Mary Spode’s Room

Mary de Middlemore Spode was the daughter of Josiah Spode, supervisor of convicts in the early years of the colony. He was an army officer, a son of the founder of the famous Staffordshire pottery firm that still bears the family name.

Mary’s claim to fame is that, rather than follow her tyrannical father’s wishes and marry the man of his choice, she eloped with her true love. Their descendant, the well known broadcaster Ellis Blain, married Hettie, grand-daughter of Alfred Crisp, the builder of Corinda.

Mary’s room at the front of the house has a magnificent view over Corinda’s award-winning garden towards Kunanyi, perhaps better known as Mount Wellington, which often has snow at its summit in winter.

Sleep Tight!

The full King size bed has a padded linen headboard. The interior sprung mattress and quilted latex overlay were hand made for us right here in Hobart by A H Beard, a specialist bedding firm founded 120 years ago. The sheets and pillowcases are of finest quality Egyptian cotton.

Furniture

The carved antique wardrobe is French, circa 1890. The elegant little lady’s chair is of walnut, with original Victorian hand made needlework. One of the bedside tables is Georgian, of solid mahogany, whilst the other was made locally of Tasmanian oak in about 1930.

In the bathroom, a ceramic sink from one of Hobart’s magnificent Henry Hunter mansions stands on a Victorian marble washstand. The cast iron bath with its “four poster” curtained shower and miniature hand basin (for the soap, not you) is possibly original to the house.