April 2026

Whizzing down Dandenong Road just after Chapel Street, you pass the walled-in Presentation College, which I’d never stopped to look at. It was put up for sale last year, and sold last month to Pace Developments for a residential project – it’s listed by the City of Stonnington, but not including the later parts to the rear, so, last chance to see it in this form.

The convent school started off across the road next to St Mary’s in 1873, then moved here into a big old house (1850s?), replacing it with the first stage in 1884. It was designed by Reed Henderson & Smart in a very restrained Gothic style, no fiddly bits, just rough faced Barrabool stone. Only the west half was built first. The next section made it symmetrical, departing from the design, but then in 1917 they added more, including the Chapel, in more ‘correct’ Gothic, designed by B Moriarty.

Many more wings behind followed over the decades, as well as a high fence, complete with a small gate with a lovely sign, looks like opus sectile c1905.

The school closed in 2020 due to declining enrolments, then used for a while by what had been the boys school attached to St Mary’s.

The site includes the three houses along Dandenong Road, also heritage listed, including the 20s classical house/flats thats always closed up. Last pic is a render by Pace, but I’ll bet it’ll be taller in the end. Many pics real estate, wiki or facebook, pics 6 -11 mine.

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