Denis Eisenstaedter, who was born in Vienna, had married in 1860, and soon after was living in Grey Street. His investment in the Alps Central gold mine paid off handsomly in the following years. He built the terrace pair of two ten-roomed residences in Burnett Street in 1864-5, living in the more expansive no. 6, which had a return verandah opening onto a large side garden.
He did not live there long however as he became over-stretched, and in August 1866 the houses were put up for sale, ads noting "Each house has gr fl - dining room 20 x 18', drwg room 20 x 18', entrance hall with marble tiles, kitchen 16 x 12', scullery, washhouse, bathroom, 2 cellars; upper fl - two bedrooms 18'x 20', 1 br 10' x 10', boudoir." The contents of his house were also auctioned, including chandeliers, gilt clocks, rosewood furniture, eight paintings by Eugene von Gerard, and his horse Peggy.
The next year his house was ocupied by James R Laing, and the adjacent terrrace by Mr Wilkins. By 1872 R. J. Jeffray Esq occupied no. 6, and there is a photograph showing the house and presumably his family. In 1877 the occupant was Samuel Brush, who named the property Wilgah. He lived there until his death, and then his son Harry, who died in 1905, 'primarily due to an accident in the hunting field'.
By 1894 no. 8 was known as Murgah (death notice for JJ Normoyle). By 1906 it was the residence of leading Melbourne architect George C Inskip (notably of Inskip & Butler), until his death c1930, and then of his three unmarried children.
By 1921, no. 6 Burnett was let as self contained flats, and known as The Osmond. The lawns on the corner of Grey Street were subdivided off in the interwar years and a block of flats built. In the 60s the remaining side garden was filled by a block of flats built right next to but not damaging the south return part of the vernadah.
The garden of no. 8 appears to have been subdivded off at a similar date, but not so close, and another block of flats built on the new lot, with the address of no. 10 Burnett. No. 8 has remained a single house, and sale images from 2021 show it was largely unaltered internally, featuring a wide marble floored hall with columned arches and genrerously proportioned rooms.
No. 6, inclding the attached flats, was sold in 2020, the house partially renovated and put up for sale again in 2023, but not sold.
