A 30-room home where Australian painter Frederick McCubbin lived is at the centre of an ownership fight after a caretaker spent 22 years there | World News

A historic 30-room house where Australian painter Frederick McCubbin created some of his best-known works is at the centre of a legal dispute over its ownership. It is known as Fontainebleau; the property stands in Mount Macedon in regional Victoria and was the only home McCubbin owned in the early 1900s.The two-storey house is now in a neglected condition. The dispute involves its five joint proprietors and Trevor Hoare, a caretaker who has lived there for 22 years. According to the ABC News, the Supreme Court of Victoria has heard the dispute, while Hoare’s ownership application remains under assessment by Land Use Victoria.

How did McCubbin’s former 30-room home become part of a legal dispute

Fontainebleau is a sprawling, two-storey timber and fibro residence in Mount Macedon, about an hour’s drive north of Melbourne. Frederick McCubbin, one of Australia’s best-known impressionist painters, stayed there during weekends and holidays while continuing his teaching role at the National Gallery of Victoria School in Melbourne.The house is where he painted works including ‘The Pioneer’, alongside other paintings inspired by the surrounding area. The property has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register since 2010 for its historical and architectural significance to the state. However, its present condition has become a concern. The Supreme Court of Victoria heard claims that the residence had black mould, evidence of vermin, and wheelie bins collecting rainwater. The property is owned by five joint proprietors, including brothers Paul and Mark Cutler.

Caretaker seeks ownership after spending 22 years at the property

Trevor Hoare has lived at Fontainebleau under an agreement with Mark Cutler made in March 2004. He applied for adverse possession in November 2025, withdrew that application and submitted another in February 2026. Adverse possession allows a person to claim ownership of land after at least 15 years of uninterrupted, exclusive and unauthorised possession.Hoare’s lawyer, Kieran Hickey, told the court that his client was an elderly pensioner who had put time, labour and money into maintaining the residence. Hickey said, “Mr Hoare regards it as his home. He has adult children who attend regularly, he has not lived anywhere else except for family and health reasons including last winter”.“He doesn’t own any other property.”

Caretaker and owner clash over locks at McCubbin’s former home

The legal dispute intensified after the locks at Fontainebleau were changed in March at Paul Cutler’s direction. This happened a few weeks after Hoare had first put locks on the property. Cutler’s lawyer, Timothy Sowden, told the court that his client had messaged Hoare in February after learning about the adverse possession claim and withdrawn permission for the caretaker to remain at the residence.The lawyer said, “It was a tit for tat arrangement.” Associate Justice Ian Irving ordered Cutler to provide Hoare with possession of the property and hand over all keys by 4 pm on 8 April. The order also requires Hoare to allow Heritage Victoria to inspect the residence and carry out any urgent repairs.

Why are heritage officials concerned about the condition of Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau’s historic significance has made its condition another important issue in the dispute. Heritage Victoria had required the owners to engage a heritage consultant to inspect the property and prepare a schedule of works by February 2026. An extension was granted because of the legal proceedings. Sowden told the court that the residence needed to be made “safe to walk through” and estimated that a biohazard clean would cost $60,000.Hoare’s lawyer said his client did not stand in the way of Heritage Victoria addressing the property and had himself lodged a heritage claim. The house has a history beyond McCubbin’s time there. His family continued living at Fontainebleau after he died in 1917, and historical records show that the property was later used as a guest house before becoming a private residence. The court case was scheduled to return in August in 2026.