Pine Grove Villa: a history

Mr William Corney Esq. was amongst the first settlers in the Portland district. William arrived in Portland from Tasmania (then named Van Diemen’s Land) in 1840 with about 1000 merino ewes and six working bullocks, choosing to settle in the Portland district.  He took up land located near Casterton, “Wando” station which at the time was about 7000 acres, only to sell this property several years later to return to England for a short time.

In the 1850s William returned to Portland and in August 1856 commissioned Mr Daniel Nicholson architect and builder to create plans for his residence there.  Mr Nicholson drafted plans for a fine late Colonial Georgian styled home, which was subsequently constructed from bluestone ship’s ballast and individually numbered imported timbers.
Mr Nicholson has been attributed designing and building other fine local homes. For more information about this you should contact History House Portland

William and his wife Stephen were prominent Portland citizens.  William was a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Borough Council for a number of years and Mayor in 1869.  Their son Robert Corney was born at “Wando” in 1847, and in 1871, purchased “Tulse Hill” station not far from his father’s previous property “Wando”.  Robert and his family continued to use “Pine Grove” as their summer home.

In 1888, William and Stephen had a large finely constructed room added to  “Pine Grove” house.  Very skilled stonemasons, using superior local sourced bluestone, made this addition carving their initials and date in the ceiling; the room became colloquially known as the ‘School Room’.

William Corney passed away in 1898 and his wife Stephen Corney passed away in 1900. They are both buried in the South Portland Cemetery in a very fine grave.  
William Corney is further memorialized in the Portland Church of England for his part along with Edward and Stephen Henty in obtaining the Crown land on which the church now stands; the St Stephens middle stain glass window is dedicated to his memory.

Mrs Miller purchased “Pine Grove” house from the Corney family and is said to have run it as a guesthouse for a number of years.  She then sold it to Mr John Fenton who never lived in the house, subsequently selling it to Mr and Mrs Bell.  In 1981 Herbert and Lesley Black purchased the house spending a great deal of time renovating it to its former glory and making it their family home.  Their son Adam Black and his partner Justin Coote now fondly nurture “Pine Grove” house and its extensive gardens.