This Classic building was commissioned in 1869 and completed in 1871. It was originally the manse for St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (The Gaelic Church) built in 1855, which stood next door.

The original allotment covered two acres on the northern side of Queensberry Street, between Rathdowne and Drummond Streets. In 1938 the church was demolished and the stone used to build Gardiner Presbyterian Church on a commanding allotment at 253 Bourke Road, Gardiner.

The cost of the building was 1,866 pounds, 16 shillings and 10 pence.

The manse remained in church hands until it was sold to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in 1977.

Aside from the stunning beauty of the property, many aspects of its architecture and construction render it of cultural heritage significance. The two storey cast-iron and timber verandah has been noted for its delicate balusters, pair columns and cast iron friezes of classical palmettes framed in wood.

The Victorian Heritage Register has recorded the magnificent internal staircase with its arched window of red and blue glass.

Most of the rooms have high ceilings, open fireplaces, layers of cornices and ceiling roses. The colour schemes throughout are heritage-sensitive and accentuate the beauty of the features.

Established gardens entirely surround the main building. Pebbled paths wind through lush undergrowth and pass garden beds hosting blooms of every colour. Towering palm trees mingle with age old peppercorns and scented magnolia.

The balcony is a place each Victorian should enjoy once. Views from this amazing perch encompass Carlton Gardens, the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum and beyond, rendering it an inspired place to contemplate the past and present simultaneously.