Being close to Sydney means Mosman is one of the most well-established suburbs in the city. Many Mosman houses are over 100 years old, albeit with new additions to bring modern convenience.
The stories of Mosman’s oldest and grandest houses give insights into the history of our area. Get to know some of the area’s most recognised properties.
Musgrave House
Built over 130 years ago, Musgrave House is a sandstone home on a property that takes up 1848 square metres. Downstairs, this Victorian mansion has a casual dining space and modern kitchen with a butler’s pantry that opens onto an ivy-covered courtyard. The spacious rooms are kept warm by heat from marble fireplaces.
Fully renovated without losing its period charm, Musgrave House has a heated pool and six-car garage. The home has six bedrooms, a wrap-around verandah and harbour views to Sydney. In 2016, it was featured in ‘I Own Australia’s Best Home’ on Foxtel’s Lifestyle Home channel.
Purchased in the 1970s for £40,000, Musgrave House’s value today is well above $10 million.
Kirkoswald House
This home was built in 1873 and is now heritage listed. A single-storey dwelling, it has extensive grounds on a 2163 square metre block. The first owner, known to be a man called J. Willis, owned several properties in the area.
Kirkoswald House is a step back in time, with immaculate gardens and a beautiful verandah, constructed in the times when air-conditioning was a non-existent luxury. The interiors of this period home include French doors, Georgian archways and wooden floors.
Located on the famous ‘Golden Mile’, this home is a coveted example of Australia’s early history. It hit the market in 2018 with a $14 million price guide.
Glenmire
Sweeping views to North and South Head, stunning Italianate architecture and floor-to-ceiling windows make Glenmire another coveted property.
Another of Mosman’s oldest houses, it was built in 1889 on Stanley Avenue. Sandstone finishes, intricate mosaic floors and chandeliers punctuate this home, which sits on 1391 square metres.
Glenmire was damaged when Japanese submarines attacked off the coast of Sydney during WWII but later owners painstakingly restored it to its current glorious state, with the results achieving the best heritage restoration award in 2009. This home has only had a handful of owners and was listed in 2015 for $18 million.
Balmoral House
Looking like something from a storybook, Balmoral House sold for over $10 million in 2017, more than double the price paid in 2005.
Built in 1908, Balmoral House features a lot of sandstone, with photos from the most recent listing showing exposed sandstone walls in at least one bedroom. In the early days, its owners used the grounds as orchards, plus there were a tennis court and quarters for maids, butlers and groundskeepers.
The period elements of this home are now complemented by a gym, swimming pool and wine cellar.
Boronia House
One grand home anyone can have the pleasure of visiting is Military Road’s Boronia House.
Now a wedding, conference and high tea venue, Boronia House has classic Victorian architecture, high ceilings, light interiors and a delightful parkland ambience.
Built in 1885, Boronia House’s website explains that it was originally one of two near-identical neighbouring mansions built in the Victorian Filigree style of that era. It is now one of the few freestanding examples of this style of architecture in Sydney. The heritage-listed property was purchased by Mosman Council in 1952 and the building was used as a library and art gallery before being transformed into a popular venue.
