By Derek Schlennstedt
For more than 20 years the sprawling 1930’s mansion of Burnham beeches has sat neglected.
Candles have burnt out, crockery is coated in thick layers of dust, empty oyster shells fill the fireplaces and dead leaves lay scattered across the dirty floor of the once popular mansion built for Aspro-brand sales magnate Alfred Nicholas .
Over those 20 years questions have hung in its dense silence, and politics and petitions have marred the progress of the site.
But now, as part of Rone’s six-week exhibition, ‘Empire,’ the mansion is open and Rone is giving locals in particular an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the once beautiful site before it is redeveloped by Chef Shannon Bennett and his business partner Adam Garrisson.
Thematically linked to the seasons, 12 rooms have been furnished with over 500 individual antique pieces, which Interior stylist Carly Spooner and Rone painstakingly sourced over a peiodof months.
Included in that is a grand piano that, for several weeks was left to the elements in the mansion’s garden to achieve its aged patina before being transplanted back into the house.
As part of the exhibition residents of the Dandenong ranges are being given the unique opportunity to see the exhibition on 5 March – a day before it opens.
Speaking to the Mail, Rone said creating the exhbition was a 12 month project, and has been an experience like no other.
“It’s not often that you can be so fully immersed in another era like this,” he said.
“It’s almost like we’ve discovered a forgotten time capsule and cracked it open for the world to see.
He said The exhibition ‘Empire’ is about offering audiences the chance to create their own story; to temporarily transport their minds to another place, another time.
“I want people to walk in and feel like they can explore the possibilities of what might or might not have happened here,” he explained.
“I love exploring the concept of how — and why — something so magnificent can be left to decline into ruin.”
The rooms feature Rone’s giant portraits of Lily Sullivan (who starred in a recent remake of the film Picnic at Hanging Rock), which he painted by hand onto wallpaper he designed and screen printed.
The monochrome paintings – part of his Jane Doe series – are accompanied by soundscapes by Nick Batterham, which include ambient sounds recorded at the site, as well as floral installations that mimic nature taking over the site, and even a bespoke scent.
Bennett and Garrisson plan to turn the estate into a $40 million luxury retreat and already operate a cafe and bakery on the property.
In late 2018 Planning Minister Richard Wynne signed off on the Burnham Beeches redevelopment on the condition that its historic beech trees were retained, after objections by locals. The permit allows for construction of a restaurant, brewery and 55-room hotel, which are expected to open in 2020.
Locals looking to visit the exhibition on Tuesday 5 March can visit www.r-o-n-e.com and head to the community day page for details on how to access their free tickets to the event. The code for the unique opening is LIVELOCAL.
The rest of the exhibition will run from March 6 to April 22 at Burnham Beeches
