Grimwade House at 28-54 Dundas St, Rye, won the Victorian Architecture Medal for House of the Year in 1963.
Developers are circling an iconic mid-century modernist Mornington Peninsula home that is for sale with a price tag of between $11 million and $12 million.
The eight-bedroom house, set on a sprawling 3.79-acre Rye block, was originally built for the late business magnate Geoffrey Grimwade and his family, part of the Grimwade manufacturing and pharmaceutical dynasty.
Designed by David McGlashan, co-founder of McGlashan and Everist Architects, who was also Mr Grimwade’s son-in-law, the landmark house at 28-54 Dundas St was awarded the Victorian Architecture Medal for House of the Year in 1963.
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Now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, it features five pavilions connected by courtyards, passageways, verandas and balconies, and is surrounded by native Australian trees such as Moonahs.
The online sales listing states that the Grimwade House site has “huge subdivision potential, subject to council approval”.
Kay & Burton director Liz Jensen said the house could be restored and modernized but would need to be retained in future developments due to its heritage status.
“It just needs updating in terms of maintenance and bathrooms, toilets and things like that,” Ms. Jensen said.
![28 Dundas St, Rye - FOR HERALD SUN REAL ESTATE](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Large doors and windows let in plenty of sunlight.
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The late architect David McGlashan of McGlashan and Everist Architects (now McGlashan Everist) designed the house.
Terracotta tile floors extend to outdoor terraces.
She said that to date, most of the inquiries about the General Residential Address 1 zone have come from developers.
“They are developers who see that you can do something really smart on this site, by keeping the beautiful, big Moonah trees and building among them and working within the zoning code – keeping this house and maybe adding a few more,” Ms. Jensen said.
Grimwade House would also suit families who want to host their relatives and friends in the pavilions, she added.
A fireplace serves as a built-in barbecue on the outside of the house, while there is also underfloor heating in the kitchen and bedrooms.
The house is sold by the Grimwade family.
Located in the heart of Rye, the house covers over 2,000 sq ft and has three street frontages.
According to the Victorian Heritage Register, the home – with Western Red Cedar planks weathered to a natural gray colour, quarried on-site rubble limestone and floor-to-ceiling glass – is designed to sit comfortably within the natural woodland landscape.
The Victorian Heritage Register states that the house, which shows the influence of Japanese architecture, was designed to fit comfortably into the natural bush landscape.
The property is surrounded by melaleuca and casuarina trees.
“It’s so close to the beach and Rye village, so you’re really in the middle of it all, but it feels like you’re in the middle of the countryside,” says Mrs Jensen.
“It is one of a kind, there is no other like it.”
Mrs Jensen said when the house was built, the Grimwades told their son-in-law to do it
use the best materials available at the time.
The house became a family retreat for Mr Grimwade, his wife Lavender and their four daughters.
One of the eight bedrooms.
In addition to his many business interests, Mr. Grimwade served on the board of directors of the Commonwealth Bank and was also president of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
An article on the Australian Dictionary of Biography website says that Mr Grimade once won £5,000 (about $10,000) in a poker game against media mogul Frank Packer.
Records show Rye’s current residential price record of $5.15 million is held by a house at 2649 Point Nepean Rd, located on a 1115 square meter block.
Expressions of interest for Grimade House close on January 29.
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