The former church turned home and studio of renowned artist David Bromley, and later Adelaide fashion star Carol Foord sold in a multi-million dollar deal.
The landmark property at 234 Port Rd, Alberton sold for $3m, said selling agent Thanasi Mantopoulos of LJ Hooker Mile End-Woodville.
And, because of that, he said he was happy that it would once again be a place of worship.
Although he declined to reveal which religious group bought the building, he said three were vying for the property, along with investors, developers and those looking for a unique home.
“There was a real mix of people who wanted to use it as a residence, run a business from there, use it as an investment and developers,” he said.
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“We had 115 at the time of testing, along with another 60 or so inquiries, and all in all they got about 65,000 views on realestate.com.au.
“It was sold to the church community – I won’t say where the secret is – but they are looking to restore it as a church.
“It’s really good, I’m very happy that it went to them.
“This is the property they needed to move forward in the direction they wanted to go.
“It won’t take much to return it to the church, it’s just a matter of getting the right permits.”
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The place attracted a lot of interest.
The building offers a lot of power.
Mr Thanasi said the property – which is a residential property – set a new sales record for the suburb, surpassing the previous high sale of $2.135m at 10 Adams Place in 2013.
“As long as he had three in front of him, we were happy,” he said.
“Those boundaries of values in these two churches made it difficult, but in a good way, because I would have been sad to see it demolished.
“We had a lot of local people who came hoping they would be able to pay us, but the church group’s proposal was very competitive.”
Mr Mantopoulos said he was happy with the outcome and happy to see its character protected.
“It is an honor to sell such a historic property,” he said.
Here’s how we reported it when it hit the market in January:
An Adelaide church converted into the stunning home of renowned artist David Bromley has hit the market, attracting huge interest from owners and developers.
Bromley bought the historic c1880s property at 234 Port Rd, Alberton, from the Baptist Church in 1999 and converted it into his home and studio.
During his time there, six-time finalist Archibald, one of Australia’s most famous artists, painted a mural on one of the interior walls.
Selling agent Thanasi Mantopoulos, of LJ Hooker Mile End-Woodville, said the large mural remained on the wall but could not confirm whether it was Bromley’s or the work of Adelaide fashion icon Carol Foord, who bought the house in Bromley in 2005.
Mrs Foord, founder of Toffs and Wild Child Style Lab, lived in the home and, until about five years ago, also used the property as an antique and reproduction furniture shop.
Amazing home interior.
After battling breast cancer and symptoms of motor neurone disease, Mrs Foord died in 2024 and the church property is now listed for sale by her estate.
Mr Mantopoulos said there had been a lot of interest in the property, which has three separate titles on a large 2934sqm allotment.
The main residence has seven bedrooms, an open plan kitchen, two bathrooms and more
“(Those) flexible rooms are open to reinterpretation”, says the seller’s listing.
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The nearby Grand Hall has retained its stained glass windows, pressed steel ceiling and WWI pipe, although Mr Mantopoulos was unsure whether the organ was still functional.
A 1960s addition, called the Court Building, had French doors that opened directly onto the property’s courtyard garden.
“This (church conversion) is probably the best I’ve seen in the west,” said Mr. Mantopoulos.
This space is set to be used for worship as well.
Modern living space.
“To have great heritage throughout and be in really good shape, it’s very rare.
“It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
The main church buildings were listed on the state heritage list, preventing their demolition.
However, one title, which has two frontage roads and covers 1643sqm, did not have heritage restrictions, prompting questions from several developers, Mr Mantopoulos said.
Interest has also been strong for landlords who want to use the property as residential and commercial space, he said.
“Many people (within Alberton) have asked if (the church) is a heritage (listed) and they have come to their hearts that it is,” said Mr Mantopoulos.
“They expect that part of the land (the area) will be developed a little but they are happy that the buildings will be preserved.”
What’s it like there in the bathroom.
Alberton Baptist Church opened in 1964 but, after the church was sold to Bromley, the congregation merged with Semaphore Baptist Church and moved to nearby Queenstown, according to the Port Adelaide Historical Society.
The property will go on sale at 12.30pm on February 11. No price guide has been disclosed.
– by Lauren Ahwan
