13 February 2024

The most spectacular lost mansion at 424 St Kilda Road, known as Illoura. Well known but not well researched – had to dig, found it was probably built in 1888 for businessman Henry Burrows, originally known as Fitzroy House, and almost definitely designed by James Gall, who did two very similar mansions in Camberwell at the same time (photos 10 is Parlington, 11 is Frognall). The FB page Great Historic Australian Houses has more detail – ‘In 1937 the building was listed as “Illoura Flats” although advertisements for apartments had already appeared through the 1920s. Taken over by the Defence Department during the Second World War, it was Blamey’s Melbourne headquarters for Land Signals. It was bought by the Greek Orthodox church in 1946 for £16,000 with plans to develop the site into a church which never eventuated, and was still a private hotel when sold in 1964.’ And then demolished for an office building called Illoura Plaza by Stephenson Turner completed in 1965, slightly interesting sort of Brutalist, which was joined to one next door in 1989, creating a double site. Im posting this now because the pics came up via @auntyfrank on FB, and Tim Gurner bought it late last year for another luxury apartment development. All photos State Library Victoria 1964, about to be demolished, except the colour one, City of Melb collection. Parlington and Frognall photos the internet.

• Uncategorized