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 mile (1.6 km) in width through its property with reaches to the lake; it occupies 4 miles (6.4 km) 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, Oserian was characterised as a "symbolic centerpiece" of the Happy Valley set. 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.[7] In 1982, it became the first flower farm on Lake Naivasha.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Trillo, Richard (2002). Kenya. Rough Guides. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-1-85828-859-8.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Huxley, Elspeth (8 June 2011). Out in the Midday Sun. Random House. pp. 115–. ISBN 978-1-4464-7581-2.
  5. ↑ Architectural Digest. John C. Brasfield Publishing Corporation. p. 122.
  6. ↑ Davenport-Hines, Richard. "Happy Valley set (act. 1924–1941)". Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Oserian Wildlife Lodges / About Us". oserianwildlife.com.
  8. ↑ Woodward, Christopher (13 February 2013). "This Kenyan Boomtown Is Getting Rich on Roses". Business Insider.
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