Majellan House in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton recently passed from the Redemptorist community to its new private owner, signalling the end of an era. Source: Majellan Media.
As a final farewell, a liturgy and lunch were organised, led by Redemptorists of Oceania Provincial Fr John Hodgson CSsR and Fr Sam Kono CSsR.
The Redemptorists bought the property in 1963 and for almost 60 years it served as a house of worship and the mailing hub for The Majellan magazine.
The Redemptorists first began their “magazine mission” in Ballarat in the 1940s but the monastery became too small to service their growing needs.
The search for a new home led the Redemptorists to Brighton, a Melbourne beachside suburb. When the house came on the market, Majellan editor Fr Bill Stinson sought permission from Melbourne Archbishop Daniel Mannix to establish a “religious house” and a place to publish the magazine.
Archbishop Mannix, who headed the Church in Melbourne for 46 years, approved the request.
As part of the 1963 sale, the priests agreed to keep as much of the house’s original look as possible.
Located next to the Brighton Yacht Club, the house was commissioned by William Carr in the early 1920s. It was designed by prominent Melbourne architect Cedric Ballantyne, who is credited with introducing the modern-style residential bungalow to Melbourne.
Majellan House appeared in Australian Home Beautiful magazine on three separate occasions (1925, 1965 and 1995), including on the front cover twice.
The first Home Beautiful front cover of Majellan House included the headline, “As good a house as money can buy”.
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End of an era for Majellan House (Majellan Media)
