Dr Hugh Wirth’s old Balwyn vet clinic sold; new owners to keep as is
The 114-year-old Balwyn Veterinary Surgery is on prime real estate land, so when it went up for sale, it would easy to think it would be knocked down for apartments. But history was on its side.
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The vet clinic where renowned animal welfare advocate and long-term RSPCA president Dr Hugh Wirth worked for more than 40 years will remain dedicated to caring for animals after its business managers bought the site it sits on.
Balwyn Veterinary Surgery has been located at the corner of Whitehorse Rd and May St since 1906 and is the oldest vet clinic in Melbourne.
Dr Amanda Gross, who has run the practice since 2006, along with Dr Antony Gross, became just the fourth owners of the property.
Belle Bruce Reid, who is considered Australia’s first woman veterinarian, set up practice in the Whitehorse Rd house.
A relative of hers, PT Kelynack, then ran it from 1923, before Dr Wirth bought it in 1967. He then retired from the practice in 2011.
Dr Gross said they had no intentions to develop the site as it was “well-established and highly regarded”.
“Certainly the use of the land in Balwyn is not the best and highest value as a vet clinic, but we certainly take some pride being such a long-running institution,” she said.
“People are used to seeing it there, it has been there a long time.
“It would’ve been sad to knock it down for another apartment building. We really wanted to purchase the freehold so we could retain it.
“Historically it is a source of pride that it has continued for as long as it has and hopefully it will continue it.”
The corner block was bought for $4.6 million, while 3 May St was sold to a local developer for $2.425 million by Fitzroys agents Chris Kombi and Ervin Niyaz.
The three side-by-side properties sites were part of Dr Wirth’s estate.
Dr Wirth started his career as a vet in Gippsland, before becoming RSPCA Victoria president for 43 years, the national president for 22 years and a member of its board for 35 years.
He has been credited with driving campaigns which resulted in the banning of puppy tail docking and the export of horses to Japan for slaughter, and he led the humane foods movement with the launch of RSPCA barn-laid eggs in 1997.
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Dr Wirth regularly appeared on ABC radio for more than 30 years.
In 1985 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia and was Victorian of the Year in 1997.
Money will be donated to the RSPCA from the estate.