Former Albert Park dairy stables sell for $3.45 million

The vintage car collector Paul Vellacott sold his Albert Park house with a historic rear stables for $3.45 million to a US-based expatriate at weekend auction.

The stables, which Vellacott had for 40 years as his garage and showroom, has signatures of motoring greats on the walls in black spray paint.

Winners of 12 Formula One world championships, including Juan Manuel Fangio, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Alan Jones have signed the walls, along with signatures of other famous motoring identities including Tony Gaze (the first Australian Grand Prix driver), Stirling Moss, Gigi Villoresi, Piero Taruffi and Sandro Munari.

Vellacott bought 380 Montague Street from Morris Bros Dairy in the mid-1970s. South Melbourne - A History by Susan Priestly and published by Melbourne University Press in 1995, wrote the firm of Morris Brothers were the pre-eminent inner-city milk distributors, having begun the partnership of James, Robert and William about 1893, with their main depots in Montague Street, Albert Park and Bay Street, Port Melbourne.

Port Phillip heritage records suggest the 3-19 Little O-Grady Street, Albert Park terraces were "supposedly built to house workers for the urban dairy. The cottage at 1A Little O’Grady Street was originally a manager’s residence for the dairy. 

Set over 302 square metres, the weekend offering came with a three-bedroom cottage and eight car brick garage stable. 

It was sold through Greg Hocking Holdsworth agents Greg Hocking and Warwick Gardiner.

Earlier this year the agency sold the former 1896 bakery at 1a College Place, Albert Park for $3,705,000.

Warwick Gardiner, of Greg Hocking Holdsworth, had the listing which traded at $860,000 in 1998.