Apartment with view of Melbourne's Skipping Girl Vinegar sign hits the market

• Owners: Fiona Richardson and her partner, Vince Stoneman
• Address: 1/655 Victoria Street, Abbotsford, Victoria
• Type of property: A warehouse apartment overlooking the iconic Skipping Girl Vinegar sign
• Price guide: $5.7 million-$6.2 million
• Auction: 6:30pm, 14 December

It was serendipity that led Fiona Richardson and her family to their warehouse apartment on the border of Richmond and Abbotsford in inner Melbourne.

“We were in the eastern suburbs and we wanted something inner-city because the kids were getting to that age where they were spending a lot of time out in the city,” recalls Richardson, who owns a business in Bayswater.

After her daughter Lucy, now 23, inquired about an apartment on St Kilda Road, she received a call from a real estate agent who told her about another home on Victoria Street that was yet to hit the market.

“I definitely will give myself credit for finding the place,” says Lucy. “It was kind of fate.”

The family of six fell in love with the five-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment’s industrial design. But it was the front-row view of the iconic Skipping Girl Vinegar sign from the spacious rooftop terrace that “sealed the deal”.

Affectionately known as “Little Audrey”, the animated neon sign – a replica of the 1936 original – has sat atop the adjoining commercial building since 1970 and has served as the backdrop to the family’s gatherings since they moved in next door in 2015.

“I think the rooftop is pretty cool, I’ve definitely had a few parties up there,” says Lucy. “It’s a pretty iconic space; so many people have photos in front of the sign at things that I’ve had.”

Spread across the top two floors of one of Melbourne’s first warehouse conversions, the apartment is historic in its own right. The 1920s art deco red-brick building was renovated by Computershare co-founder Chris Morris in the 1980s, with hints of its nickel factory past still present today.

“There’s a safe down in the car park that’s original that used to hold the silver, so one of the owners has that as their lock-up in their wine cellar,” says Richardson. “We’ve actually got a little smelter pot that was given to us by a previous employee of the factory years ago.”

Iron-framed windows, industrial air-conditioning vents, high ceilings and a central staircase carry the industrial feel into the home, which Richardson now shares with Lucy, partner Vince, his son Harrison, 20, and their two cats and dogs.

While the bones of the original ’80s apartment are still largely intact, the family have made some updates to the space, renovating the kitchen, updating the flooring, revamping the rooftop space with bluestone tiles and removing “questionable” wallpaper installed by previous owners (“They had bedazzled the place,” says Lucy).

The light-filled home has been furnished with plants, furniture and artwork collected over the years, including a large stencil piece of Collingwood’s Smith Street by 2019 Archibald Prize finalist Kirpy.

Along with the rooftop terrace, a timber-clad curved wall around the lift well and an open fireplace are among the family’s favourite features. Another is the landscaped sunken garden along the Yarra River, where you can sit and watch the boats pass by.

It’s these contrasting views of the city skyline to the west and the river and parkland to the north that “makes the place so special”, says Richardson, who rows regularly at the nearby Hawthorn Rowing Club.

“We’ve sort of got the best of both worlds. We’ve got apartment living but we also have the peace, the greenery, the birds and the garden that we had in the suburbs, so we don’t feel like we gave any of that up,” she says.

“From Victoria Street, you would never know what’s behind the wall really. It’s kind of a special oasis.”

The garden and adjacent tennis court, which are visible from the apartment’s north-facing balcony, are cared for and shared by the building’s seven owners. 

“It’s never busy or loud or cluttered. In some places the communal areas are overused but if you want to play tennis, you just go and get the balls,” says Richardson. “It’s a very friendly atmosphere.”

As two children have already moved out and the remaining two are in their early 20s, Richardson and her partner have put the apartment on the market, with plans to stay in the local area.

“We know we’re going to be sad about it but we’re rightsizing, we don’t need this much space,” she says. “Hopefully we find something a little bit interesting.”

Private Sale $6,200,000

1/655 Victoria Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067

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