Dana House renovation

It’s been a doctor’s grand home, government offices, separate apartments and then student accommodation.

NOW the residence at 17 Lyons Street South, Ballarat Central, also known as Dana House, has come full circle, having been lovingly restored to beyond its original glory.

The project has been a five-year process for owner, Ann Zall. When she and husband began renovating the building the walls were bright green and the whole place had a bad smell.

While some exterior work had been completed by previous owners, the constant activity inside the property has drawn curiosity.

“While we’ve been working, and sparks have come out of the window or dust out of the window, we’ve always had people pass by and say, ‘I’d love to see what’s going on in your house,’” Ms Zall said.

“There’s been a lot of interest from a lot of people.”

Dana House was originally built in 1908 for Dr Thomas Rowan and designed by Scottish architect Charles Macintosh.

Dr Rowan also constructed the hospital beside the mansion, which is now apartments and are being subdivided from the main block.

The building’s varied history and uses meant that Ms Zall needed to see past its condition when deciding to give Dana House a new lease on life.

“I could see it had the most amazing bones,” she said.

“It has this potential to draw a whole heap of north light into it, so the kitchen, living and dining all face north and that’s the hub of the home.”

Being so close to the heart of the city has also had an effect on the renovation.

Ms Zall’s husbanded wanted a pizza oven in the large landscaped backyard, but that idea was scrapped when it was pointed out just how close the house was to pizza shops on Sturt Street.

The proximity to Ballarat’s retail precinct also paid off in an unexpected way.

“I bought my mother-in-law a pair of shoes for Christmas and she came on Boxing Day and they were too small,” Ms Zall said.

“So I came inside, put the kettle on, grabbed the shoes, ran down the street, changed them – got money back because of the sales, made a cup of tea, took it outside and said, ‘here’s your shoes and they’re the right size now.”

The renovation has been sympathetic to the home’s original beginnings.

Dana House is full of all the things you’d expect in a renovation of this kind, and then there’s the little touches like ornate cornices and ceiling roses, chandeliers and tasteful English tapware.

With all the work that’s gone into Dana House, Ms Zall sometimes wonders what Dr Rowan would make of it all.

“I think he would be pretty proud of what we’ve done,” she said.