Como House & Garden is tucked away in the suburban area of South Yarra in the City of Stonnington. If it wasn’t for the signage you could easily drive straight past. It’s a historical house dating back to 1847 when it was constructed for Sir Edward Eyre Williams.
The land was previously used as a cattle run. Prior to that for thousands of years the land was lived on by Ngaruk William, clan of the Boon Wurrung people who were part of the Kulin nation.
The home originally consisted of 4 bedrooms and a separate kitchen.

Sir Edward Eyre Williams sold the property in 1852 as it was too difficult to reach the City of Melbourne. Melbourne was only 4km from the property. Difficulty was getting across the Yarra River! Back in 1847 there weren’t the bridges crossing the river that we have now. Instead there was a punt to cross the river where Punt Bridge has since been constructed.

In 1853 the then owner Mr John Brown who paid 12,000 pounds for Como House & Garden added a second storey to the home and transformed the surrounding bushland into a garden.





Although the Como House & Gardens passed through the hands of multiple families, it was the Armytage family who lived in the home the longest, 1864-1959.
The home was again extended in 1874. A ballroom was added and an upstairs children’s wing.

In 1959 two of the Armytage daughters sold the home to the National Trust for a very generous offer, being half the value of the home. One of the daughters then gifted 10,000 pounds to ensure that the National Trust took custodianship of her once home. The daughters also gifted their furniture and clothing to the National Trust.

Throughout the house you will see the furniture of the Armytage family who lived their for 95 years!! There are switches in the rooms to trigger when a servant is required.

When the servants bell is triggered it’s heard downstairs near the kitchen. The servants identified which room they were required to attend by the tone of the bell.


The property was originally 54 acres. In 1911 and 1921 sub divisions took place which resulted in Como House & Garden estate being reduced to 5 acres. In 1921, 35 acres were sold to the Prahran City Council.

What Can I Do At Como House & Garden?
- Visit the gardens
- Enjoy lunch or a refreshment in the cafe
- Take a 1hr 15min guided tour of Como House
- Popular place for weddings or that special event in your life
- Hire the ballroom for your special event


About The Como House Tour
The tour was punctual and went for 1hr 15mins. Our volunteer guide was very informative and outlined in detail the history of when the house was built, the families that bought and sold the home, the prices that were paid and the jobs they fulfilled.
The tour takes you through the home which is fully furnished with the Armytages furniture. There were so many stories that told of the importance of the furniture to the Armytage family and the love of mirrors. The furniture has come from so many different parts of the world.



Is There an Entry Fee?
- Entry into the gardens is free
- An entry fee is payable for a tour of Como House
- Free tour of Como House if you are a National Trust Member
Como House & Garden is still under the custodianship of the National Trust. The tours are run by volunteers.

Como House & Garden Location
- Williams road & Lechlade Ave, South Yarra VIC 3141
- Como House and Garden is approximately 8.4km, 16min from the Melbourne CBD
How Long Do I Need To Explore?
If you take the Como House Tour I recommend you allow approximately 2hrs so you can explore the gardens and/or have a refreshment in the cafe.
My Tip
If you love exploring historical places under the National Trust become a National Trust Member.
There are all different types of memberships you can get i.e. household membership.
At the time of purchasing our membership the benefits of the National Trust membership were:
- Gain free entry to the National Trust properties in Victoria and Australia
- Gain free entry to more than 800 properties around the world
- Access to exclusive member-only events
- Receive editions of the National Trust magazine. My Mum received one when she joined up and was really pleased with it as it showed lots of other places of interest to go and had great detail.
- If you like shopping you’ll love that you receive 10% off in all National Trust shops in Australia
You can check out the other places we have visited with our National Trust membership: Rippon Lea Estate
I cannot wait to visit places like the Old Melbourne Gaol and the Polly Woodside to name just a couple.
Comments/Feedback
What are your experiences at Como House & Garden? Can you suggest other places similar to Como House & Garden that we should explore?

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