Heritage Significance
Graded A in the Hawthorn Heritage Study and one of Melbourne's finest boom-style mansions
Built c. 1873 by Charles Levy, a Prussian immigrant, Hawthorn House (formerly Richmond House) is one of the foundational residences of the St James Park Estate, a Victorian-era mansion estate subdivided and sold by George Coppin from 1871. In 1886, a three-stage tower was added to accommodate Levy’s growing family. The house was converted into flats in the early 1920s, then restored to its former splendour in 1969 by Donald and Joan Hossack, whose considered touches remain throughout: from the Dorothy Chapel, built by Don for his mother-in-law and consecrated for use by the Melbourne Archbishop, to the library that was once his consulting room. Over the decades, Hawthorn House has been a hub for Melbourne culture, hosting musical gatherings, live performances and rehearsals.
Graded A in the 1992 Hawthorn Heritage Study, Hawthorn House is recognised as architecturally significant as one of the best examples of boom style mansions in Melbourne, and as a landmark within the St James Park Estate heritage precinct (HO163). A fine example of early Victorian Italianate architecture, the two-storey façade presents a projecting hipped wing with a ground-floor bay and adjoining colonnade, beneath unroofed first-floor balconies with a fine iron balustrade.
Render mouldings are particularly fine, with chamfered reveals, acanthus motifs in the string courses and pilasters, Corinthian pilasters, heavy eaves brackets and moulded arched openings. The tower rises from a bluestone base in three stages, its elaborate top stage crowned by wide eaves on paired brackets. Inside, an arched portico opens to a vestibule with hand-painted ceilings and intricate cornicing, while the hallways feature tessellated tiles and heavy timber doors with etched-glass panels. The front porch ceiling was hand-painted by Don Hossack in the style of Keats’ house near the Spanish Steps in Rome, and the garden retains original London gas lamps and a three-tiered fountain.
Extensively refurbished to preserve its mid-1870s grandeur, the residence graces a magnificent, leafy garden which spans 981 sqm (approx.) with an imposing street corner presence in a beautiful tree-lined area. Representing a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a property of historical significance and a piece of early Hawthorn history which evokes memories of a bygone era in Melbourne’s heyday, when gracious living and entertaining was undertaken on a grand scale and wealthier residents desired to move away from the crowded inner-city nearby.
Progressive renovations and refurbishing have been undertaken resulting in a superb residence which showcases its classic period attributes, elegance and the proportions typical of the era, with iron lacework, coloured and etched glass, multiple arched hallways, marble fireplaces and high ceilings with ornate roses and cornices (STCA). The interior over three levels features Baltic Pine floors flowing through the ground floor hallway to a formal sitting room with a bay window and arched annex, a study/home office, an informal living room, elegant formal dining room, second study and a generous family room with an adjacent bedroom, bathroom and laundry. A stylish kitchen and meals area is equipped with black granite bench tops and prestige Miele and Bosch appliances opening to a balcony and studio or home gym.
The upper level has a further five bedrooms, including a main with a walk-in robe and period-style ensuite plus a family retreat, period-style bathroom and access to the tower with 360-degree panoramic views. The lower level has extensive storage rooms, a cellar, an entertainment/games room, yoga/meditation studio and chapel plus a pool bathroom and two powder rooms. Linked to a tranquil garden setting with a fountain, deck, paved outdoor dining area and pavilion with a barbeque kitchen, all wonderful amenities for alfresco entertaining.
This magnificent family residence offers a wonderful lifestyle near the peaceful and leafy surrounds of the Yarra Bank parklands and tracks, yet moments from the vibrant Bridge Road shops and restaurants, the eclectic West Hawthorn village and Glenferrie Road or Kew Junction shopping precincts. With easy access to many of Melbourne’s prestige schools, including walking distance to Melbourne Girls College plus the CBD via public transport or CityLink, all ensuring a much sought after lifestyle enjoyed by the residents of this area.
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