Property of the week: 1 Edzell Avenue, Toorak
A rare riverfront position is just the start to the luxury offering at this Melbourne trophy home
2 min
Only four properties on coveted Edzell Avenue reach the Yarra River waterfront, so the arrival of this newly rebuilt residence at number 1 is a prize catch. So rare is the riverfront position, and the unique redesign by Andrew Parr of SJB Architects, that Marshall White Stonnington has listed the Toorak trophy home with a head-turning price guide of $50 million to $55 million.
The prestige property will be firmly placed in the top residential price bracket for Melbourne, but is still far from the giddy heights of the Victorian capital’s benchmark of the $80 million spent by crypto king Ed Craven on his Toorak pile in 2022.
A complete transformation of an original 1920s house, this stately home still holds much of its old world glamour but also showcases the best of what money can buy a century later.
And that cash comes from an owner who knows a little about renovations — title records reveal the period property was bought in 2013 by Sarah Laidlaw, wife of former Mitre 10 boss Mark Laidlaw. After purchasing for $6.1 million, the Laidlaws’ transformation has injected a sophisticated aesthetic complementing its glamorous historic facade.
The river sits centre stage with an uninterrupted outlook from most rooms of the house, as well as the private jetty and rare Melbourne boathouse, capturing Burnley golf course and the city skyline.
Beyond a stately reception hall the living areas have been carefully remastered on a grand scale with a choice of entertaining spaces opening to the great outdoors.
The palatial dining and living rooms have fireplaces and aged–bronze archways framing the river panorama and an expansive north west–facing stone terrace with pergola, barbecue kitchen, heaters and an outdoor fire. A media room and bar also spill out onto the landscaped gardens and for further entertaining the cantilevered heated infinity pool and spa seemingly hover above the Yarra.
In the state-of-the-art kitchen there are Pilbara marble benches, Gaggenau appliances, an integrated Sub-Zero fridge/freezer, wine fridge and a butler’s pantry.
Up the curved marble staircase, or via the private lift, the accommodation level includes three bedrooms with ensuites and built–ins plus a palatial primary suite complete with a gas fire, indulgent dressing room, deluxe marble bathroom and balcony overlooking the water and golfing green.
Down on the lower level, the property also features a gym, temperature-controlled wine cellar and executive home office with and independent street entry.
The rare piece de resistance for the riverside residence is the large river deck with a self-contained timber–lined retreat with kitchenette and ensuite. Below that is a personal boatshed with a slipway, one of only a handful of privately–owned jetties in Toorak.
Additional five star features include Control4 home automation, an alarm with CCTV and a video intercom, as well as hydronic heating, reverse-cycle air-conditioning, ducted vacuuming, full irrigation and a four-car lock up garage.
The Toorak residence is listed through an expressions of interest campaign closing at 1pm on November 11 via Marcus Chiminello, Nicole French and Alan Crawford of Marshall White Stonnington.
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4 min
Toorak’s reputation has been built on grand estates, tightly held boulevards and some of Melbourne’s most valuable residential land. Yet one of its rarest attributes is largely hidden from the street: direct frontage to the Yarra River.
Although the river traces much of Toorak’s northern boundary, just over 20 homes in the blue-chip suburb are believed to border the water—and fewer still provide genuine river access. There is no definitive public register of Toorak homes with private jetties, but prestige agents have consistently described them as only a handful.
It is rare, then, for a property offering both river frontage and direct water access to become available in Melbourne’s so-called billionaire’s playground. The newly built Solara on Orrong Road presents precisely that opportunity.
Set on approximately 1,129sqm, the five-bedroom residence descends towards the river, culminating in a private, double-tiered jetty. Here, the Yarra is more than a distant outlook: it becomes part of daily life, offering a place to launch a boat, relax beside the water or travel towards the city from home.
That distinction is significant in Toorak. Many of the suburb’s finest properties offer scale, security and architectural pedigree, but very few combine all three with direct access to the river.
Architecture shaped by the site
Designed by Melbourne studio Alta and constructed by EASTON, Solara has been conceived as a series of interconnected levels descending towards the Yarra.
Rather than presenting as a single imposing volume, the house responds to its sloping site through stepped terraces, landscaped outdoor areas and large expanses of glazing. The architecture gradually reveals the water, drawing the eye through the interior and towards the river below.
The design has earned Solara a nomination in the 2026 Master Builders Excellence in Housing Awards.
Inside, a restrained material palette allows texture, proportion and natural light to carry the design. Stone, timber, glass and finely detailed joinery establish a sense of permanence without overwhelming the river setting.
The principal living area is arranged beneath a dramatic double-height ceiling, giving the room the scale expected of a major Toorak residence while maintaining a strong connection to the garden and water.
Full-height glazing opens the house to its outlook, while multiple living and entertaining spaces allow the property to transition between intimate family use and larger gatherings.
A private resort beside the Yarra
Solara’s principal living spaces open onto an expansive river-facing terrace containing a swimming pool and spa.
The outdoor area has been positioned to take advantage of both the northern light and the relative seclusion of the riverbank. Mature landscaping provides another layer of privacy, softening the architecture and creating the atmosphere of a private resort.
Below, the grounds continue towards the double-tiered jetty.
The residence also incorporates a dedicated wellness area and gym, reinforcing the sense that the home has been designed to provide a complete lifestyle within its boundaries.
Its accommodation includes five bedrooms and six bathrooms, with the principal suite occupying a private domain of its own. The house also provides garaging for four cars—an important consideration in a property of this scale.
Across the residence, the emphasis is less on overt decoration than on volume, outlook and craftsmanship. Sightlines have been carefully managed so that the river is encountered repeatedly, rather than being confined to a single formal room.
A different expression of Toorak prestige
Toorak’s luxury market is often associated with historic mansions and large European-inspired estates. Solara represents a more contemporary interpretation of the suburb: architecturally ambitious, highly private and organised around lifestyle rather than formality.
Its position also places it within a particularly scarce segment of the market.
Riverfront homes have previously appeared along addresses including St Georges Road and Edzell Avenue, although they tend to remain in the same ownership for long periods. Even among these properties, private jetties and convenient access to the water are not universal.
That scarcity separates Solara from other prestige homes that may offer river views without actually reaching the river.
For buyers operating at the upper end of Melbourne’s residential market, the value proposition is therefore not simply the size of the house or its list of amenities. It is the combination of new architecture, substantial land, resort facilities and an attribute that cannot readily be recreated: private access to the Yarra from Toorak.
Solara is being marketed with a guide of $16.8 million to $18.3 million through Jamie Mi of Kay & Burton.
Property snapshot
Address: 803 Orrong Road, Toorak, Victoria
Guide: $16.8 million–$18.3 million
Agent: Kay & Burton agent Jamie Mi
Land: Approximately 1,129sqm
Accommodation: Five bedrooms, six bathrooms and four-car accommodation
Design: Alta
Builder: EASTON
Key features: Private jetty, direct river access, gym, indoor spa and double-height living volume
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