Melissa Skirton-Cussell: High-society socialite and sculptor lists Armadale house
The property at 1092 Malvern Rd, Armadale, has an Old English aesthetic.
A Toorak socialite sculptor who regularly rubs shoulders with Melbourne’s biggest names has listed the Armadale dream home she created from two “derelict” apartments.
Melissa Skirton-Cussell has $2.4m-$2.6m price hopes for her three-bedroom house at 1092 Malvern Rd, which goes to auction this Saturday March 19 at 10.30am.
The manicurist, turned social columnist, turned artist has long been a fixture at the city’s most well-heeled soirees, with Jeff Kennett making sure she was always invited to his events and an old file snap showing her chatting with Shane Warne at a Rex Hunt restaurant launch.
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Shane Warne chats with Melissa Skirton-Cussell at the opening of Rex Hunt’s D’lish Fish at Beacon Cove, Port Melbourne, in 1998.
Established trees provide verdant surrounds.
A chic matt black and marble kitchen.
A private deck at the rear.
She was unfortunately caught up when Sam Newman had his nose fractured in 1997 by businessman and Toby Mitchell associate Michael “Mick” Hamill, who had arrived at the AFL personality’s home asking to see Ms Skirton-Cussell, a former partner.
The headline-grabbing assault resulted in jail time for Hamill and a painful anecdote for Newman, who was never involved romantically with Ms Skirton-Cussell.
Sam Newman after being punched by then-plumber Michael Hamill.
Her classic brick “English style” residence was separated into two apartments with 14 people living there when she bought the site — with an Italian backpacker even turning up on her doorstep once because the property was listed somewhere online as accommodation.
“I renovated it back into a beautiful period home,” she told Property Confidential.
“It’s quite classic, very much like a country-style home and it’s beautiful in that it doesn’t have anything imposing — all the buildings around it are heritage buildings so it will never be built over and it has existing established trees.
“Every window has a beautiful view, it feels like you could be in the country.”
Miche Bonett-Horton and Melissa Skirton-Cussell at a 2017 event. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis
A cosy contemporary lounge space.
A flowing floorplan.
The front lounge area.
Ms Skirton-Cussell’s sculptures can be seen on the Mount Buller Sculpture Park Walk, in Toorak Village and inside Richmond’s Maranello Motorsport.
Her social column — “Melissa Skirton’s Social Diary” — gave readers access to Melbourne’s VIP’s in the ‘90s: “I used to have people stop me in the street and say ‘I can’t wait to go to bed with you every Monday night’ (when the magazine went into the mailbox).”
But she remained tight-lipped on those who had attended the “many parties” at Malvern Rd.
Marshall White Boroondara director Justin Long said the property appealed to families at nearby local schools and the quality of the renovation was “beautiful”.
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