This building was originally constructed for Fitzroy timber merchant Wallace Stone, by builder John W. Brown, in 1913-14 and was known as “Clairvue”
Ivanhoe RSL acquired the building in August 1951. The building has been an important feature of the Ivanhoe landscape and is of local architectural significance. Perhaps the grandest of the early Queen Anne style houses in Heidelberg, the house is comparable to other large Queen Anne style houses of the period constructed in Melbourne’s middle-ring suburbs such as Kew, Middle Park and Canterbury.
The building has remained in near original condition, till days before Anzac Day, – on 21 April 2017 year a fire broke out in the early morning. The roof of the building was completely destroyed and much of the second floor collapsed.
An American First Marine division flag was rescued. This flag went ashore at Guadalcanal in the Pacific campaign, was donated to the RSL in the 1950s and rededicated in 2016 by Joe Biden, former United States Vice President.
Thankfully much of the memorabilia and photos had been stored in one room after a recent clean-up and restoration, so it escaped the blaze with only some water damage, but there were some losses.
The ABC TV show Doctor Blake Mysteries filmed at the site, which is also used by a number of community groups.
This photo was taken on the 1st February 2017 days before the fire broke out by photographer Kev Howlett as part of a project to document local R.S.L;s and war memorials and honour boards for Yarra Plenty Regional Library.
Source: Ivanhoe RSL in Melbourne’s northeast on fire anzac day
For too long this building remains derelict and and eyesore, when will reconstruction commence, or if nor viable, environmental sympathetic rebuild happen.?