The historic Burnham Beeches estate in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne will host Australia’s first Six Senses resort and spa as part of plans for a $100 million redevelopment by Trenerry Consortium, backed by the wealthy Smorgon family.

The consortium, which this year completed the $100 million transformation of the famed Continental Hotel in Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula into a luxury InterContinental resort paid $16.6m in March for the 22ha Sherbrooke property after previous owner, celebrity chef Shannon Bennett and business partner Adam Garrison failed in their bid to turn the three-level mansion into luxury accommodation.