Labassa Mansion (Caulfield North)
Labassa is an outstanding Victorian-era mansion with opulent architectural features. Originally called 'Sylliott Hill', it was renamed 'Ontario' in the 1880s reflecting its new owner Alexander William Robertson's Canadian heritage. He had the mansion redeveloped in the French Second Empire style by commissioning the German-born architect, John A. B. Koch, who remodelled the house into a thirty-five roomed mansion. The interior features gilt embossed wallpapers, ornate stained glass and a rare trompe l'oeil ceiling.
Renamed Labassa in 1904 it was home to Melbourne's elite until 1920 when it was divided into flats. The residents included Hollywood's first Australian silent film star and other colourful bohemians. Labassa is the most lavish of the few surviving nineteenth-century mansions and the magnificently restored interiors of the main rooms impress all its visitors.
From 1862-1920 Labassa was the residence of a succession of enterprising and prosperous families. Following those boom years it was divided into flats and became home to successive waves of residents of more modest means including socialites, world war heroes, Jewish refugees and bohemian artists. A reunion of more than 135 former residents, owners and their descendants in 2013 led to an ongoing research project into Labassa's remarkable lived history over 143 years. Follow the different stories and course of the latest research through the Labassa Lives Journal written and compiled by historian Vicki Shuttleworth.
Labassa Mansion has miraculously survived with most of its opulent Victorian era decoration intact.
There are guided tours during the day including an interior house tour, 'Who's been living in this house?' tour, exterior tour and tower tour. A tea room is available from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
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Bookings are highly recommended.
Location
2 Manor Grove, Caulfield North 3161 Map
✆ (03) 9656 9889
Web Links
→ www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/labassa
