ABOUT
WELCOME
Corio Bay Villa is a historical residential home located in Surrey Hills, Victoria. My name is Leah Mariani. My husband and we purchased Corio Bay Villa in 2011 and began an extensive renovation in 2021. My husband and I both fell in love with the historical aspect of the house and have tried to maintain and enhance the original features of the building.
The building itself is not very large but it was the only house in the street for some time and was built in the Victorian Italianate style. It contains particularly elaborate exterior render detailing, which is rare in the municipality.* The yard also features an English oak tree which is believed to have been planted around the time the building was constructed, over 130 years ago.
This blog documents in my findings as I investigate and record the history of the house and surrounding area, in an attempt to capture the information for future residents. Subscribe below to get updates on my discoveries and significant findings. You can also find out more about me and my artist career on my other website: www.leahmariani.com.
If you have some information relating to the house, previous residences or local history, I'd love to hear from you via the contacts page.
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Are you interested in finding out more about your period home? I'm happy to research the history of your home for a small fee. Otherwise, check out the resources section below to start your own journey into the past.
* Final Heritage Assessments Part 3, prepared by HLCD Pty Ltd for the City of Whitehorse, 2010.
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Image: Corio Bay Villa, 2013