Thirteen acres of land on the north-east corner of Orrong and Malvern Roads in Toorak were initially purchased in 1867 for £933 by Alfred Watson, a soft goods tradesman. A mansion, known as St George's, was erected on a terrace above a formal garden. A decade later, St George's was enlarged under architect Charles Webb for Joseph Clarke, to whom the land had been conveyed following the death of Watson. Clarke renamed the mansion Mandeville Hall, and the London firm, Gillow & Co., designed and furnished the exquisite interiors.
In 1924, the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly known as the Loreto Sisters, acquired Mandeville Hall. In the beginning, the Sisters slept in the stables and used the Oak Parlour as a Chapel. The Drawing Room was used as a reception room, and several bedrooms upstairs were used as dormitories while the rest of Mandeville Hall was used for community purposes and classrooms.
Restoration of Mandeville Hall began in the 1990s and has continued with generous support from the School community.
Read more about the History of Mandeville Hall
Tours and Hire
Public tours of Mandeville Hall are conducted during the annual National Trust of Australia Heritage Festival in April/May and the Victorian Seniors Festival in October.
Wedding Hire of the Chapel Christ The King is available for our broader Loreto Community. Click here for more details.
Opera in the Mansion in conjunction with the Melba Opera Trust is held annually in July.