A TOWNHOUSE built in an old Brunswick grain store combines two favourite dinner party topics: politics and property.
The chic three-bedroom townhouse at 10/1-7 Colebrook St is being sold by an adviser to the Hawke Government and is in a 19th century grain store originally owned by a former mayor and state MP.
Owner Jim Hyde, who was an adviser to health minister Peter Duncan from 1988-1990, bought the townhouse two years ago and is selling it with a price tag of $970,000.
The townhouse is one of 22 built within the historic bluestone walls of the Melville Grainstore, built in between 1888-1891 for wool and grain merchant Donald Melville, who became Brunswick mayor and later served as defence minister and health minister in the Victorian parliament.
Mr Hyde said he and his partner had enjoyed transforming the townhouse, including adding a light-filled study nook and a 19th century Czech cupboard to the “reinvented” kitchen.
“It takes a bit of lateral thinking … but it’s all about how you can connect spaces,” he said.
“The property now has history and quality merging (behind) these bluestone walls.
“You’re five minutes from some of the best cafes in Melbourne, and a five-minute walk from the train station and trams.
“And we can see the city skyline including the Eureka Tower.”
Jellis Craig Brunswick sales agent Lisa Roberts said the property’s dual living opportunities, with bedrooms, bathrooms and outdoor areas on both levels, were a big attraction.
“I’ve got two friends looking at it at the moment to purchase it together, as all you need to share is the kitchen,” she said.
“The property is one of 22 townhouses, built about seven years ago.
“This townhouse is not overdeveloped but it’s got a lot of flair.”
SUBURB PROFILE: BRUNSWICK