Since European settlement of Australia, the story of ‘Chatsworth House’ is centred around John Moffat who was born in Scotland around 1817 and at around 22 years of age arrived in Victoria with little education and next to no capital.  Through sheer hard work, dedication, canny stock-breeding and shrewd land acquisitions that in 1858 he eventually became the proud owner of a property named “Hopkins Hill’ in Western Victoria.

In 1859 John Moffat began the two-year long construction of the homestead that would become known as ‘Chatsworth House’. Moffat named his new home after the grand home of the Duchess and Duke of Devonshire in Derbyshire, England.

The Hamilton Spectator of 25 July 1863 said: ‘Chatsworth House … is undoubtedly one of the wonders of the Western District. In a locality where, some 20 years ago, the foot of the white man had never rested, and where the country now is used only for the primitive pastoral pursuit of squatting, miles away from any town or centre of population, and not even adjacent to anything which may be called a road, in fact in the open wild bush, unenclosed, without garden, fence or plantation, stands a magnificent mansion, a fit rival to the country seats of many of the nobility of England … Aesthetically the house is a masterpiece.’

The writer continued: ‘The Hall is after the model of the Pantheon at Rome. The walls are painted in imitation of Sienna marble, every block having a different design. The pillars and cornices are in the Roman Corinthian style. There are handsome entablatures over the doors and enriched trusses … the Drawing Room is probably the handsomest and best furnished room in the colony … the bedrooms, about a dozen, all furnished in a style of magnificence that it would be almost impossible to surpass.’

Moffatt also built substantial bluestone stables and men’s quarters, and employed Edward La Trobe Bateman, cousin of Superintendent of the Colony Charles Joseph La Trobe, to design ‘pleasure grounds’ surrounding the house in the same vein as the gardens at Chatsworth House in England. Within months more than 5,000 plants and shrubs had been sourced from Geelong, Melbourne and Ballarat, and a plant nursery thrived.

Moffat’s efforts were recognised when he hosted a two-day visit by Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s son in 1867, where more than 100 people were accommodated at ‘Chatsworth House’ and activities included a successful kangaroo hunt on horseback, giant bonfires at night and what has been described as ‘a marvellous dinner with great speeches’.

Throughout his life Moffat remained a bachelor as he purchased many more land holdings and built up a successful business.  However, in 1870 at the age of 53 John Moffat died aboard a ship returning from the United Kingdom.

Following his death the estate was divided into eight lots and sold in 1903, with one of those being the property ‘Chatsworth House. Since then, the history of ‘Chatsworth House’ has only been enriched with the stories of the numerous and unique owners. Today Tom and Sarah Whinney are honoured to be the current custodians of ‘Chatsworth House’.