ADRIAN & MEGAN PENISTON-BIRD
Updated: Jul 13, 2022
Adrian & Megan Peniston-Bird owned and lived in Corio Bay Villa from 1971 to 1977. They have very fond memories of their first home, where they raised three children.
Image: Megan and Adrian with their first child, at the rear of Corio Bay Villa, 1972.
Adrian and Megan were in search of a home in which to raise a family. When they came across Corio Bay Villa it was very run down, and at risk of being knocked down. Fortunately, Adrian and Megan bought it, with a view to fix it up.
Megan and Adrian moved in just before the birth of their first child. Megan and Adrian worked on the house together. At times, Megan would come up with the ideas and Adrian would put those plans into action. During the 6 years they lived there, they undertook the restoration of many period features in Corio Bay Villa. In Megan's own words:
The house was very basic, the stove in the kitchen was called The Front Line and was ancient but we just managed to fit the turkey in for Christmas dinner! The back section was pretty grim with louvres in the kitchen and the bathroom in a cupboard. We could see the potential in the house and though without funds, Adrian was a great do it yourself man and immediately started work. My mother, when she first saw the house, told Adrian that it wasn’t for a new baby. She later brought friends to admire our renovations.
I caught up with Megan and Adrian in April 2022 and they were kind enough to share photos and details of their lives at Corio Bay Villa during the 1970s. A summary of their changes to the house are detailed in the post called: The Villa Over the Years. However you can read Megan's detailed account of their time at Corio Bay Villa here:
Image left: hallway of Corio Bay Villa, 1970s.
Image right: Peniston-Bird child on the front veranda Corio Bay Villa abt. 1977.
Megan and Adrian worked as teachers throughout their lives, including whilst living at Corio Bay Villa. In between working full-time, raising a family and restoring Corio Bay Villa, Adrian also did some research on the history of the home. He put together the list of past residents that my husband and I discovered in the cellar over two decades later. His notes on the house can be found at the Box Hill Historical Society, and are shown below in part. Megan and Adrian also opened up the house as part of a community Open Day in 1975. The brochure, shown below, describes Corio Bay Villa as it was then.
Above image: Except from the Open Day brochure, 1975. Source: Box Hill Historical Society.
Above image: Adrian's note on Corio Bay Villa, abt. 1975. Source: Box Hill Historical Society.
In both documents reference is made to the original owner, Charles Emberson, being a clipper captain. The second document also suggests he may have been in the merchant navy. However, after contacting the National Archives of Australia and the Geelong Family History Group I am unable to find a connection between Charles and a shipping career. To read my post on Charles Emberson, including my thoughts on him being a sea captain, please see the post titled Charles the Builder.
Adrian and Megan had three children while living at Corio Bay Villa and the family soon outgrew the home. After selling it to John McMillan, the Peniston-Birds continued to live and work in the area. They moved to an Edwardian period home in Windsor Crescent. Adrian spent some years working at Chatham Primary School. Before retiring in 1992 Adrian started writing children's books and once won the FAW Mary Grant Bruce National Literary Award for Children's Literature.[1]
One of Adrian's fictional stories is set in Surrey Hills. In 2000, Adrian published Katie's Dream, in which the protagonist's home is based on Corio Bay Villa. The story, however, unfolds in another historical home called Medlow. Medlow is grand period home at 42 Warrigal Road, Surrey Hills. It is described by the National Trust as "a Victorian villa set in an elaborately landscaped 19th century garden with an artificial lake, sunken lawn and two-storey coach house with flamboyant fretwork on the gable."[2] It was built in 1889, just one year before Corio Bay Villa. Adrian and Megan both seemed to have liked older period homes.
Image left: Cover of Katie's Dream by Adrian Peniston-Bird
Middle image: Medlow house 1965, National Trust Database, accessed 5 May 2022, http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/search/nattrust_result_detail/65211
Image right: Garden party in the grounds of Medlow 1935, Victorian Collections, accessed 5 May 2022, https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5bb152df874ffc17544b55f1.
For more information on Adrian's books and writing carer, go to http://www.adrian-pb.com.
REFERENCES:
This post was written with assistance from Megan and Adrian Peniston-Bird who were interviewed in April and May 2022. Other sources of information contained in this post include:
[1] About the Author, Adrian Peniston-Bird, accessed 5 May 2022, http://www.adrian-pb.com.
[2] Medlow House & Garden, National Trust Database, accessed 5 May 2022, http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/search/nattrust_result_detail/65211