Billilla will soon reopen its doors to the Bayside public, and the Council is looking to the community for input on its future use.

Billilla Homestead, located at 26 Halifax Street, is a special piece of Brighton's history. Originally built for gold rush migrant Robert Wright in 1878, it later became the home of grazier William Weatherly and his family, who transformed it into the striking Art Nouveau-style Edwardian manor that it is today. The property remained in the Weatherly family until 1973, when the then-Brighton Council bought it on behalf of the community.

Since then it's been a museum, a wedding venue, an event space and a school campus, with the gardens remaining open to the public throughout. In early 2022, for the first time in over fifteen years, the house will once more become available for the public to enjoy.

Now the Council is looking for the Bayside community's input into this next stage in Billilla's life. Here at the Society, we see this as an exciting opportunity to share this rich piece of Brighton's history and help shape its future. We're delighted to be involved and we hope you will too!

What would you like to see, and how would you like the property to be used? Hop on over to the Have Your Say website to share your ideas, support other people's suggestions with likes and comments, and post your recollections of Billilla on the memory wall.