The 'magnificent' mansion that housed movie stars, hippies and refugees

Labassa today sits out of view in a quiet cul-de-sac. (Compass: Danielle Bonica) Link copiedShareShare articleAt the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Caulfield North stands a luscious secret waiting to be discovered, a hidden monument to Melbourne's history. The majestic mansion, Labassa, holds the memories of hundreds of people who once called it home. Following the devastation of WWII, approximately 25,000 Jewish refugees arrived in Australia, desperate for a safe, secure place to rebuild their lives. Among them, some 9,000 Jewish refugees landed in Melbourne, where the splendid building at the end of the cul-de-sac became home to the fortunate few who inhabited the top floor. For Rachel Apfelbaum, who lived in the mansion as a child, returning to her former home, Labassa, rekindled the memories of her time there. "It's hard to fathom that we actually lived in this magnificent place," she said. In 1887, millionaire Alexander Robertson bought a modest home with a desire to create "the most magnificent house in Melbourne" and indeed it did become a centrepiece of Melbourne's high society. Labassa, then Ontario, became a lavishly designed 35-room mansion, surrounded by 6 hectares of manicured gardens featuring tennis courts, stables and a conservatory. It was an elegant estate ready to welcome guests of the most noble variety. Labassa is a historic mansion located in North Caulfield, Melbourne. (Supplied: National Trust) In 1904 Ontario was bought by the son of gold mining millionaire John Boyd Watson II, and though he renamed the mansion Labassa, the flair and extravagance of high society flowed on with grand dinner parties and elite social gatherings. Shortly after Watson II's death in 1911, Labassa was subdivided and by the mid-1930s the mansion contained at least 10 flats. It was at this time caretakers James and Emily Brearley were employed. Emily took care of the delicate furnishings as thoughtfully as she did the people who lived there. She spent 43 years at Labassa, and her name, when spoken, continues to bring a smile to the faces of those who remember her. Louise Lovely, a silent film star, lived in Labassa during the 1920s and 1930s. (Supplied: National Library of Australia) Even after the mansion had been converted to flats, its grand drawing and dining rooms were preserved, continuing to provide a background for extravagant parties. The mansion's staircase, intricate marblework and ornate ceilings also continued to attract a glamorous crowd of tenants. Socialites, war heroes and movie stars, including Louise Lovely, also known as Nellie Cowen, a star of the silver screen, all called Labassa home. Between 1945 and 1961 approximately 25,000 Jewish refugees migrated to Australia after the war, and the entire first floor of Labassa was converted to flats to provide safe homes. Rachel remembers sliding down the banner with her cousin as a child. The stairway banisters Rachel Apfelbaum and Susan Gruner would ride down. (Compass: Danielle Bonica) Rachel returned to Labassa in 2025 after 70 years. She first came as a child with her family after the war. "I remember this beautiful big room and the window," said Rachel as she wandered through the old mansion. "When I first saw Labassa, I got a shock," Rachel's mother Helen recalled. Helen and Rachel Apfelbaum return to Labassa with Vicki Shuttleworth. (Compass: Danielle Bonica) "That they built such a beautiful home … one of the ladies said to me, 'Touch the walls, you'll see, practically like gold.' The hallway was partitioned to make flats to welcome Jewish refugees after World War II. (Compass: Danielle Bonica) Many families arrived with nothing after surviving the Holocaust. With just a mattress on the floor and no hot water, Helen still felt she was going "from hell … back to life". "We had one big room. No furniture. Just a mattress. But it was beautiful … we came from nothing," she said. Helen, now nearly 100 years old, can no longer climb the magnificent staircase to her old number-four flat, "So I am going to see it for her," Rachel said. The staircase and the wallpaper show the grandeur of Labassa. (Compass: Danielle Bonica) Rachel wanders upstairs and gently touches the doorway. "This is the indentation of a mezuzah, which my father would have put up," she said. A mezuzah is a small decorative case holding a scroll inscribed with Torah verses, affixed to the front door as a sign of faith. "Wow, it's still there after all these years," Rachel said. The mark left on the doorway from the mezuzah from the Apfelbaum family. (Compass: Danielle Bonica) Rachel fondly remembers Mrs Brearley, the legendary caretaker of the mansion. "I can still see her. She always wore an apron. "I can't remember if she had a stick or a strap but there was always something that she would tap." Mrs Brearley is remembered as an abiding presence and a keeper of secrets as the flats filled with sounds of children running and playing. Susa

The 'magnificent' mansion that housed movie stars, hippies and refugees

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