Como House & Garden

Como House & Garden offers a quiet heritage escape in South Yarra, about 6km south-east of Melbourne. The property combines a historic house, an urban pleasure garden and surrounding community parkland, with views towards the Birrarung (Yarra). It is a place to slow down, bring a picnic and explore one of Melbourne’s enduring connections to its past.

Built in 1847, Como House brings together Australian Regency and classic Italianate architecture. Inside, the rooms are presented as a family home, reflecting the tastes and lifestyle of the Armytage family, who lived at Como for 95 years. The property also preserves the original servants’ quarters, offering a broader view of the household and the work that kept a large home operating. Como was Australia’s first house museum acquired with its contents, including furniture, domestic technology and decorative arts.

A guided tour is the main way to see inside the house. National Trust volunteer guides share the history of Como and the lives of its former residents, including the way the property changed alongside Melbourne through Victoria’s periods of prosperity and difficulty. Entry to the house is by guided tour only, and spaces are limited, so pre-booking is recommended. During spring and summer, guided garden tours provide another way to understand the property, focusing on the social history and heritage of the grounds.

The gardens retain many features of their 1850s design and include a classic perennial border created by designer and Como ambassador Paul Bangay in collaboration with the National Trust garden team. Visitors can also browse Cornerstone, which serves brunch, coffee and takeaway food in the historic setting, or look through the National Trust Gift Shop and its collection of handmade items and gifts. A second-hand bookshop focuses on subjects including Australian art, history, furniture and gardening.

Como suits visitors who enjoy history, architecture, gardens and a slower-paced outing. Families can take part in education and school holiday programs, while groups can enquire about group bookings. The gardens are free to enter, and the grounds, cafe and an accessible toilet are accessible; the house tours are not accessibility friendly. Como House & Garden is on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Country, at the corner of Williams Road and Lechlade Avenue in South Yarra.