Outgoing Gulf Station manager Colin Jarvis with his Clydesdale stallion Ben.By Dion Teasdale
AFTER almost 10 years at the helm of Yarra Glen’s Gulf Station, Colin Jarvis is moving on to greener pastures.
Mr Jarvis, who started work at the historic homestead and farm in 1996, retired from his role as manager last month. In his time at Gulf Station Mr Jarvis has overseen the reinvigoration of the National Trust property, which was owned by the Bell family for almost 100 years and dates back to the mid 1850s.
Set on about 24 hectares (60 acres) of picturesque farmland adjacent to the Melba Highway on the fringes of Yarra Glen, Gulf Station is one of the few remaining pioneer farms of the Yarra Valley.
After working at the RACV Country Club in Healesville for 20 years, Mr Jarvis, whose own family has lived in Healesville for five generations, went to Gulf Station as the farm manager.
Initially he was charged with managing the animals living on the property and maintaining the grounds.
Upon arrival at the station he discovered the Bell family had established and run several rare breed animal studs on the property in the 1870s, and he set about reintroducing the animals.
“The Bell family ran an Ayrshire cow stud, Berkshire pig stud, a BorderLeicester sheep stud and a Clydesdale horse stud at Gulf Station for over 50 years,” Mr Jarvis said. “What I wanted to do was reintroduce and stabilise the original rare breed animals and blood lines to give the place a sense that it is a living history.
“Preserving the buildings is one thing, but the animals put a living sound into the place.”
Mr Jarvis said working with the animals on the property helped him understand the importance of maintaining Gulf Station as a living museum.
“The brief at Gulf Station is to keep the place as it was in the 1880s to 1920s era so it has been important not to overload it with antiques or keep it tidy like a garden park,” he said. “What we have tried to do is keep it presentable, but at the same time keep it looking like it is still a working farm. The Bell family were extraordinary people and they lived in a wonderful time, so it is great to walk around the place and get a glimpse of how these people lived.”
Mr Jarvis said he felt he had been blessed to be able to work at Gulf Station.
“I’ve always had a fascination with the past and it has been wonderful working to bring it back to life in small ways,” he said. “It has been something very special in my life. It is something special to be able to say I helped preserve a piece of the valley’s heritage.
“Working at the station just got under my skin and it became hard to separate myself from it. When you take on something like this it grows on you and you develop a great love for it,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of wonderful people over my time there and many of the things we’ve been able to do would not have been possible without the hard work of the Friends of Gulf Station.”
Mr Jarvis said goodbye at a party held at Gulf Station last Friday. He said he intended to enjoy his retirement with family and friends and hoped to maintain strong ties to the station in the future.
