Trenerry Files Plans for Private Club in South Yarra

The Trenerry Group has filed plans for a private members’ club in a Melbourne’s ritzy fringe suburb South Yarra. 

The Woods Bagot-designed plans will add a building to the heritage-listed Poolman House at 253-257 Domain Road, South Yarra plus renovate the interiors of the main house.

The $12.5-million plans propose that the land use of the 2754sq m site be changed to non-residential to allow for a live music venue and a residential hotel as part of the club. 

The new building would occupy the the current tennis court area and would include 11 of the 21 proposed hotel rooms, a penthouse suite, the new club rooms, a live music venue, pool change rooms and a restaurant.

The rooms in the current building would be repurposed and renovated to create kitchen facilities, an entertainment space and stage, gallery, hotel reception, bar area and nine hotel rooms. 

The buildings would be connected by a swimming pool and pavilion with a pergola and glass roof, echoing a previous connection between the main house and the servants’ quarters.

▲ The circa 1855 heritage-listed Poolman House in South Yarra would be renovated and extended to create a private club. Source: Corelogic.

The site at the corner of Punt and Domain roads is in a residential zone that also contains several other historic mansions while the Airlie Conference Centre is opposite.

Poolman House has been added to several times over the years—the earliest section is believed to date from around 1855. 

It was built by stock and station agent Richard Goldsborough in 1865. It extended in 1880 when the South Yarra Club next door was demolished and the land incorporated into the Poolman House property.

It became known as Ernest Poolman House and was owned by the Poolman family from 1921 onwards. They added a ballroom in 1928 and the house played host to Melbourne’s high society and politicians.  

The property last exchanged hands in February, 2020 for $18.25 million. 

The Trenerry Property Group is no stranger to historic properties, being part of the developer consortium behind the $100-million, 145-year old Continental Hotel project in Sorrento. IHG Resorts last year joined that project.