One of Brisbane’s most historic riverside properties has been listed for sale against the wishes of its elderly owner after she failed to maintain it and pay more than three years’ worth of council rates bills.
The dilapidated heritage-listed mansion called Home — widely known as Lamb House — had been unoccupied for years and has become a rubbish-strewn haven for squatters.
Perched on the cliffs at Kangaroo Point, the federation-style property sits on more than 3,000 square metres of prime inner-city land.
The land alone was valued at $6,100,000 by the state government in 2019.
Lamb House was advertised for sale on Friday through Savills and described as "the best of Brisbane".
Photographs show a grand timber staircase, pressed metal ceilings, fireplaces with patterned tiles, large decorative archways, wall panelling and panoramic views of the Brisbane River and CBD.
But the six bedroom, two-storey mansion is clearly in need of major restoration work with visible graffiti, paint peeling off walls, collapsed ceilings, crumbling brickwork and holes in the roof.
The grand home has been the centre of a long-running dispute between its owner Joy Lamb and the Brisbane City Council.
Mrs Lamb moved out years ago after her husband died and was issued with a notice of intention to sell by the council in 2020.
Brisbane Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said the Public Trustee is managing the sale on Mrs Lamb's behalf with any unpaid bills to be taken from the proceeds.
"I'm glad to see the Public Trustee has taken it over now because we don't want to see it go to rack and ruin any further than it has now," she said.
'Real estate fraud of the century'
Mrs Lamb said she did not know her property had been advertised for sale until she was contacted by ABC News.
She described it as "the real estate fraud of the century".
"It is my property and my husband's family land over three generations and remains so in any decent person's opinion."
Mrs Lamb said she was consulting with lawyers.
Cr Adams said the house became too much for Mrs Lamb to manage.
"I can understand the owner of this property is extremely beloved of this house, her husband and her lived there for many years," she said.
"However it is also a very important house for the people of Brisbane and the city and its history as we grow.
"This is a good outcome for her so that she gets financial stability and we get to save the house."
Lamb House protected from development
The landmark property was built in 1902-03 for John Lamb, who co-owned a drapery business in Queen Street.
It was entered into the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992 and was described as "a most accomplished building in its architectural design, materials, workmanship and setting and … a major example of notable Brisbane architect Alexander B Wilson".
Cr Adams said the council placed a Temporary Local Planning Instrument on the property last year.
"Which basically changed the protection of the house to not only be the house itself, and obviously the heritage importance of the structure, but also the grounds of the house."
She said it meant the land could not be developed.
"Previously there was an ability if you bought the whole land you might be able to subdivide and do units around it, but the new planning instrument means you can't do that," she said.
"The state has ticked that off and it's coming through council in the next couple of weeks, by the time the sale is through the [new] owner should clearly know that they need to renovate the house."
Cr Adams said she hoped the house was sold to someone who loved it.
