Rob Mills Architecture: Acclaimed architect’s first-ever project, in the High Country, finds a new owner

1596 Buller St, Howqua Hills - for herald sun real estate

1596 Buller St, Howqua Hills, was extended and renovated by Rob Mills when he was first establishing his architecture studio.

Acclaimed architect Rob Mills’ first project, a Victorian High Country house that he restored for his father, has sold for $640,000.

The founder of the Melbourne- and Sydney-based Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors, Mills and his studio have won and been short-listed for more than 80 awards since 2008 – including the American Architecture Masterprize, World Architecture Awards, World Interior Awards, London Design Awards and Australian Interior Design Awards.

Mills has also designed several high-end Melbourne houses, in addition to his international projects.

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A multimillion-dollar Sorrento clifftop mansion that he designed was viewed more than 80,000 times on realestate.com.au in 2023, making it the most popular home on the website for that year.

Mills was aged in his 20s and establishing his architecture practice when he restored and extended the two-bedroom house at 1596 Buller St, Howqua Hills, near Mt Buller.

The 1959-built home had been in Mills’ family since the 1960s.

Mills’ late father, orthopaedic surgeon Dr Kingsley Wallis Mills – who served as head of orthopaedics at the Royal Melbourne Hospital – first acquired a share in the house in partnership with some other owners, but later bought them out.

The house, set on a 1787sq m block on the Howqua River, became a family retreat for the Mills where they enjoyed activities including fishing and bush walking.

Kingsley was known for teaching many young people in the area to fish, including his children’s friends.

The kitchen is equipped with a wood stove.

Architect Rob Mills. Picture: Supplied.

And the entire family, including Mills’ six siblings, joined in to help with labour during the renovation which was done in keeping with the house’s period character.

Mansfield builder and carpenter Brian Harvey and carpenter Tony Cranston also worked on the project.

Upon his death, Kingsley left the abode to his seven children, who put it on the market in January.

At the time, Mills said that working on the home had helped to teach him about the balance between intimacy and large spaces.

The off-grid house features timber floors, a wood fireplace, kitchen equipped with a wood stove and an upstairs bunk bedroom.

Kingsley Wallis Mills, father of architect Rob Mills, who is selling 1596 Buller St, Howqua Hills, with his six siblings - for herald sun real estate

Rob Mills’ father, Dr Kingsley Wallis Mills, at the property.

Howqua Hills homes rarely get put up for sale, with public records showing less than 10 homes in the area have sold across the past decade.

Ray White Mansfield’s Natalie Moggach said that six registered bidders participated in the auction for the home.

“Most of the genuine buyers were locals who love the uniqueness of the hut and the area, and there were a couple of out-of-towners from Melbourne and elsewhere,” Ms Moggach said.

Mills said the new owners were a family whose father had actually been among the many youngsters whom Kingsley taught to fish.

“They want to keep all his diaries of the hut and pictures of him hanging on the wall,” Mills said.

And while he and his siblings were sad to farewell the hut, they are excited to get to know the new owners, he added.

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