Corporate titan lists megamillions home that could smash Camberwell record

35 Prospect Hill Rd, Camberwell, has been listed with a $15m-$16m price that could smash the suburb’s record by $4m.

Melbourne house price benchmarks are being smashed amid a slew of high-priced spring sales with a $15m-$16m Camberwell listing the latest to line up for a record.

The landmark property owned by corporate titan David Crawford could top the suburb’s current priciest address by $4m.

Its listing comes amid a growing chorus of high-priced deals that have toppled benchmarks around Melbourne this spring, including a more than $8m Williamstown exchange involving Western Bulldogs great Chris Grant.

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The 35 Prospect Hill Rd, Camberwell, property slated to hit the market next week has been owned by Mr Crawford and his wife Maureen, whose name is on the title, for more than 30 years.

The Melbourne businessman has chaired boards including Fosters Group, Lendlease, National Foods and KPMG. He has also been a director at BHP and Westpac, and has been the treasurer and vice president of the Melbourne Cricket Club.

The Crawford’s 1873-built, Georgian-style mansion is thought to be one of the biggest homes in the well-heeled suburb. In addition to its many bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas, it also has a basement cellar that once hosted boxing matches.

The stately residence was built in the 1870s in imposing Georgian style.

The expansive estate is thought to be one of the biggest in the suburb.

Kay & Burton executive director Scott Patterson is handling the sale and would not discuss the vendor, but said with expectations of a $15m-$16m sale the home would top the suburb’s current record price by up to $4m.

A luxury house at 2 Waterloo St set the current $12m benchmark in 2017.

Mr Patterson said despite the home being one of the suburb’s biggest and most illustrious properties, only those who had attended philanthropic or open garden events at it would be aware of what it looked like behind its expansive and private botanical gardens.

“It’s an almost mystical home, you see nothing from the street but you step into the driveway and 10 or 15 steps in it is revealed from among all the azaleas and the botanical gardens that surround it,” he said.

“And underneath it there’s a bluestone cellar and store room and there’s some boxing rings that used to have ropes attached to them and apparently there were boxing matches that took place under the property.

“It will be interesting to see who fights it out to get the home.”

Mr Patterson said expats returning from Europe or the US and locals who had been eyeing the home for decades, would be among those to make an offer before the sale’s November 14 closing date.

The house’s impressive grounds have been included in open garden programs in the past.

A pool and plenty of space to entertain feature at the rear of the house.

They wouldn’t be the only ones to make record-breaking offers this spring, with former Bulldog Chris Grant scoring an $8m-plus sale for his Williamstown home that set a new suburban benchmark last month.

A Murumbeena Rd, Murrumbeena, house has also set a $3.8m new high water mark for the suburb via Gary Peer’s Christian De Frece, while Whitefox’s Jesse Raeburn inked a $3.77m Bentleigh East price record for 25 Neville St.

And in Gladstone Park, Ray White’s Phillip Mercieca notched the suburb’s first ever $1m-plus result with the auction of 14 Barclay Close.

Further records could yet fall this spring, with former Lord Mayor Gary Singer hoping to snare an $11m-$12m sale for the 51 Grey St, St Kilda, mansion he bought in a $10.45m benchmark-setting deal.

And on the Victorian border a lavish $5m Goughs Bay listing could come close to doubling the regional town’s current $2.65m record, according to CoreLogic.

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