5 Heritage Gems to Explore During Open House Melbourne This Weekend

Open House Melbourne is one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events, offering rare access to some of Victoria’s most fascinating buildings and spaces. For heritage lovers, this year’s program features an exceptional mix of historic homesteads, architectural landmarks, artist communities and conservation success stories. Whether you’re interested in nineteenth-century pastoral life, Melbourne’s gold rush history or modernist design, these five sites deserve a place on your itinerary.

1. Step Back in Time at Harpsdale Homestead

Located in Yuroke, Harpsdale Homestead offers a rare glimpse into Victoria’s rural past. Dating back to 1875, the homestead was designed by renowned architect John Augustus Bernard Koch, one of Melbourne’s most prolific nineteenth-century designers. The property also includes stables and outbuildings from the 1880s, as well as gardens that have been growing since the homestead’s earliest years.

Visitors can join guided tours exploring the history of the families who built and cared for the property, while self-guided access allows visitors to wander through the machinery yard, shearing shed and established grounds. It’s a unique opportunity to experience a remarkably intact pastoral landscape and learn more about Victoria’s agricultural heritage.

Find out more: Harpsdale Homestead

2. Discover the Artistic Legacy of Montsalvat

Few places in Melbourne blend art, architecture and history as successfully as Montsalvat in Eltham. Established in 1934 by artist Justus Jörgensen, the heritage-listed creative precinct was inspired by European villages and constructed using local materials and salvaged architectural fragments from around Melbourne.

This special Open House Melbourne experience begins inside the rarely accessible Old Foundry, where artist Amanda Grant will share insights into the creation of a new permanent sculpture honouring Montsalvat’s founding women artists. Guests will then embark on a guided tour through the site’s remarkable galleries, studios and heritage buildings, uncovering stories of the artists and craftspeople who helped shape one of Australia’s most significant artistic communities.

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3. Visit Melbourne’s Remarkable Portable Iron Houses

One of the most unusual heritage experiences in this year’s program is one of very our own sites in South Melbourne. The Portable Iron Houses are nationally significant examples of prefabricated housing imported from the United Kingdom during the gold rush era to help address Melbourne’s housing shortage in the 1850s. The site includes Patterson House, the last remaining portable iron house on its original site, as well as two additional houses relocated to ensure their long-term preservation.

Visitors can explore all three buildings on self-guided tours and learn how these innovative structures arrived in flat-packed form, complete with instructions and materials for assembly. It’s an extraordinary reminder of Melbourne’s rapid growth during the gold rush years.

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4. Experience the Enduring Appeal of the Light Well House

Heritage isn’t always Victorian-era architecture. Donvale’s Light Well House demonstrates why post-war modernist homes are increasingly valued as important parts of Australia’s architectural story. Designed by architect Ian Smith in 1972, the house remains a highly intact example of residential modernism, showcasing the era’s focus on light, flexibility, landscape connection and innovative planning.

Now owned by acclaimed interior decorator Simone Haag, the home has been thoughtfully adapted for contemporary family life while preserving its original architectural intent. Open House Melbourne visitors will have the opportunity to explore the interiors and attend a special discussion featuring the original architect, heritage specialists and Haag herself, offering insights into how great design can evolve across generations.

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5. Explore the Historic Drill Hall and the Future of Heritage Conservation

Standing opposite Flagstaff Gardens, the former Army Medical Corps Drill Hall is a fascinating example of how historic buildings can find new life. Designed in 1938, the building now serves as the headquarters of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria while retaining many features that reveal its military origins.

This Open House Melbourne event goes beyond a traditional building tour. Led by representatives from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and heritage specialists Lovell Chen, visitors will gain access to spaces rarely open to the public, including former mess halls and the underground armoury. Along the way, discussions will explore the challenges and opportunities involved in conserving, adapting and maintaining heritage buildings for future generations.

Find out more: Drill Hall