Eildon Mansion, St Kilda

20 Jan 2020:

I do feel a bit lucky to waking past something like this on the way to the local Dr ! #EildonMansion, built in 1872, designed by #JosephReed of #ReedAndBarnes, an enlargement of an earlier house. This is actually the ‘back’, the other side is more elaborate and originally faced huge lawns and gardens half way to the beach. I remember when it was an old man #boardinghouse in the late 80s, and in another fortunate event it was bought in 2007 by the @alliancefrancaise_melbourne, so you can just walk in ! I just wish it didn’t have cars parked in front, though I see a couple of annoying trees in front have been removed since 2017.

Original post 27 March 2020

2nd #virusphoto; #EildonMansion, without any cars in front ! But some hazard tape instead. Now home to the #AllianceFrancaiseMelbourne, it was built in 1872, designed by #JosephReedArchitect of #ReedAndBarnes, an enlargement of an earlier house.

It’s a bit clunky if you ask me, not Reeds best work; an awful lot of #quoins, vs odd window arches on little pilasters. This is actually the ‘back’, the other side is more elaborate (third photo from early last year) and originally faced huge lawns and gardens half way to Acland Street ! It’s the only #StKildaMansion that has anything like its original grounds, partly because it was by far the largest in the first place, and bits sold off in the 10s, 30s and 50s.

I remember when it was an old man #boardinghouse in the late 80s, and 90s, then it was briefly backpackers, then it was bought in 2007 by the @alliancefrancaise_melbourne, so you can just walk in !

April 29 2019:

This is the ‘back’ of the #AllianceFrancaiseMelbourne, which was enlarged in 1872 as the 30 room mansion Eildon, for pastoralist John Lang Currie, and had a HUGE garden going all the way down to Church Square, just off #AclandStreet, meaning they could see the bay from the upstairs verandah. The 3rd photo is when it was still his house in 1895. The 2nd one is from when it became a nice guest house, prob after WW1. The grounds were sold off in bits, the last in the 50s, so I had to stand in a log in a corner of a park to get this shot behind a rather ordinary block of flats. I think this side is better than the front, but both a bit mmm thinly applied ? Compared to my fave #highvictorian richness I guess.

27 March 2022:

The Alliance Francaise is leaving Eildon Mansion in Grey Street St Kilda, so it’s up for sale ! On the heritage register so quite safe. I’m ok if it becomes some rich persons 3rd home, though we might lose the view from the street to trees. That’s it’s only yard since it’s once huge site was more and more reduced up to the 50s, by which time it was a low rent boarding house – which it stayed till the AF bought it in 2007.

It started out as a fine Georgianish house called Barham in 1850, transformed in 1872 by Reed & Barnes in an interestingly elaborate Renaissance Revival style. I can see now from the plan they basically just added big roomed wings either side, and new fronts all round. It’s unusual in that way, since it’s got two fronts, with a tiny side/ rear wing, but has a larger detached servants / stable block to one side instead, contrasting in it’s simplicity. The images of Barham are from the St Kilda Historical Society, the interiors and aerial from the real estate site.

Update: It was bought by Gary Singer and partner Geoffrey Smith, who run the successful art and antiques auction house Singer and Smith, for a reported nearly $10 million.

Barham, Grey Street side

27 March 2023:

Got a good shot of Eildon mansion in grey street st kilda a couple of months ago, without cars !, just before scaffolding appeared. The Alliance Francaise put it on the market last year, and it was bought by Gary Singer and partner Geoffrey Smith, who run the successful art and antiques auction house Singer and Smith, for a reported nearly $10 million. Plans lodged with heritage Victoria show they’ll be using it as their auction house, with very few alterations, biggest ones are installing a lift in an unobtrusive spot, and removing the horrid steel stair out the back. As I said a year ago, I’m ok if becomes a rich persons house, but this is better, since you can go in any time (probably). But they’re keeping the unfortunate front carpark. The scaffolding is I think just render cleaning /repairs. Eildon started out as a fine Georgianish house called Barham in 1850, transformed in 1872 by Reed & Barnes in an interestingly elaborate Renaissance Revival style (with an odd blank thing that looks like a water tower on one side but might have been the kitchen with servants rooms above). It’s slightly unusual in that it’s got two fronts, the rear side facing the bay with nice arcades, but hemmed in by later buildings on land subdivided off the once huge estate. The interiors and aerial from the real estate site, the rest mine.

24 October 2023:

Eildon is for sale – again. Having bought it 15 months ago and restored the exterior at least, life and business partners Smith & Singer art and fine things auctions have bought the 1899 Edwardian mansion Darnlee (2nd last pic) in Toorak for their business, I guess a better location given their clientele. They also bought another Toorak mansion, the grand 1868 Trawalla in 2019, which is presumably where they actually live (last image). That’s a lot of mansions. I guess Eildon is now likely to become someone’s house, though with the front and back equally important, there’s no place really to add an extension. But it’s got 30 rooms ….