Lucerne
The residence in Alphington known as "Lucerne" was demolished to make way for a carpark for the La Trobe Golf Club in 1960. During its existence it had mostly been a dairy farm, although for 2 years, the Roman Catholic Church ran it as a Superior boarding school.
The house was one of the first residences established in Alphington in the 1840s. It was a social centre for balls, parties, picnics and musical evenings, held by Mrs Wills, her husband being Thomas Wills, who was a prominent citizen - Magistrate of the Colony and Trustee of the Savings Bank of Port Phillip being among his positions. This part of Alphington once came under the jurisdiction of Heidelberg.
Sources
Cummins, Cyril (ed.) (1971). Heidelberg since 1836 : a pictorial history. Heidelberg: Heidelberg Historical Society
Lemon, Andrew (1983). The Northcote Side of the River. North Melbourne: Hargreen.
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