Walk the Golden Mile

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Posted 2013-07-12 by Nadine Cresswell-Myatt ⇒ follow

A cat can look at a king and mere mortals can look at properties that are way beyond our meagre pay packets.

[ADVERT]But not beyond our wildest imaginings.

Which is one reason I love this walk along what real estate agents love to call The Golden Mile as they rub their hands together in expectant glee.

The Golden Mile is the streetscape that extends along Mont Albert Road, from Burke Road to Balwyn Road, although to see the most beautiful homes you need to detour down Monomeath Ave. When you get to the end you hit Canterbury Road; swing left and return to Mont Albert Road along Victoria Ave.

These two avenues are the most beautiful tree lined streets in Melbourne. The foliage from the old gnarled plane trees form a Gothic arched cathedral ceiling above your head. In summer it is verdant green, in autumn orange and fire-red, and in winter the bare branches make you it seem as if you are moving under an archway of swords.

A number of the homes sit on large blocks of land of around 2000 square metres and include tennis courts, pools, and garages as large as the average person's home.

There are a number of architectural styles in the area including federation, art deco and Tudor but as the older homes are pulled down they are replaced with huge faux French provincial homes or even Tuscan villas. All the money in the world it seems can not buy good taste.

The most striking property on Mont Albert Road is Frognall on Mont Albert Road. With its huge white frontage and Italianate you won't miss it. Built in 1888-9 it was what the Victorian gentry aspired to.

Most of the homes are set well back from the street and are sometimes completely hidden from view behind huge gates, walls and vast hedges. Some properties even have cameras on their gates so don't forget to smile.

In Monomeath Ave they don't have common street lights but beautiful ornate London lamp posts, like from Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Houses in Monomeath cost anywhere between 3 to 8 million dollars. Past and present residents have included Lady (Susan) Renouf when she was married to Andrew Peacock, Premier Sir Rupert Hamer, former NAB managing director Frank Cicutto, Craig Saddler Chairman of Boeing and Kylie and Dannii Minogue's parents. It was reported in 2002, the girls spent $2.43 million on buying their parents an unrenovated 1940s six-bedroom house, Hallwood Halton, with a tennis court and heated pool.But they were not being miserly as it has since been renovated.

The Jellis Craig clip below might give you a feel for the area because unfortunately this is as close as most of us are going to get to entering one of these mansions.

My suggested Golden Mile walk is about five kilometres and takes around one hour and thirty minutes. There is no coffee pit-stop along the way but if you are new to the area take a detour to the charming Maling Road shopping precinct as it is a lovely olde worlde shopping strip. You might just be able to afford a cup of coffee.

Or another option is to walk further down Mont Albert Road and there is a good cafe on the left called Red Cup.