Former Geelong Grammar School turned student stays awaits next chapter
The refurbished former Geelong Grammar School – one of Australia’s most expensive private schools – is set to exchange hands, offering refurbished student accommodation with “brilliant views” behind its iconic Gothic-Tudor façade.
Built in 1857 and located at 55 Maud Street on the fringe of Geelong’s CBD, the heritage-listed landmark sits within walking distance of the city’s vibrant waterfront and is recognised for its architectural and historical significance to the state of Victoria.
The building represents the surviving south wing of Geelong Grammar School’s first purpose-built campus, originally designed by noted architects Backhouse and Reynolds as part of a three-wing complex arranged around a central quadrangle. The remainder of the site was later demolished following the school’s relocation to Corio.
Now spanning 2100 square metres across four levels – including a basement – the landmark accommodation offering includes 28 bedrooms, common areas on each floor, multiple commercial kitchens, bathroom and laundry facilities. The property – drawing comparisons to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights – occupies a 1877-square-metre site with 33 metres of street frontage, rear laneway access, manicured gardens and a sweeping circular driveway.
Colliers International Geelong agents Ben Young, Chris Nanni and Jackson Carrick are marketing the property for an undisclosed sum on behalf of what they describe as highly motivated vendors.
Young says Geelong – Victoria’s second-largest city – has emerged as a major regional hub for health, education and manufacturing, just over an hour from Melbourne.
“The Geelong CBD is home to GMHBA, WorkSafe, TAC and NDIS headquarters,” Young says, noting the property also enjoys views towards GMHBA Stadium, home of the Geelong Cats, and is a short walk from South Geelong train station.
“[No.] 55 Maud Street has brilliant views over the southern suburbs of Geelong towards GMHBA Stadium and Belmont Hills, while being only a short walk from the heart of the CBD and waterfront,” he says.
The property is also directly next door to Geelong Palais and across the road from MOPA, the Museum of Play and Art, and is a short walk from South Geelong train station.
After Geelong Grammar School relocated to Corio in 1911, much of the original campus was progressively subdivided and the north and west wings demolished. The surviving south wing was retained and adapted for new uses, operating from 1916 as student boarding accommodation before later serving as a guesthouse and residential facility.
The Maud Street-facing property later fell into disrepair, with squatters setting up camp before it exchanged hands in 2016 for $1.9 million. The private vendors undertook two years of extensive conservation and restoration works – reportedly costing more than $2 million – before it reopened as modern student accommodation in 2018, with new floors, plumbing, electrics and a sprinkler system, all in line with heritage standards.
According to the Victorian Heritage Register, the building is historically significant for its association with the foundation of one of Victoria’s major private schools, supported by influential Western District families, and architecturally significant as a notable example of the work of Backhouse and Reynolds, expressed through its castellated parapet, steep roof gables, dormer windows and decorative detailing.
A separate house at 55a Maud Street, which was originally part of the property, sold for $395,000 in 2014 and is not included in the sale.
Among Geelong Grammar’s famous alumni is King Charles, who in 1966 attended the school’s remote Victorian Alps campus, Timbertop, for six months. Other notable alumni include media moguls Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer, former prime minister Malcolm Fraser and entertainers Portia de Rossi and Missy Higgins.
