Saving Melbourne’s historic homes: Preserving vs. demolishing our character-filled heritage properties

Melbourne heritage home lovers are making multimillion-dollar moves to save historic gems from the wrecking ball and lavishing seven-figure sums to renew retro residences.

Alesha Capone

5 min read

April 8, 2024 - 12:15PM

News Corp Australia Network

Some of Melbourne’s historic homes are in danger of facing the wrecking ball, but locals are rallying to prevent it from happening.

Property

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Melbourne heritage home lovers are making multimillion-dollar bids to save historic gems from the wrecking ball and lavishing seven-figure sums to renew retro residences.

But they’re facing a battle in the ‘burbs against buyers prepared to spend big for addresses they can demolish and replace with luxe dream pads.

Marshall White Port Phillip director Oliver Bruce said the lengthy timelines and highs costs involved with obtaining council permits to renovate heritage properties in affluent bayside areas were prohibitive for many buyers.

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As a result, Mr Bruce noted 1950 to 1960s-era Middle Park and Albert Park houses without a famous named attached to them were popular among people wanting to demolish and rebuild.

“We probably get more inquiries for houses in our area without a heritage overlay just because they’re so rare,” he said.

“When you get ones in areas surrounded by Victorian and Edwardian homes with building and heritage overlays, when these houses come up for sale without a heritage overlay, the developers and homeowners who do wish to build a home from scratch come out of the woodwork.”

This 1940-built art deco-style house <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-brunswick+east-138970707" title="www.realestate.com.au">83 Brunswick Rd, Brunswick East,</a> sold for $2.03m in 2022.

This 1940-built art deco-style house 83 Brunswick Rd, Brunswick East, sold for $2.03m in 2022.

Step inside the living area and go back in time.

Buxton Brighton’s John Clarkson said buyers wanting to construct a new home were often drawn to older houses on larger blocks, which could be knocked down.

Mr Clarkson said period-style properties, which tend to remain in one family for generations, usually attracted multiple buyers, with some happy to pay five figures above an asking range to secure the rare offerings.

“Some buyers certainly push a little bit harder because of a needs’ basis and shortage of availability,” he said.

An updated mid-century house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-mount+martha-144329500?sourcePage=rea:p4ep:property-details&sourceElement=avm-currently-advertised-view-listing" title="www.realestate.com.au">22 Dorset Rd, Mount Martha, </a>on the market $1.65m-$1.75m price guide.

An updated mid-century house at 22 Dorset Rd, Mount Martha, on the market $1.65m-$1.75m price guide.

This property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-caulfield+south-138935359" title="www.realestate.com.au">8 Olinda St, Caulfield South,</a> exemplifies mid-century style. Designed by architect Ben Alexander and built in 1968, it sold for $2.495m in 2022.

This property at 8 Olinda St, Caulfield South, exemplifies mid-century style. Designed by architect Ben Alexander and built in 1968, it sold for $2.495m in 2022.

Another mid-century home, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property/19-wembley-ave-cheltenham-vic-3192/" title="www.realestate.com.au">19 Wembley Ave, Cheltenham,</a> attracted four to five bidders when it went under the hammer last year.

Another mid-century home, 19 Wembley Ave, Cheltenham, attracted four to five bidders when it went under the hammer last year.

Melbourne top end buyer’s advocate David Morrell said some Toorak would-be developers bought and levelled older abodes, ensuring a heritage overlay could not be placed on them, then held onto the land for years or even decades as it increased in value.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Greater Melbourne councils approved 5253 requests to bulldoze houses in 2023.

For sale with a $3.5m-$3.8m listed range, this Edwardian-era residence is located at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-middle+park-144190400" title="www.realestate.com.au"> 73 Nimmo St, Middle Park.</a>

For sale with a $3.5m-$3.8m listed range, this Edwardian-era residence is located at 73 Nimmo St, Middle Park.

But on the flip side, about two years ago, Mr Bruce said an auction for a Victorian-era terrace in St Vincent Place North, Albert Park, shot to a more than $11m sale despite bidding beginning around the $9m mark as the buyer loved its heritage.

“The family who bought it didn’t want to do much to it and valued the historic nature,” he said.

“It’s really lovely to see enthusiasts and people who really respect the artwork and architecture of a home.”

He added that historic homes by noted architects like Robin Boyd were among the most sought-after heritage digs.

A circa-1875 French Victorian-style house in<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-albert+park-137507166" title="www.realestate.com.au"> St Vincent Place North, Albert Park,</a> which fetched an $11.11m sales price.

A circa-1875 French Victorian-style house in St Vincent Place North, Albert Park, which fetched an $11.11m sales price.

The residence reflects the French-influenced architecture of the time with its bell-shaped roof and colonnaded veranda.

Mr Morrell also flagged their were often buyers happy to fork out an extra 5-10 per cent atop an advertised price to snap up a house designed by architects like Wayne Gillespie, Nicholas Day or Powell & Glenn – usually with multimillion-dollar price tags – depending on a property’s location and condition.

“Some people buy a Gillespie just to renovate because they enjoy it,” he said.

Buxton Mentone’s Christine Henderson, who is president of the Beaumaris Modern group dedicated to preserving and celebrating the suburb’s mid-century dwellings, said retaining houses from the 1945-1970 period was important as many were not covered by heritage laws.

“I think in 50 years we will find a real hole in that part of our history,” she said.

For sale with a $1.899m price tag, this double-fronted Victorian-era house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-essendon-144341324?sourcePage=rea:p4ep:property-details&sourceElement=avm-currently-advertised-view-listing" title="www.realestate.com.au">264 Buckley St, Essendon, </a>features 3.4m-high ceilings and four bedrooms.

For sale with a $1.899m price tag, this double-fronted Victorian-era house at 264 Buckley St, Essendon, features 3.4m-high ceilings and four bedrooms.

<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-brighton+east-144555452?sourcePage=rea:p4ep:property-details&sourceElement=avm-currently-advertised-view-listing" title="www.realestate.com.au">2 Summerhill Rd, Brighton East, </a>is on the market with a $1.875m-$1.975m asking range. The house has been held by one family for more than 70 years.

2 Summerhill Rd, Brighton East, is on the market with a $1.875m-$1.975m asking range. The house has been held by one family for more than 70 years.

As a mid-century property specialist, Ms Henderson has met plenty of buyers prepared to spend big to purchase a yesteryear home.

Last year, she had the listing for a 1950s-built house at 19 Wembley Ave, Cheltenham, which surprised her by selling for $1.47m, a sum about $300,000 above expectations after four to five families competed for the keys.

Ms Henderson said Beaumaris Modern’s annual October open house weekend attracted about 500 people every year, demonstrating plenty of love for mid-century homes.

“Although I think there’s a bit of a lull at the moment in these properties being listed for sale, so when anything becomes available people tend to go a bit crazy for,” she said.

And there are signs the heritage lovers are fighting back against the wrecking ball.

<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-brighton+east-144580000?sourcePage=rea:p4ep:property-details&sourceElement=avm-currently-advertised-view-listing" title="www.realestate.com.au">40 Clinton St, Brighton East,</a> has a $1.65m-$1.75m advertised price range. The clinker brick house which has been in the same family for more than 50 years.

40 Clinton St, Brighton East, has a $1.65m-$1.75m advertised price range. The clinker brick house which has been in the same family for more than 50 years.

Search data from realestate.com.au shows that in the past 12 months queries for “art deco” within the Melbourne region hit more than 21,000 on the website.

“Retro” also increased in popularity, while terms like historic, character and demolish decreased in frequency.

PropTrack economist Anne Flaherty said the post-Covid rise in construction and materials costs had resulted in more househunters wanting turnkey homes, though art deco abodes remained very much in vogue.

“I think a lot of people are looking for homes that are not a standard cookie-cutter home and are looking for something a bit more unique,” she said.

Beth Phillips outside Saade House in Black Rock, which she bought to restore and renovate in sympathy with its 1970s origins. Picture: Aaron Francis.

Beth Phillips bought one of Melbourne’s most iconic mid-century houses to save it from being bulldozed.

She snapped up Black House’s Saade House featuring mirrored walls, colourful tiles and two bars at a 2022 auction when it was listed by Marshall White’s Oliver Bruce.

The 1970s-built pad was used for filming the Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted To You television biopic starring Delta Goodrem.

“I bought it to make sure it wouldn’t get knocked down,” Ms Phillips said.

“I just think it’s one of the Bayside area’s most architecturally significant properties.”

The property was originally built for the Saade family who immigrated from Lebanon.

One of the bathrooms featured a golden swan tap. Sadly, the tap was stolen during a break-in after the photo was taken. Picture: Aaron Francis.

Post-purchase, she was relieved to discover the Beaumaris Modern community group had been instrumental in getting Bayside Council to place a heritage overlay on the house’s facade.

She is planning to renovate and restore the property, originally designed by architects Holgar & Holgar for the Saade family who immigrated from Lebanon.

Ms Phillips estimated that updating the abode would likely cost millions.

Ms Phillips in the retro kitchen. Picture: Aaron Francis.

She is working with the Malvern-based studiofour architecture firm on plans which include retaining the house’s original features where possible, mixed with new finishes and fittings to deliver “a beautiful modern home with the ‘70s vibe intact”.

“It’s a raunchy palace, it was built by someone who wouldn’t buy in Black Rock now,” she said.

“I want people who otherwise wouldn’t buy a house in Bayside to come and say, ‘This is the coolest joint’.”

She and her husband have previously built and refurbished other properties including two Ms Phillips sold to raise funds for women’s and children’s charities.