40,000 years ago - Boon Wurrung

The Ngaruk-Willam clan of the Boon Wurrung people, part of the Kulin Nation are the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which Laurel Bentleigh will stand. The name Boon wurrung is comprised of bun ‘no’ and -wurrung ‘lip, speech, tongue or language’. This combines the northern Kulin practice of naming a language after its word for ‘no’, and the southern Kulin practice of naming it after a distinguishing feature and the suffix -wurrung.

Early 1800's - Dendy's Farm

Laurel Bentleigh sits on a site that was part of a 5,120 acre parcel of land acquired by Henry Dendy, a farmer in Surrey, England from the Commissioners for Land and Emigration for £1 per acre.

Special Surveys were a particular method of survey permitted between 1840 and 1841 in which the Crown sold 8 square mile allotments and allowed the internal configuration of the land to be determined by the purchaser. Its boundaries are reflected in the existing names of the streets of North Road, East Boundary Road and South Road, with Port Phillip Bay as the western boundary.

Mid 1800's - Whitmuir Hall

From the mid-1800’s this site was part of a 158 acre estate with a grand homestead, which for part of its life was known as Whitmuir Hall. It was the first and only ‘grand mansion’ in the area of East Brighton, now re-named Bentleigh. In the garden there were lovely marble statues and a fountain which still remain. Inside the home was a beautiful staircase and large, expensive stained glass windows, imported from Italy in the 1850s. Over many years Whitmuir Hall has undergone several name changes and had many owners.

1949-2022 - The Bentleigh Club

Over the next 60 years the property was owned by the Bentleigh Club and was much altered from it’s original stately condition. The entire building was encircled by additions and extensions with only the fountain in it’s original format. The Bentleigh Club started out as a men’s club but grew into a popular spot for social gatherings and events, and played an important role in the life of the community for many years. In 2011 the Melbourne Demon’s Football Club acquired the club when the venue was operating at a loss and experiencing a growing debt obligation.

2011 - Melbourne Football Club Sells to Metro

In 2022 Metro purchased the site from the Melbourne Football Club who had owned the property for over a decade. The Club decided to sell the club and use the profits generated to set the club up for the future. Metro’s vision for the site is to create a collection of homes befitting of the local street character. Homes that are both beautiful and functional, where residents can enjoy all of life’s everyday moments and family milestones.