Held for 170 Years, Chased by 217 Parties: The Uniting Church Sells a North Melbourne Landholding

• The Uniting Church in Australia’s Synod of Victoria and Tasmania has sold a 4,882-square-metre site in North Melbourne.
• The land at 579–599 Queensberry Street and 51–61 Curzon Street had been held for 170 years.
• It includes the Union Memorial Church with its 46-metre spire.
• 217 parties expressed interest; the price was not disclosed.

A church landholding in inner Melbourne that had stayed in the same hands for 170 years has changed owners. The Property Tribune reported that the Uniting Church in Australia’s Synod of Victoria and Tasmania has sold a major site in North Melbourne.

The property covers 4,882 square metres at 579–599 Queensberry Street and 51–61 Curzon Street. It is zoned General Residential and has three street frontages, on Queensberry, Curzon and Elm Streets, totalling more than 200 metres. Its best-known feature is the Union Memorial Church, whose spire rises 46 metres.

The site was marketed through public expressions of interest by JLL’s capital markets team of Jesse Radisich, Nick Peden, Josh Rutman and Mingxuan Li, and drew interest from 217 parties. The sale price was not disclosed.

Peter Thomas, the Uniting Church’s director of property services, said: “The Uniting Church and the Mark the Evangelist Congregation are pleased to see the next stage of life for the church and the site now about to commence under new ownership.” Radisich said: “This transaction demonstrates that robust demand is in the market for significant landholdings with income and upside potential.”

The site combined a large parcel in a central location with residential zoning, and the heavy interest shows how keenly buyers will compete for church land of that kind. Jamaica’s older denominations also hold substantial land in town centres and near growing urban areas, often assembled generations ago. When such land comes to market, zoning, road frontage and the condition of any heritage buildings will drive its value. Churches thinking about a sale should get independent valuations and consider an open, competitive process; investors and diaspora buyers should watch for these rare parcels, which seldom come up.

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