Laycock & Sons building listed
The South Melbourne building which rags-to-riches entrepreneur Frederick Laycock set up as his headuarters at the turn of the century is for sale.
Heritage protected Laconia House, rising five storeys, is presently an office occupied by Westinghouse Rail Systems Australia.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Dominic Gibson is expecting it to trade for c$12.5 million
The red brick structure was one of the tallest offices upon completion and is still prominent from the West Gate Bridge.
With 4500 square metres of area, it occupies a 2000 sqm block near Melbourne Convention Centre and Mirvac’s Yarra’s Edge apartments in Docklands.
English-born Mr Laycock arrived in Melbourne in 1879, age 30 (story continues below).
Laycock built the South Melbourne manufacturing premises in 1884, later adding the woollen mill.
His manufacturing business exported.
A philanthropist, he donated Canterbury’s Frognall – said to be worth more than $20m today – to the government following the second world war.
The Laycock is speculated to still have substantial property interest in Portsea and Sorrento.
