in 1943; a glorious pin oak, golden elms, tulip trees, copper beech, a deodar cedar and a rare white oak ( Quercus alba).

Cloaked by the canopy of old trees, this sheltered pocket of the garden is bathed in dappled light. OPPOSITE Clockwise from top left Vibrant potted marigolds. The wrought-iron gates designed by Harold Desbrow-Annear at the street entrance feature the family crest, Sidney and Merlyn’s initials, ‘M’ and ‘S’, entwined; a glorious pin oak stands at the top of the driveway. Classical statuary and urns are found throughout the garden. The tennis court fence is draped in wisteria. The beautiful variegated foliage of calla lily. An Italianesque water feature. The delicate flowerhead of pink spider flower ( Cleome).

The sunken garden is a vision of symmetry. Today, the flowerbeds are filled with vibrant dahlias, cleomes, zinnias, marigolds, amaranthus and salvias. In the background, a ‘long walk’ is lined with pencil pines ( Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’). OPPOSITE Clockwise from top Velvet lawns, floral colour and a stone seat in one of the lower terraces. Gardens beds contained by low box hedging. A cherub statue is haloed by an arch of nasturtiums.