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Wongarra Heights formerly known as Grandview Guesthouse was opened in the spring of 1938 by Mr. Edward and Mrs. Millicent Stephens.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephens employed a carpenter from Ballerat by the name of Jim Groves to extend their farmhouse to include 9 guest rooms and facilities.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephens had 4 children Ada, Ivy, Frank and Albert. Their oldest daughter Ada
took over the running of the Guesthouse in 1939 before her marriage to Jim Groves in 1940.
Even before the guesthouse was opened the farm included the Wongarra Post Office and Telephone
Exchange these facilities were housed in the kitchen. The mail was sorted on the kitchen table
and the switchboard hours were from
8am to 8pm Weekdays
8am to 1pm Saturdays
8am to 9am Sundays with an hour off for lunch noon to 1pm daily.
Most of Wongarra residents would all gather and catch up with each other when they would come in to collect their mail or they would all listen to the conversations when it was party hour and the lines were all open.
Grand views guests would arrive by the Trans Otway bus or by private car, the cost of a week stay in the summer of 1952 was £ 4.4.0, and £3.10.0 for winter. The Holiday season would extend from November to Easter and include the May and September school holidays. Often workers would board at the guesthouse when working in the area through out the year.
Guests would enjoy fishing, shooting, bush walking, sightseeing or just relaxing.
Grandview was powered by a 32-volt generator and supplies were kept in a Kerosene Refrigerator. The guesthouse was very self sufficient as most of the supplies came from off the property. There were 2 vegetable gardens an orchard for fruit preserves and jam that was made in the copper, a chicken run for eggs and meat, a cow for milk and cream (coddled/ scalded cream was served with every meal), Jim would also dress lambs for the dinner table. Often guests would ask if Mrs. Groves would cook the fish they had caught for their meal or if they were lucky to shoot a rabbit this would also be cooked when requested.
The large dinning room was built in the 1950’s and has an interesting history, if only the walls could talk. During the year the room was used for the monthly church service (approx 16 regulars attended), community activities like dances, bingo, concerts, private parties, Christmas luncheons and much more through out its history.
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