It's the derelict mansion linked to the Royals and one of Australia's most elite families - now it faces an extraordinary new future
A once-grand but now crumbling mansion in one of Australia's most elite suburbs has a surprising link to the British royal family.
The property known as 'Cloyne', located at 611 Toorak Road in the upmarket Melbourne suburb of Toorak, hit the market with a price guide of $4.75million-$5.225million. It was sold on Friday, June 6 for an undisclosed sum - one day ahead of its scheduled auction.
The property has a fascinating design and social history, thanks to the royal link of its original owner, Louis Nelken, who was once a royal butler to King George VI, the father of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The property was built for Louis and his wife in 1926.
After Louis put his days of royal servitude behind him, he went on to marry into Melbourne 's elite Baillieu family.
The original design was commissioned by renowned architect Harold Desbrowe Annear, who designed Cloyne in the style of a Georgian Revival mansion.
The influential architect is considered a pioneer of Australian modernism and is best known for his early 1900s Chadwick Houses in Eaglemont. Cloyne is one of the few original commissions the architect undertook in Toorak.
The ex royal butler moved on from the property in 1955.
Reports at the time revealed that he and Mrs Nelken hosted one final farewell soiree at Cloyne, which was attended by other establishment families like the Horderns, Myers, Manifolds, Chirnsides, and even the Dekyveres from Sydney.
The property has subsequently had a colourful history, which included the ownership being taken over in the swinging 1960s by playboy Don Busch, who renovated it before selling it to Toorak businessman William Drever.
Don died soon afterwards in 1970 in a Mustang plane crash at Bendigo.
Since that era, the home has been in the possession of multiple prominent local and international owners.
Set over a 1025sq m block, the once iconic residence sits between a semi-circular driveway and a lion-flanked pool.
However, the most recent listing images revealed that the property has since fallen into a state of disrepair due to a number of half-finished renovation attempts.
Jellis Craig Stonnington real estate agents Michael Armstrong and Nathan Waterson handled the most recent campaign and sale of Cloyne.
Their listing described the original architect designed property as 'resplendent with classically inspired features', offering the rare chance to 'restore this revered Melbourne icon to its former glory'.
The listing noted that the decaying property has 'council heritage overlay' protections preventing it from being demolished.
Original features that remain intact within the home included its grand spiral staircase, gallery-style landing, elegant entrance hallway and original exterior colonnades.
The current property layout features five bedrooms, as well as formal living and dining rooms, a timber panelled study, and an open plan family room, as well as a ballroom, sunroom, sauna, cellar and external studio with ensuite.
'The foundations for future grandeur are already in place,' read part of the property listing.
However, the realtors conceded that 'extensive cosmetic works' would be required by the new owner after years of neglect resulting in the property sitting empty following numerous halted renovations.
Some of the property's opulent original features including its external colonnades remain intact
The Jellis Craig agents told realestate.com.au that the property had attracted interest from interstate and overseas parties as well as multiple architectural firms.
Ultimately, one lucky buyer was able to secure a slice of Melbourne's social and architectural history.
The eventual buyer and sale price was undisclosed at the time of publication.
The current median house price in elite Toorak is $4.8M.
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