This impressive house was designed in 1882 by Alfred Friedrich (Fritz) Kursteiner for Dr Alexander Buttner and completed in 1883. The builder was William Muller.
Kursteiner was born in Basle, Switzerland, and worked in Melbourne from c.1853 to 1893 when like many architects who suffered a downturn in work during the depression, he moved to Western Australia, where he died in 1897. He designed several other buildings in East Melbourne, including the two storey terrace across the lane to the west at 148 Victoria Parade and its three storey partner at 146 Victoria Parade.
Dr Alexander Buttner was born near Minden, Germany and was educated in Bremerhaven. He studied medicine in Berlin, completing post-graduate studies in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He arrived in Melbourne from London in 1877 on the Chimborazo and commenced practice in 1878. A birth notice for a child born in 1885 tells us that he called his new house Villa Weisbaden. He advertised his medical practice at the house more or less weekly from the 1880s right through until his death in 1914 in a German language newspaper published in Adelaide, the Australische Zeitung, but never in any of the local papers. No doubt many of his patients were members of the congregation of the East Melbourne German Lutheran Church (which Kursteiner also designed).
When he died in 1914 he left behind his widow, Henrietta, or Henny as she was known, and four sons and two daughters, and the house remained in his estate for the benefit of his family. It was leased out and became a boarding house or guest house under various names. It was first Ascalon until 1917, and then Nizza which it remained until it became Clendon in 1936. As Clendon it was advertised as
NEW IDEA FOR MELBOURNE. CLENDON PRIVATE HOTEL, 439 Victoria Parade. First-class Room and Breakfast House embodying the ideas of the Latest London Clubs. Modern Furniture specially designed for Bed-sitting Room. Light Dinner if required.
It was managed by Mrs Dorothy Campbell, late Manageress of the Healesville Golf House.
The house was eventually listed for sale in July 1949 and described as let on a monthly tenancy. However a month later The Age reported that:
The State Government has decided to acquire Clendon, a 20-roomed mansion, in Victoria-parade, East Melbourne, as living quarters for nurses employed at St. Vincent's Hospital. The property, which was to have been sold by public auction today, was withdrawn from the market yesterday by the agents. J. J. McGee and Co., on the advice of the owners. The owners of Clendon advised the agents that the Government had taken steps to acquire the property by compulsory resumption under the provisions of the Hospitals and Charities Act 1948.
This is slightly at odds with Peter Donovan’s statement in his book, An Ornament to the City: The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital that:
Clendon, originally built as a 16-roomed dwelling for Dr Alexander Buttner in 1883, was acquired in June 1950. For some time it had been used as a guest house and for a short time after it was acquired by the Hospital it was leased to St Vincent’s Hospital for use as a nurses’ home. This seems to be confirmed by the Rate Books which show that from 1950 the Eye and Ear Hospital was the owner while Dorothy Campbell remained as occupier. With her experience she would, no doubt, have been an ideal person to manage the nurses’ home.
The house is still owned by the Eye and Ear Hospital.