Landmark Ballarat residence finds buyer after being reborn after fire

This historic residence was painstakingly restored after a fire tore through it. Now it’s finally embarking on its new life.

Christina Karras

less than 2 min read

January 29, 2021 - 8:00AM

The impressive residence at 71 Victoria Street, Bakery Hill, rose from the ashes of a fire.

A landmark Ballarat residence that was reborn from the ashes of a restaurant fire has finally found a buyer after first being listed in 2019.

The grand four-bedroom house at 71 Victoria Street, Bakery Hill, was painstakingly restored by local builder and vendor Luke Antonio after a fire tore through the property when it was a popular Spanish and Mexican restaurant, Zaragosa.

Jellis Craig Ballarat director Tim Valpied said a couple retiring to Ballarat had purchased the stately home after falling in love with the property’s character.

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The former Bakery Hill restaurant before renovation.

The blaze was believed to have been sparked by a faulty refrigeration unit.

After extensive work, the home’s period features have been recreated.

“They just loved its originality and its story,” Mr Valpied said.

The property sold for $1.050m: the top end of its $975,000-$1.05m price guide.

“It’s a Victorian of real substance,” Mr Valpied said.

Former Mayor of Ballarat East James Long initially built the abode known as Long Wood in 1865, which has since been home to a doctor, a hairdresser, art gallery and two restaurants.

The interior has been remarkably restored.

A beautiful updated kitchen.

The plumbing, electrical work and plaster are all new.

The main bedroom also features a dressing room.

The renovation restored the property’s original grandeur to the standards of modern living, complete with a new kitchen, formal and informal living rooms.

Handcrafted timberwork, hardwood floors, fireplaces and the original triple-brick exterior are other notable period features.

“It’s a significant building,” Mr Valpied said. “A lot of people would have remembered and been there as a restaurant, but after the fire it needed a massive renovation.”

Mr Antonio previously told the Herald Sun when it was first listed he “probably bit off a bit more than (he) could chew,” when he purchased the dilapidated property for $480,000 in 2016.

It took him three years to fully renovate the historic building.

Another spacious bedroom.

Period flourishes run throughout the home.

The outlook from the property’s front balcony.

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Originally published as Landmark Ballarat residence finds buyer after being reborn after fire