About Greyfriars

Greyfriars at 53 Balaclava Road in St Kilda East, is an apartment complex of 43 individual dwellings. Designed in 1949 and completed in 1951, the complex was conceived to operate on a then-innovative co-operative basis. Under this structure, ownership was vested in a co-operative society in which each resident was a member. Greyfriars was the first development of this type in Melbourne, which preceded the strata title model that is common today.

The grounds on which Greyfriars stands was originally part of the larger grounds of a Victorian mansion, ‘Greenmeadows’. This land was subdivided into 10 allotments in 1902, with Lot 4 becoming the location of a residence known as ‘Keith House’ around 1908. From 1944 to 1949, Keith House operated as a convalescent home, before the decision was made to redevelop the site into modern flats. The architect was Bernard Evans, the designer of numerous private and public buildings throughout Melbourne, as well as the city’s Lord Mayor from 1959 to 1961.

Construction began in 1949, incorporating the new flats into the space surrounding the still-operating Keith House. The design was considered to be an ‘unusual’ example of post-World War II modernist architecture, invoking aspects of the Functionalist style. Following its completion in 1951, ‘Greyfriars’, as it became known, attracted the interest of many postwar Melburnians seeking their own home, with the first of its ‘ultra-modern’ units selling for the princely sum of 3,500 pounds at auction. By the end of the 1950s, Keith House was demolished and the space converted into the open areas and gardens recognisable today.

Greyfriars’s unique history and design has led the complex to be listed in the Victorian Heritage Register as historically and aesthetically significant.

_{Article Source: Victoria Heritage Council}

Greyfriars uses the Company Share ownership model, rather than the usual Strata or Stratum model. This type of ownership has predominantly been replaced over time with strata title ownership, whereby purchasers become shareholders of the Greyfriars Pty Ltd company with rights to occupy an allocated unit. Greyfriars is historically significant as one of the first examples of this type of ownership in Melbourne, and one of the oldest remaining company share ownership apartment buildings in Victoria that has not transferred to strata titles.

In accordance with its company status, Greyfriars Pty Ltd is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of shareholders volunteering their time to perform governance duties. Any concerns or suggestions related to these duties should be directed to the StrataOCM administrator on 03 9015 7652 or via email.

Owner/shareholders are invited to volunteer their time to join the Board to assist in the governance of Greyfriars, with appointees agreeing to commit to the role for a period of 12 months. Monthly Board meetings are held online, along with an Annual General Meeting for all owner/shareholders. Contact us if you would like to be involved in the Board.

The Board does not deal with day-to-day Greyfriars operations, such as those which are detailed in the ‘Greyfriars Facilities’ section of this website. These queries should be directed to the StrataOCM administrator on 03 9015 7652 or via email.