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- 1930s Toorak mansion transformed into a subterranean “batcave.”
- Features a remote-controlled hydraulic driveway revealing an eight-car basement garage.
- Overhauled by Stephen Jolson, Anthony Larne Constructions, and Paul Bangay.
- Soundproofed basement holds a gym, sauna, and an underwater pool window.
- Landmark home previously carried a price guide up to AUD$37,400,000.
When you think of Australia’s most exclusive pieces of real estate, classic brick facades and manicured lawns usually come to mind. But when an architectural overhaul introduces a literal hydraulic “Batcave” entrance in the dead centre of Melbourne’s most elite suburb, the traditional definition of a luxury estate gets completely rewritten. Thanks to a staggering, masterfully executed transformation, ‘Devenescire’ at 20 Heyington Place in Toorak has recently set social media ablaze, courtesy of one Morgan Waterhouse (@morganwaterhouse), and it remains one of the most jaw-dropping mansions in the country.
Located at 20 Heyington Place in Toorak, VIC 3142, on a 2,043-square-metre allotment, this property operates on a level of luxury and engineering that has redefined the concept of a private compound.
On the surface, the estate appears to be a beautifully preserved 1930s manor house, originally designed by architect A. Mortimer McMillan around 1933. However, the owners didn’t stop at maintaining its historical charm, engaging architect Stephen Jolson and Anthony Larne Constructions to overhaul the site a few years ago. While it generated absolute hysteria when it traded hands with a price guide of AUD$34,000,000 to AUD$37,400,000, its recent viral resurgence on social media has reminded everyone why this place is an icon of Australian trophy homes.
1/3When you’re tasked with elevating a 2,043-square-metre heritage estate with James Bond-level tech, then you end up with something like this. It’s not dissimilar to the “Wayne residence” we covered previously, and Stephen Jolson’s goal here was to preserve the original red-brick character and the manor’s storied history while completely transforming everything beneath the surface.
Key features for 20 Heyington Place, Toorak:
- Land Size: 2,043 square metres
- Original Architect: A. Mortimer McMillan (Built c. 1933)
- Renovation Architect: Stephen Jolson
- Builder: Anthony Larne Constructions
- Landscape Designer: Paul Bangay
- Bedrooms: 4 large bedrooms
- Bathrooms: 5 luxury bathrooms
- Garage Capacity: Subterranean 8-car garage
- Driveway Access: Remote-controlled hydraulic tilt driveway hatch and concrete ramp
We’ll start with the ground floor, which features a grand reception room with an ornate custom fireplace, a formal dining room detailed with diamond leadlight bay windows, and a dedicated billiards room complete with a black-felt pool table and a custom wet bar fitted with dual Vintec fridges. This area serves as the centrepiece for grand-scale entertaining, setting a high-end tone with oak timber floors and custom stone surfaces throughout.
The main open-plan living and dining lounge features floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that retract completely to unite the indoors with the terrace, alongside a sleek integrated fireplace wall with a hidden, electronically retractable television. To complement the structure, custom gallery spotlights have been integrated across the walls specifically to showcase a massive collection of fine art and contemporary paintings throughout the home.
Next to the main living wing is the minimalist kitchen, a culinary hub with a matte-black island bench featuring an integrated sink, custom dark cabinetry, high-end built-in Miele ovens, and an ultra-premium Pitt stove configuration in which the gas burners are integrated directly into the stone benchtop. It’s fully backed by a Sub-Zero integrated fridge-and-freezer system.
But the culinary experience doesn’t stop there, as hidden away is a secondary full butler’s kitchen and catering pantry completely wrapped in pristine white stone and marble, complete with a massive central island and bespoke storage racks.
Still, the defining feature of this property happens out on the private driveway. When you take a quick look, it appears to be nothing more than a standard, albeit pristine, parking bay made of stone. However, as soon as a remote control activates the state-of-the-art hydraulic tilt hatch, the paved ground lifts up. This reveals a stealthy, concrete ramp that plunges straight into the earth, allowing you to drive down into a floor-lit underground tunnel.
Down in this underground playground, you’re greeted by a palatial, concrete eight-car basement garage designed to showcase a prized automotive collection. But this mega-basement is about more than just elite car storage, as it acts almost like an exclusive, soundproofed private club with dedicated party zones.
The developers integrated a complete wellness and entertainment wing directly into the lower floor plan. This includes a subterranean home theatre and rumpus room styled with massive plush modular sectionals, a high-end sauna, a steam room, and a fully mirrored home gym. The crown jewel of the gym is a breathtaking, rectangular underwater glass viewing window that looks straight up into the blue water of the swimming pool above.
Though its time on the open market may be over, 20 Heyington Place remains the benchmark for what happens with seemingly unlimited budgets. By blending some old-world 1930s elegance with a cutting-edge, subterranean garage, the design team created something that many would deem genuinely irreplaceable.
If you’re an auto enthusiast, design purist, or luxury connoisseur tracking this property on social media, it stands as permanent proof that an elite home can honour its historic roots while quietly concealing a world-class, tech-forward fortress beneath the surface.
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