Oserian
- for the Kenyan football club see Oserian F.C..
Oserian (Masai, "Place of Peace"; locally, The Gin Palace; later, Djinn Palace) is a flower farm on the south shores of Lake Naivasha, Nakuru County, Kenya.[1] It is Africa's largest rose producer.[2] Oserian's wildlife corridor is more than 1.6 km (1 mi) in width through its property with reaches to the lake; it occupies more than 6 km (4 mi) of shoreline.[3]
History
Originally a country estate, the Moorish-style mansion was built in 1927 by Major Cyril Ramsay-Hill,[4] a rancher, former officer in an Indian regiment, and sometime Hollywood actor. It was based on his grandmother's home in Seville, Spain.[5] The crenellated and domed building features minarets, and contains an "inner courtyard, fountains, squash court, swimming pool, and polo grounds".[6]
During the colonial era, "The Djinn Palace" was "where things usually were very lively" for the Happy Valley set, according to Ulf Aschan.[7] It was built for Ramsay-Hill's wife, Molly (née Edith Mildred Maude; 1893–1939), who had an affair with and later married Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll.
In 1969, Oserian was established as a small vegetable growing farm.[8] In 1982, it became the first flower farm on Lake Naivasha.[9]
External links
References
- ^ Davis, Art (19 December 2011). From Foot Safaris to Helicopters: 100 Years of the Davis Family in Missions. iUniverse. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-1-4620-6761-9.
- ^ Trillo, Richard (2002). Kenya. Rough Guides. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-1-85828-859-8.
- ^ Coglianese, Cary; Nash, Jennifer (2001). Regulating from the Inside: Can Environmental Management Systems Achieve Policy Goals?. Resources for the Future. pp. 136–. ISBN 978-1-891853-41-8.
- ^ Huxley, Elspeth (8 June 2011). Out in the Midday Sun. Random House. pp. 115–. ISBN 978-1-4464-7581-2.
- ^ Architectural Digest. John C. Brasfield Publishing Corporation. p. 122.
- ^ Davenport-Hines, Richard. "Happy Valley set (act. 1924–1941)". Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ Aschan, Ulf (1987). The Man Whom Women Loved. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 142-143. ISBN 9780312022495.
- ^ "Oserian Wildlife Lodges / About Us". oserianwildlife.com.
- ^ Woodward, Christopher (13 February 2013). "This Kenyan Boomtown Is Getting Rich on Roses". Business Insider.