Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne Ron Walker’s ‘jaw-dropping’ Toorak mansion fetches $60m+

Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne Ron Walker’s “jaw-dropping” Toorak mansion fetched the city’s third priciest residential sale ever when it sold for just over $60m on Tuesday.

The mega sale comes after the 55 Albany Rd property spent about 50 days on the market following its $55m-$60m listing in April, with expressions of interest closing last week.

While Kay & Burton Stonnington executive director Gowan Stubbings was tight-lipped on the sale price and the identity of the buyer, industry sources say it sold for “a whisker over $60m” to a local purchaser.

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However, Mr Stubbings did note that multiple offers were received on the 3300sq m property towards the end of its campaign, after he fielded interest from locals as well as “interstate, offshore, expat and mainland Chinese buyers.”

“It was a true global campaign that produced a lot of inquiry, the amount of people who wanted to come through that home was huge,” he said.

“It’s such a grand-looking home and where that property sits in Toorak, it’s arguably the best street in Melbourne.”

He added that the mansion was “jaw-dropping” upon entering.

“Watching people walk through the front door and seeing their reaction was priceless,” he said.

The mansion — dubbed Huntingfield — was transformed by the Walkers into a stunning, European-style estate with the help of award-winning architects Bates Smart.

It features a cornerstone in the entrance laid in 1998 by former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett in the presence of Governor James Gobbo, Prime Minister John Howard and ex-Liberal Party leader Andrew Peacock.

Other notable features include a tennis court, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, and lush landscaped gardens.

Inside, marble, limestone and timber are found throughout, in addition to a sauna, eight-car basement garage, gym, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

Morrell & Koren buyer’s advocate Emma Bloom added that “everybody who’s anybody” looked at the property during its six-week campaign.

“That offering doesn’t come up everyday of the week, it was a long time in the making and a lot of people were waiting for it,” Ms Bloom said.

“It was a much anticipated sale and I’m sure it’s being passed on to the next custodian who will get to enjoy it as much as Walker did.”

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She said that the mansion “got the attention it deserved” due to tight supply across Melbourne, particularly “at the top end”.

“As soon as you get anything good you’ll have people scrambling all over it,” Ms Bloom added.

Mr Walker was Melbourne’s Lord Mayor between 1974 and 1976 and in 1996, was responsible for the return of the Australia Formula One Grand Prix to Melbourne.

He also played a major part in securing the hosting rights for the 2006 Commonwealth Games when he was chairman of Melbourne Major Events Corporation.

The Albany Rd mansion is now understood to hold Melbourne’s third highest residential sale price behind the respective $80m and $70m sales of two mansions on St Georges Rd, Toorak, last year.

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