The Sunny Villa Residence was first built in 1894. It was commissioned by Dr. Birch who used it for his residence and doctors’ surgery. It was a large 12 room home with ornamental fruit trees and a lake adorning its entrance. Dr Birch left the district in 1901 when the home was purchased by the Stockwell Family who remnamed it “Kiewa”.
“Kiewa” was purchased by Evelyn Alice Davis (ne Nicol) in 1920 and renamed it “Rosebank” after her family home in Essendon.
After Mrs. Davis was widowed in 1939, she went to Melbourne to live with her new husband Mr. Harry Bell.
During the Second World War the house was turned into two flats and let.
Mrs. Davis subsequently sold the house to her dear friend, Mrs Elizabeth Bunn and her husband Arthur. They lived in “Rosebank” for a number of years. Their daughter Gloria Bunn married Jack Collins, and with a friend, conceived the idea of turning the area into a caravan park (1970s).
**Information supplied by E. Nicol 22/05/2020
