Buda Historic Home & Garden

Buda Historic Home & Garden is one of the great heritage assets of the Goldfields region. The gracious historic home is surrounded by one of the most important large 19th century suburban gardens surviving in Victoria.

The house was built in 1861 and from 1863 it was the home of noted gold and silversmith Ernest Leviny and his family. Complete with the family’s art and craft collections, furnishings and domestic effects, Buda is a unique record of this creative family who occupied it for the period of 118 years.

Included in the collection are examples of silverwork and jewellery designs by Ernest Leviny and artworks including embroidery, metalcraft, photography and woodwork by the five unmarried daughters who resided in the house most of their lives.

Also displayed are works by many prominent Australian artists including Margaret Preston, M J McNally, Ursula Ridley Walker and Lionel Lindsay.

The 1.2 hectare garden offers a rare insight into the ideals and aspirations of two generations of a family of keen gardeners. Fashionable elements vary from elaborate Victorian-style flower beds to the simple geometry of the ‘formal garden’ reflecting early 20th century tastes.

Most of the plants brought into the garden since the 1860s have remained to form a unique ‘heritage’ collection. On the property there is a retail and propagating Plant Nursery specialising in the great survivors of the goldfields, with many rare and unusual plants.

The nursery has its origins as a stock of replacement plants all grown from seed, cuttings, bulbs, corms and tubers collected in the historic garden.

There is a Giftshop stocked with a range of Buda-exclusive merchandise featuring Leviny designs and other original pieces.

The delightful Garden Room function venue, set beautifully amongst the gardens and available for hire, has the capacity to seat up to 65 people.