Corio Villa Estate

Corio Villa is the first prefabricated cast iron house in Australia. It was built in 1856.

Corio Villa is a fascinating property with a remarkable history that overlooks Corio Bay in Geelong Victoria, Australia.The Villa was commissioned by the Scottish iron founders Charles D. Young and Co for William Narin Gray, Colonial Land Commissioner who ordered the villa but died on 11 June 1854 prior to arriving in Geelong.In 1855 a consignment of cast iron sections, classic vases and roofing from Glasgow arrived at Cunningham pier at Geelong. For six months these sat at the wharf unclaimed.In the end, they were sold to Mr. Alfred Douglas for a small sum and the iron sections were hauled to the site.Without plans from Charles D. Young, craftsmen solved the jig-saw puzzle of prefabricated half inch thick cast iron boiler plate to form wall sections with window openings.An unusual feature of the villa is, its 5 inch pitch corrugated iron roofing instead of the usual 3 inch found throughout Australia. Most of the decorative cast ironwork echoes the pattern of the rose and Scottish thistle.It is historically, architecturally and aesthetically significant as the only surviving prefabricated cast iron house with richly decorated unique features.Highly recommend driving past and enjoying the stunning period details.