Bear's castle

Bear's Castle

Bear’s Castle was constructed in Yan Yean c. 1846, probably by two men - Hannaford and Edwards - who had arrived separately from Devon, England. It was built for John Bear, an early pastoralist, who migrated from England with his family in 1841.

It was perhaps a cursory remark by John Bear which led to the building being constructed to resemble a fortress. With a pyramid shaped roof and turrets at each corner, (one with a stair and another in brick and stone with a chimney), the building would have made an unusual impression on the Australian landscape.

Despite its name, it would appear that the building was never used as a retreat from danger although it might well have been used as a lookout for monitoring livestock or forest fires. John Duffy, a manager of John Bear’s estate, and his family occupied it briefly from 1865.

Bear’s Lookout (or Bear’s Folly as it is also known), is a small, two storey structure, roughly square in plan and occupying an area of less than 12 square metres. It is built of mud/clay - a common primitive building material apparently once used extensively in the Whittlesea area. It utilises a technique known as cob construction which was popular in the builders’ home town of Devon.

Architects and historians often use buildings to learn about history. At least three distinct periods can be discerned in Bear's Castle.

From 1846 to the turn of the century the building retained battlements of brick parapet walls and at least one castellated tower. These were removed around the turn of the century and for about 70 years the building stood without any major changes.

In the 1970s the walls of the building were clad in a yellow render of mud and chicken wire. This work ensured the protection of the clay walls but altered the appearance of the building.

Today the building stands with turrets at each corner, one containing a brick fireplace and chimney and another a spiral staircase. The frames of the lancet windows and arched doorways are made out of forked tree trunks.

There is a small window in the stair turret and a further two flanking it, which do not appear in earlier pictures of the building. The roof is shingled but is believed to have been thatched originally.

While Bear's Castle may appear as a mystical remnant from another era, it is also an important tool which assists us in understanding the lives and activities of Victoria's early settlers.