Banyule Homestead went up for auction on Saturday 16th May 2015 and sold for $5.2 million. Unfortunately only registered bidders could gain access to the interior of the homestead on the day, leaving lesser mortals to mill on the lawns outside.
The auction was held at the rear of the property. Bidding started at $4 million, initially at $100,000 increments, then smaller. Progress was boosted considerably by a $500,000 bid that took it from $4.5 million to $5 million. It was purchased by a very young-looking couple for $5.2 million.
The view from the back is spectacular. There’s nowhere else that you can get this outlook which makes the loss of this property from public ownership and access even more regrettable.
The Age has a good article on the auction, complete with video.
The Resident Judge of Port Phillip 
My first reaction is ‘What a shame.’ But maybe we should keep our fingers crossed and hope that the new owners do the right thing (whatever that is…)
For me, it would be ideally keeping all the land surrounding it intact and rejuvenating the gardens. Perhaps opening up the new garden occasionally for an Open Garden day- and could I wish for it? Perhaps the house once or twice?
I haven’t seen the inside either, but the outside architecture is….. a mixture. What do we make of something that is described as predominantly Elizabethan in style with Flemish Gables, pepper pot chimney groups and some Gothic Revival elements. Well worth going out to look at it.
Did you see the internal shots in the advertising campaign too?