Yarraford Estate, Alphington

Yarraford Avenue & Perry Street

In 1908, two houses and a substantial area of land were offered for sale in Alphington by Stott and Bastings Real Estate Company.    ‘Yarraford Estate, with brick villa and W.B. house and 8 ½ acres, running from Heidelberg Road back to the river. This estate is also sub-divided into allotments.’   The development must  have stalled as by 1920 there were still only two houses built on the east and one house on the west side of Yarraford Avenue according to street directories.   By 1922 renewed efforts were made to develop the land with an auction taking place on 25 November.   The sale, included the two houses and land mentioned before, divided into 43 villa home sites asking for £10 deposit and 20 shillings per lot monthly due at the end of 4 years.   The sites boasted being close to Heidelberg Road and the Yarra river, with Rudder Grange and its boatsheds next to the estate.

Being close to transport was also important with the estate being only 7 minutes ‘easy walk’ from Fairfield Station.   Advertisement. The Age (Melbourne, Vic: 1854 - 1954) Saturday 5 December 1908, p 3 Sales by Auction. The Argus (Melbourne. Vic: 1848 – 1957) Saturday 25 November 1922, p 4 Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne and Suburban Directory 1864- 1974. [Microfiche]. (1974). Melbourne, Australia: Sands & McDougall. Yarraford Estate, Fairfield [cartographic material]. 1922. State Library of Victoria. Available online.