THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MELBOURNE HOME WITH DRAMATIC STREET CRED
A grand East Melbourne terrace with theatrical roots, reimagined by the late Sue Carr into a layered, light-filled family home.
3 min
Traditional Victorian-era terraces are famed for their theatrical façades adorned with intricate lacework and plenty of character. However, one historic home on Gipps St in East Melbourne has the ultimate dramatic street cred; it was designed by William Pitts, the architect behind Melbourne’s iconic Princess Theatre.
Pitts designed multiple Melbourne beauties, including St Kilda Town Hall, Queens Bridge, the Olderfleet building and the Rialto on Collins St, even the Wellington Opera House in New Zealand.
Crafted and built around 1870, prior to the completion of the Princess Theatre in 1886, this end-of-row terrace gained a new lease on life in 2019 when acclaimed architect Sue Carr AM was tasked with bringing it gracefully into the 21st Century via a four-year labour of love transformation.
Today, Kay & Burton agents Monique Depierre and Arabella Houghton are seeking between $10.5 and $11 million for 123 Gipps St via an expressions of interest campaign. The home was last exchanged for $4 million in 2012, before the extensive renovation.
In a pocket of East Melbourne where heritage overlays protect the character of the streetscape, the Victorian terrace was carefully reimagined to balance period elegance with contemporary comfort. Behind its striking white façade, Carr and her team created a series of layered spaces where period detail and modern function co-exist.
Carr has described her approach to the Gipps St property as “a journey of reduction.” By stripping back superfluous elements, to reveal the grandeur of Pitts’ original structure.
“The idea was to bring order and appropriateness of scale, respect for heritage, and outright contemporaneity to a Victorian terrace,” Carr has said when describing the home.
Central to that vision was light. The home is arranged across three zones: the restored terrace, a private courtyard garden, and a two-storey rear addition.
In the original front rooms, there are decorative cornices, ceiling roses and marble fireplaces. These classic old-world spaces with a modern makeover include a versatile music room, a library and a grand dining area.
Stepping through to the next generation of the floor plan, the heart of the home features a contemporary kitchen with a stone island bench and a hidden butler’s pantry fully-equipped with Gaggenau appliances.
The casual everyday family zone, complete with a cosy gas pebble fireplace, opens out to a bluestone-paved north-facing courtyard, where the current owners have created a calming retreat filled with bonsai trees and manicured landscaping.
Up on the first floor, all four bedrooms feature ample natural light and have built-in wardrobes. Beyond a statement pivot door, the main bedroom opens to a full-width private balcony overlooking leafy East Melbourne and has a walk-through wardrobe to an ensuite with a freestanding sculptural bath. One more bedroom has its own ensuite, while two more share a full family-friendly bathroom.
More than just a Melbourne terrace with an extension out the back, Carr’s transformation also includes a new zinc-clad rear addition that plays a dual role; it is a secure two-car garage with laneway access, that is also home to a self-contained studio above. Fitted out with its own kitchenette and bathroom, the independent space is an ideal guest suite, a home office or au pair retreat.
The modernised home boasts a long list of added extras, including honed limestone floors with underfloor hydronic heating and zoned climate control, as well as full security and custom lighting.
Close to green spaces, such as Fitzroy Gardens, Powlett Reserve and Darling Square, the East Melbourne house is within walking distance to the MCG, and city restaurants.
Listed with Monique Depierre and Arabella Houghton of Kay & Burton, 123 Gipps St, East Melbourne, is on the market with a price guide of $10.5 million to $11 million. The expressions of interest is closing on October 28 at 12 pm.
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Designed by the late Kerry Hill and built by Hutchinson Builders, The Residence at Hayman Island blends tropical modernism with absolute waterfront luxury.
2 min
Is this Whitsunday’s best home?
Hayman Island may have been ravaged by Cyclone Debbie in 2017, which saw the island, one of the smallest of the major Whitsunday islands, all but shut down, but the 390-hectare paradise has made an extraordinary comeback.
The InterContinental brand took over the island’s only resort, which was completely devastated by the Category 4 cyclone. The same year the cyclone hit, The Residence at Hayman was built, one of just two private residences on the island.
Constructed by Hutchinson Builders, a Tier 1 builder better known for delivering some of South East Queensland’s finest multi-residential developments, the lavish home is made from reinforced concrete with a blend of glass and timber battening.
It was designed by the late, internationally renowned architect Kerry Hill, widely regarded as a key figure in refining tropical modernist architecture. Hill was an island specialist, having designed several major resorts in Bali.
The Residence at Hayman spans three levels and offers over 1,400 sqm of living space, including around 580 sqm of internal living areas. The remainder comprises breezeways, terraces, and balconies designed to embrace the island’s subtropical climate.
Entry to the home is via the upper level, as the property tiers down the site with direct access to the beach. The top and lower levels accommodate most of the home’s eight bedrooms, as well as a study and a double garage with buggy parking, the preferred mode of transport throughout the Whitsundays.
The middle level is home to the main kitchen, living, and dining areas, complete with a full butler’s pantry. It opens to a large, L-shaped terrace featuring an outdoor kitchen, alfresco dining and lounge zones, and a sundeck. The terrace flows to the basalt-clad infinity swimming pool, deck, and cabana with integrated seating, as well as a pool house.
Owners or guests of The Residence also have access to the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort facilities, including 24-hour room service, butler assistance, private chefs, and the resort’s wellness centre.
Whitefox agents Cheyne Fox and Nic Whitehead are marketing The Residence as “a rare and extraordinary find.”
“This is more than just a home, it’s an opportunity to own a piece of paradise, a legacy to share with family and friends for generations to come,” Fox said.
The only other private residence on Hayman Island, Hayman House, is also on the market. Commissioned by Terry Peabody, former billionaire and Transpacific Industries founder, Hayman House was first listed last year with hopes of $27 million, later reportedly reduced to $20 million in early 2025.
Designed by Kerry Hill and also built by Hutchies (in 2010), Hayman House shares a similar design ethos to The Residence, albeit on a smaller scale. Its 18-week construction endured three cyclones, with all site access via the beach, which had to be reinforced to prevent heavy vehicles from sinking into the sand.
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