Airlie, Heritage mansion in South Yarra, Australia.
Airlie is a two-story mansion in South Yarra with carefully dressed stone walls, rendered surfaces, and a slate-covered hipped roof. The facade is defined by a generous front portico and wraparound veranda that give the building its classical character.
The property was built in 1873 for David and Elizabeth Ogilvy, members of Melbourne's rising wealthy class. It later served a military purpose during World War II when it was temporarily repurposed as a command center.
Airlie takes its name from Airlie Bank, the vineyard David Ogilvy planted on ten acres at South Yarra. In 1901 guests from the entourage of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall stayed here, and in 1907 the soprano Dame Nellie Melba was a guest of George and Annie Chirnside. The police training centre now lets the public hire the house for weddings and functions.
Airlie is owned by the Victorian Police Department and used as a training centre; it is also a venue the public can book for weddings and other functions, so visits are tied to an event or arrangement rather than open access. The house stands in South Yarra, within the City of Melbourne.
Airlie's 1870s outbuildings included a coach house, stables and a man's room, listed alongside the six bedrooms, drawing room, study and bathroom in the original house. The property passed to the Victorian Police Department, which uses it as a training centre and hires it out for weddings and functions.
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