Welcome to Ballarat House

About Ballarat House and the transformation to holiday accommodation.

Ballarat House has a fascinating history, built 150 years ago as Margate was expanding to accommodate the upscale travellers who flocked to the beautiful sandy beaches and the seawater plunge pool dug out of the chalk cliffs at Clifton Baths, created in 1855 and still to be found deep inside the Lido complex. It was owned for many years by one Isaac de Bock Kennard, who opened Kennard’s piano store in his front room.

The huge and unusual square bay window that illuminates the large living space was presumably fitted during this era circa 1899, along with the double strength wooden floors. A full length glass window in the lobby gave customers a sneak peak of the pianos before they entered through a beautiful engraved glass door, both of which remain to this day. Isaac named the house after a trip to Australia during the gold rush of the 1860s: he allegedly played the piano on the ship there and came home with a large gold nugget, much enamoured of the Australian town where he stayed.

Kennard’s eventually moved to nearby Northdown Road, then much further afield. The family business lives on with direct descendent Vernon Kennard, as Loch Ness Pianos in Inverness. During Margate’s early 20th century heyday Ballarat House became a guest house, enlarged by knocking through to the house next door and adding a room to the top floor. Finally, it became a much loved family home, before falling on hard times as an HMO. It has now been lovingly renovated to create the perfect holiday home by the sea.