Georgia Geminder and Matthew Danos sell Toorak masterpiece

Heirs to two of Melbourne’s wealthiest dynasties, Georgia Geminder and Matthew Danos are selling their Sir Roy Grounds–designed Toorak masterpiece, the hidden modernist home that inspired the National Gallery of Victoria.

Beauty entrepreneur Georgia Danos and her husband Matthew, boss of one of Australia’s biggest private investment firms, are selling their remarkable Toorak home designed by Sir Roy Grounds, the visionary behind the National Gallery of Victoria.

The couple, whose families sit among Melbourne’s wealthiest dynasties — the Geminders of Pact Group and the Mandies of James Richardson Group — have listed their 1950s residence at 1/24 Hill St, built by Grounds for himself and his wife Betty with $2.6m-$2.8m price hopes.

Behind its modest brick façade, the home hides a glass-walled circular courtyard at its centre — a design Grounds later echoed in the NGV — and is regarded as one of Australia’s most significant modernist works.

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“Sir Roy lived here and worked at a desk in the back bedroom designing the NGV,” Mr Danos said.

“You can see the echoes in the proportions, the roof lines and that central courtyard.

“It’s a moment in history you can literally live in.”

An aerial view of 24 Hill St, Toorak, the 1950s circular-plan residence created by Sir Roy Grounds as a prototype for his iconic NGV design.

The perfect square wrapped around a circular courtyard showcases Grounds’ obsession with geometry, a rare modernist jewel untouched for seven decades.

Georgia and Matthew Danos with their newborn Richie Picture: Instagram

Georgia, founder of the clean-beauty label Gem, said the house had shaped her eye for design.

“There’s a stillness that never fades,” Mrs Danos said.

“The light moves differently every hour. It’s timeless.”

The minimalist kitchen reflects Grounds’ belief in functional beauty, blending original 1950s craftsmanship with understated modern updates.

One of the serene bedrooms inside the Toorak modernist home owned by Georgia Geminder and Matthew Danos, designed to frame views into the central courtyard.

A recent measurement found the home’s square footprint just 0.01 cm from perfect, proof of Grounds’ obsession with geometry and proportion.

Jellis Craig Stonnington director Carla Fetter said the property had already drawn strong enquiry from collectors and architecture buffs.

“It’s like selling art,” Ms Fetter said.

The Geminder–Danos couple, heirs to two of Melbourne’s great dynasties, are preparing to pass their Sir Roy Grounds home to new custodians.

At night, the home glows through its curved glass walls, the circular courtyard radiating soft light across the Sir Roy Grounds masterpiece.

The custom wine cellar beneath the Toorak residence hints at the couple’s love of entertaining, discreet luxury within a landmark piece of architecture.

“It’s been in one family for twenty years and the next custodian will understand what it represents.

“Opportunities like this don’t come up in Toorak anymore.”

The Danos family have celebrated milestones here — including their first date, proposal and engagement party — but say it’s time to hand the keys to a new custodian.

“We’ve cherished it for years,” Mr Danos said.
“But it deserves someone who’ll love and protect it for the next generation.”

Expressions of interest close October 28 through Jellis Craig Stonnington.

Grounds’ original study, where he sketched early concepts for the NGV, remains a defining feature of the historic 24 Hill St Toorak home.

A second bedroom overlooks the private courtyard — combining mid-century design with the timeless calm that defines the Geminder–Danos Toorak estate.

Georgia Geminder and Matthew Danos, representing the next generation of Melbourne’s elite, are preparing to sell their NGV-inspired Toorak masterpiece.

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