Myer family's $22m Toorak manor offers a once-in-a-lifetime address

By
Emily Power
October 23, 2024

This iconic, romantic estate in Melbourne’s record-breaking suburb has stood the test of time.

The “magical” family home of the late businessman and philanthropist Baillieu Myer and his wife Sarah Myer in Toorak has swept onto the market with hopes of $20 million to $22 million.

At 4 Grant Avenue, the handsome property is for sale for the first time in 70 years – a once-in-a-lifetime address.

Expressions of Interest Closing 26 November 5pm
4 Grant Avenue, Toorak VIC 3142
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The estate has been held dear by the prominent retail family for generations, and is offered via expressions of interest, which close on November 26.

The ornate façade is heritage protected, Forbes Global Properties’ listing agent Michael Gibson says, but there is scope should the buyer have an appetite to marry eras.

It presents as a perfectly-preserved time capsule of a period when shopping at the Myer emporium was the most elegant of outings in Melbourne.

Esteemed Australian architect Rob Mills has provided the campaign with sketches of how a contemporary rendition can be gently and respectfully achieved.

The mansion at 4 Grant Avenue is for sale for the first time in 70 years and has a 'magical' charisma, listing agent Michael Gibson of Forbes Global Properties says. Photo: Forbes Global Properties

They are not DA-approved plans, Gibson says, but inspiration for the purchasers, from one of the best architects in the world, Mills has admired the property for years, and explains so in the marketing video.

Alongside Mills, there is a catalogue of distinguished names associated with 4 Grant Avenue.

“A circular gravel driveway gives the appropriate sense of occasion on approach to the property: a 1936, Regency-inspired residence by architects Yuncken, Freeman & Griffith, designers of Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl,” the Forbes listing on Domain says.

“Its beautifully manicured grounds with ponds and topiaries, completed in 1937, are the work of Edna Walling, one of Australia’s most celebrated and influential landscape artists.”

Gibson says many Melburnians will have been curious when they passed the home through the decades. Here is the opportunity to more closely appreciate the landmark.

One of the stylish flourishes in the estate, by architects Yuncken, Freeman & Griffith, designers of Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Photo: Forbes Global Properties

He is looking after the campaign alongside colleague Robert Fletcher.

“I have been in this industry a long time, there are a few really iconic homes in Melbourne and in Toorak, and 4 Grant Avenue would be in the top two or three in terms of a house that people have talked about over the decades, and talked about what a beautiful house it is,” he says.

“It has street appeal, and is the only one of its kind in Toorak. A lot of people have only ever seen it from the street and now they have the opportunity to come in through the front door and take in everything that the home offers.

“It is iconic. The interior of the home is straight out of Myer from the department store of the sixties – it has this magical charisma that takes you back in time.”

The Victorian house price record is held by a Toorak address, which traded for $88 million in 2022.

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