Payneswicke, the heritage Elsternwick trophy home sold

Payneswicke, the Leonda restauranteurs' Elsternwick home, has been sold for around $3 million.

Paula Hoffman and her husband Eugene put their Elsternwick property on the market in April.

Owners of function centres Leonda By The Yarra and Fenix, the couple bought 13 Gladstone Parade in the mid-1980s and, with the aid of interiors expert, Suzie Forge, restored and extended it.

Set on 1,000 square metres,  the grand late Victorian residence was offered through Matt Davis and Gerald Delany of Kay and Burton.

They were initially quoting $3.25 million plus. The property traded at $353,000 in the mid-1980s.

It was Leon Jolson, who was born Laibusz Dzialowski and known affectionately as Laib (Yiddish for 'lion'), who created the Leonda by the Yarra venue.

It bears his name Leon in conjunction with the first two letters of his partner, the late David Walker.

Previously Leon had worked at estate agencies including Blackburn and Lockwood until he established his own under the name of L. Jolson and Co in Malvern Road, Prahran. 

He ran it for 25 years until he sold it to R.E. Passmore and Son.

Leon also refurbished Earl's Court, which he later converted the venue into a popular ballroom at St Kilda.

Since it’s founding days, Leonda has been in the hands of few fortunate Melbourne based entities, including Qintex (Christopher and Pixie Skase), Vi and Bernard Greenhalf, Horst and Anne Niece and Spotless Services who sold in 2006.