RURAL HOMES

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 46, 23 February 1923, Page 5

RURAL HOMES

FOR BUSY PREMIERS TOWN AND COUNTRY RESIDENCES COMPARED The Prime Minister in any civilised country is regarded. by many of his. fellow citizens with envy. To the man of ambition it seems a most covetable position. First of all there is the limelight. Some people can never get enough of that. The reluctance which certain men who have been under it display in getting out of it, even when they have been very bluntly asked to, indicates how much they relish it.

Then it is soothing to some natures to exercise influence, and to receive tokens of deference. Further, although it is bad form to mention it, there is the salary. Behind the official salary also there is a form of supplementary salary vaguely and comprehensively called the "perquisites." These are not easily listed, but that they are numerous and substantial is more than suspected. In some.countries, for instance, the Prime Minister has an official residence.

They have onejin England. Number 10, Downing street, is an inconspicuous looking doorway in a little London throughway. Yet it must be one of the most important houses in the world; some of the most momentous decisions in history have been arrived at within its walls.

That is the British Prime Minister's town house. But within recent years there has been added to his perquisites a country house. In 1917 Sir Arthur Lee, now Lord Lee of Fareham, presented to the nation his mansion and estate of "Chequers," in Buckinghamshire, with the proviso that it should be used as the official country residence of the Prime Ministers of the future.

The gift was substantial and beautiful. The stately house stands in spacious grounds on the slopes of the Chiltern Hills. It is 700 feet above sea level, and 38 miles from London town. The estate, which embraces 1500 acres, consists of gardens and farms, woods and hills, including the highest point of the Chilterns.

The house is ancient and historic. In the grounds immediately surrounding it are the remains of the castle of Cymbeline, the reputed birthplace of Caractacus, the famous Briton who stoutly resisted the Roman invasion in the first century. In the reign of Henry 11. it was the residence of the King's Treasurer; and in the fourteenth century it was entirely rebuilt. Among the treasures it now contains are numerous Cromwell relics and pictures. ■ In 1909 Sir Arthur and Lady Lee inherited the house. They immediately arranged for a fresh restoration, and when that was completed they dedicated everything to the nation in order that its Premiers might be able to exercise befitting hospitality even when in the country.

The incident aroused memories of another instance, similar but more splendid in character. To tKe younger generation of Australians the name "Groote Sehuur" will not convey much. But citizens old enough to remember the Boer war may recall that "Groote Sehuur" was associated with the name of- Cecil Rhodes. It was his country residence. In his time he had twice been Cape Promier, and when he died he bequeathed his estate to the Union of South Africa for a residence for the Premiers of the future. To-day General Jan Smuts, South Africa' 3 Premier, is its occupant.

The gift was not unworthy of the great Empire builder. "Groote Sehuur" is a place of wonderful beauty, majestic environment, and interesting associations. It is situated at Rondebosch, near Cape Town, which town was established some 300 years ago by the Dutch, and served as a half-way house to the Bast for the Dutch East India Company. The very name "Groote Sehuur" indicates Dutch ancestry. The house is a noble piece of reconstruction on the site of the huge granaries which the Dutchmen erected in the days when they were doing a thriving business with the East, long before the English ever thought of having a look in.

Just as Shakespeare took an old play and made it new by investing'it with his genius, so Cecil Rhodes altered beyond recognition the old Dutch granary. Although some of the finest features of the best era of Dutch architecture have beem preserved, the place has been completely transformed. . Its magnificence proclaims the donor's munificence. In the centre of the front gable has been set a striking bronze relief representing the first landing of tho Dutch in Cape Tovrn. This was cast for the building by Cecil Rhodes's special direction. On the verandah are two old pieces of ordnance, of early breech-loading pattern, which were discovered in Portuguese East Africa. The door of "Groote Sehuur" is a replica of the original which was destroyed by fire some thirty years ago. The brass and other metal fittings, including, finely wrought iron grilles on either side of the door, were preserved and still serve as ornaments to the entrance.

On the left side of the vestibule are the sittingroom and library. The former contains excellent specimens of colonial furniture and eighteenth century clocks; the latter contains type-written copies of all the Greek and Roman classics in the British Museum. Added to these are numerous objects of great historical interest to Africa. The cabinets contain Phallic implements from Zimbabwe, a carved wooden dish bearing signs of the zodiac from the same locality, soapstone birds, small pieces of gold decoration and gold studs, which probably formed part of the adornment of the ancient temple of Zimbabwe.

Rhodes was .m enthusiastic collector of grandfather's clocks. Some marvellous examples adorn the staircases. In tha approach to the dining-room there is a rare display of antique Dutch brasswork. The room itself is panelled in teak, and contains excellent tapestries and a collection of glassware, in which are included a number of the original drinking vessels of the Dutch East India Company. The drawing-room is probably the most interesting apartment in the house, by reason of the valuable Oriental and Delft china, which Rhodes used us a means of decoration. There ure many specimens of old-fashioned artistic furniture; among the more "valuable relics of bygone d;iys ;ire a beautiful brass-bound cabinet of maple wood and an inlaid writing table of Eastern origin. There are also several splendid bronzes ; Scotsmen may be interested to know that one of themis of Robert Bums.

The first floor is devoted to bedrooms. The one Rhodes himself used commands a magnificent prospect of Table Mountain and Devil's Peak. From it, too, there can be seen is distant vista the national memorial which the citizens of South Africa, raised in honour of Rhodes.

Tho central figure of the memorial is tin equestrian group, "Physic.*.! Energy." by G. E. Watts. The group represents a'man reining in a powerful horse. The rider, every muscle tense, is eagerly scanning, the distance for fresh fields of conquest; the horse, stands with arched neck and uplifted foot. The. group, cast in bronzej is set on. a massive granite

bastion at the foot of the stairway leading to the temple wherein stands the bust of Rhodes himself.

Several steps give access to a broad terrace; on the massive coping of its low walls repose lions couchant. This design is thrice repeated, and is crested with a Doric temple. The whole scheme was inspired by the Acropolis at Athens. The eight lions that flank the approach to the temple were modelled from the Sphinx lions of Egypt. The architectural structure is in granite hewn from the sides of Table Mountain; the lions are cast in bronze.

From the slopes of the hills, amid which Groote Schuur stands, there opens out a scene of wondrous be,auty. The beetling cliffs of Devil's Peak tower high in the air; on the west lies the silver strand of Table Bay, where the Atlantic rollers chase each other in shore; eastwards, as far as the eye can see, is False Bay, washed by the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean;» the- blue shadow of Table Mountain casts a subtle spell upon a landscape everywhere lavishly endowed by Nature. Inside and out Groote Sehuur is a most attractive spot, and through many a generatior South Africa's Prime Ministers will doubtless realise that their lines have fallen in extremely pleasant places. It is amazing that the Australian politician, with all his genius for spending, has not insisted on providing an official residence for Prime Ministers. There would, of course, be difficulty. South Africa got out of the difficulty easily. There a Prune Minister, who knew that he had done very well out of the country, proved his gratitude by bequeathing to it Groote Sehuur.

It is possible, therefore, that one day some Australian Prime Minister, who also knows that he has done very well out of the country, may be moved to a similar act of generosity. He may wish to present a home, a pleasant mountain retreat, for the use of Australia's future Prime Ministers. In case there should be any doubt as to what would be a desirable site, it might.be pointed out that Sassafras seems to have certain charms.