A pair of houses with a classical portico verandah built in 1856 designed by Lloyd Taylor, who also altered it over 20 years later in 1878 to become one house for George Robinson. The exterior was not substantially changed, and the cast iron fence was probably added then. Altered to flats c1920, adding a pair of external stairs and altering the fence. Still in single ownership.
Lloyd Tayler
1856 Captain George Gilmore
Built as an adjoining pair of two storey residences, with a common double level columned porch across the front with a central division, and setback entrances on each side. The columns are Tuscan below and Ionic above, and square at each end and the centre. The side entrances project and include partly open porches, defined by square columns, and low pyramidal roofs over the rooms above. Despite later alterations most details are intact, such as the front window framing, quoining of the corners, and the dentiled eave of the front verandah roof.
The current cast-iron fence is also typical of the later 19th Century.
The conversion to flats involved the addition of a pair of stairs to the front facade, glassing-in of the end bays of the verandah, and a solid balustrade to the upper verandah replacing what may have been cast-iron.
1856 Archtiect Lloyd Tayler tenders for 2 large family residences with offices, stables etc at StK for Capt George Gilmore. Argus, 27 Oct 1856, p 7. MMDB
1858 St Kilda rate books both owned by Captain George Gilmore.
The Vardy plan of 1873 shows them as two lots, numbered 8 and 9 Princes Street, and the owner of both lots is still Gilmore.
1878 was turned into a single house : Argus, 4 Mar 1882, p 5 , "sale of mansion of George Robinson, Princes St, St Kilda, thoroughly renewed in 1878 under supervision of Lloyd Tayler at a cost of over 3,000 pounds, large entry hall, drwg rm 24 x 16, brkfst rm. mrng room, dng rm 24 x 16, library, 2 large bedrs 24 x 16 about 15 ft high, 12 smaller bedrs, 3 bthrms, etc." This sale apparently not successful as Robertson stiil there in 1897. MMDB
1894 MMBW map shows them as one house, with no central property line, and one driveway.
In 1922 a self contained flat at this adress was being advertised, so it seems likely the conversion to flats happened before then.
Appears to be still one owner in 2026, since flats only listed for rent rather than for sale.
Port Phillip Heritage Review
Melbourne Mansions Database entry 1329
Contemporary newspapers.