Glenhope South Yarra: Punt Rd mansion built in 1880s hits the market

It has a rich history, including housing refugees fleeing post World War Poland, and now this mansion’s next chapter is ready to be written.

A South Yarra mansion built in the 1880s that used to house Polish refugees who fled their homeland after World War II could be transformed under new owners.

The Glenhope mansion at the Domain Hill site at 466 Punt Rd has hit the market and agents Fitzroys are hoping to sell it for about $5.5m next month.

The Victorian era-styled mansion, which is within walking distance of the Royal Botanic Gardens, MCG, Yarra Park and the St Kilda Rd office precinct, was built by Robert Paxton in 1887.

In a press release, Fitzroys said the property was held by the Paxton family until it was bought by the Warsaw Jewish Committee for £17,200 in 1951, and the committee used it to house refugees who had arrived in Australia.

It was then taken over by the Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Society in 1958, who used the building as its headquarters until 1992.

It has since been owned privately by a family and leased out to Millswyn Clinic, which have created medical and consulting rooms for its services, and is remaining at the building until its lease ends at the end of 2022.

Fitzroys’ director David Bourke said the property was a “very unique” offering which also offered huge potential for redevelopment.

The mansion is on a 1777sq m site with 16 parking spaces in a residential growth zone.

Mr Bourke said the new owner could use the site for medical or childcare, boutique accommodation or other purposes.

“It’s grand, but there’s no heritage overlays there, and what someone will ultimately do with the site will be interesting to see,” he said.

“It’s a nice big chunky block of the land on top of the hill, and we think someone might reposition the asset or redevelop the site.”

Mr Bourke said Fitzroys had already received strong inquiries from local and overseas groups and investors.

Expressions of interest in the property close on May 5.