Canterbury: Uninhabited mansion hits the market after plans for private museum scrapped
A historic Canterbury mansion once home to the Australian Consuls for Belgium has hit the market with a mega $8.5m-$9m price tag after remaining vacant for the past two years.
The 13-15 Irilbarra Rd home was previously owned by the Daly family, former successive Consuls for Belgium, for 53 years.
It was originally built in the late 1880s by a civil engineer, who also designed the Adelaide breakwater prior to its destruction in a “freak storm”.
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The Daly family were understood to have held many well-attended parties and gatherings at the grand dwelling, dubbed Ouitchambo as a nod to the former home of Lieutenant Colonel Clarence Daly’s mother in New Caledonia.
Lieutenant Daly lived at the five-bedroom pad with his mother and five siblings before he was killed in action in 1918 near La Motte.
He is now one of more than 50 Australian soldiers buried at Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery in France.
In 2021, the current owners purchased the iconic property for $7.5m, according to PropTrack, with visionary plans to transform the existing structure into a private museum.
They were also slated to build a new house on the expansive 1677sq m block, which would connect to the original home via an open corridor.
However Kay & Burton Boroondara partner Sophie Su said the owners, who had a “deep appreciation for history and the arts”, had now made the difficult decision to relocate to Sydney and place the historic pad on the market.
“Regrettably, this means they must relinquish the splendid design that they meticulously developed over the course of more than a year,” Ms Su said.
She added that the ornate Victorian dwelling was unoccupied for the past two years while the vendors were living in the UK.
It retains many of its period features including the majestic facade, soaring arched hallways, parquetry flooring, original brass light fittings and open marble fireplaces.
A tennis court at the rear sits beside a self-contained, double-storey pool house featuring a kitchen, spa, sauna, rumpus room and north-facing balcony.
“There’s no heritage overlay so you can knock it down,” Ms Su added.
“Otherwise everything is in need of renovation.”
The property has an $8.5m-$9m asking price, with expressions of interest closing at 5pm on September 19.
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emily.holgate@news.com.au
Originally published as Canterbury: Uninhabited mansion hits the market after plans for private museum scrapped
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