Les Norton and his daughter Emma open up about their castle home. 74704 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Laura Wakely
THEY say a man’s home is his castle, but for Les Norton his home is a castle.
Les and his family are the proud owners of Overnewton Castle in Keilor, a 162-year-old structure that sits on a hill overlooking the suburban sprawl of Brimbank.
It may seem like an unlikely spot for a castle, but in 1849 it was the perfect spot for sheep and cattle farmer William Taylor to build.
The property was originally built on almost 14,000 acres, the massive dams eventually being renamed to the suburb Taylors Lakes.
Taylor designed the castle in the Scottish Baronial style, inspired by buildings from his home country like Balmoral Castle.
Les said his heritage-listed home was built of bluestone, covered with a technique known as harling, which he described as a “creek sand covering”.
A spiral staircase that climbs up the whole height of the building is just one of the amazing features of the property, which also includes parapets, bartizan towers and amazing fittings.
Les bought the property in 1975 after falling in love with the building – his family is only the third to have owned the castle, which he believed is due to no one wanting to part from the building.
“It’s fantastic,” he said.
“It’s got a very warm feeling to it.”
Daughter Emma Stott said the gardens were just as fantastic as the castle, estimating that some trees, including a lone pine, could be as old as the building itself.
“I’ve lived here all my life and I take pride in it,” Emma said.
The family is puzzled by rumours of haunting – neither Emma or Les have come across a ghost or ghoul on the property.
Instead it’s the romance that Emma said was the heart of the castle.
The family will open the castle to tours next year and Emma said visitors should keep an eye out for the initials William Taylor and his wife Helen carved into the castle.
Although it’s their home, the Norton family is passionate about sharing the history of Brimbank with everyone, hosting weddings, high teas and, in 2012, taking part in the Australian Open Garden Scheme. For more information on Overnewton Castle, visit www.overnewtoncastle.com.au
