Own the home the Liberal Party was supposedly formed in

It’s the house that moulded Australia – a home where some of the biggest decisions of the past 100 years were mulled over, slept on and, ultimately, acted upon. 

This house was once owned by the nation’s longest-serving prime minister, Sir Robert Menzies. As you would expect for a man of his political stature, it still has an atmosphere of consequence, substance and importance.

Expressions of Interest Close Tues 11 March at 5pm

8-10 Howard Street, Kew VIC 3101

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“It really does feel steeped in history,” says agent Chris Barrett, director of Marshall White Boroondara. “In the library, there’s a book that Menzies always used to pull out as a signal to his aides that he’d had enough of a certain meeting and wanted to move on.

“And the current owner was telling me that the Liberal Party was actually formed in the sitting room.”

The house is the kind of grand residence you’d expect for a man making weighty resolutions. During Menzies’ 20-year ownership of the home, he led Australia into World War II, banned the Communist Party, guided the country through its post-war immigration boom and then joined the Vietnam War.

Built in the highly sought-after Studley Park precinct in 1912, it was always a landmark in the area with its tall ornamental chimneys. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home spans 1870 square metres, including Edna Walling-style gardens, a heated pool, an enclosed tennis court and outdoor dining and entertainment areas.

“It’s a fantastic landholding,” Barrett says, “and it’s in a great location, close to the CBD and easily accessible to Melbourne’s leading public and independent schools. 

“While it has so much history, it’s also a beautiful lifestyle property with lovely established gardens. The current owner is downsizing, with two children at college and the other overseas, and it’s already proving popular with buyers from Australia and expats internationally.”

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The two-level house with a brick facade has classic period detailing, including an undercover verandah, coloured leadlight glass in the windows and lofty, decorative ceilings and cornices. 

Alongside the stately entrance hall, with its angular staircase to the second floor, the fabled Liberal-party-forming sitting room is a real feature of the house. Plenty of light pours through the large windows and into the library-like space with hundreds of books stacked in its dark wooden shelves.

By contrast, the kitchen is modern and well-equipped for entertaining on a grand scale, complete with a Paul Bocuse stove and granite benchtops. Upstairs, there are panoramic city views and four large bedrooms, one with a balcony and all featuring fireplaces.

There’s also a sunroom and family room opening onto the rear verandah, as well as a wine cellar, separate laundry, a remote-controlled double garage, a full alarm system and hydronic heating.