Green, hilly and abundantly pretty, Ivanhoe is the real estate incarnation of the best of both worlds - its European trees and large blocks making it feel at times like a well-heeled country town but in reality only a 15-minute drive from the city centre.

One of Melbourne's oldest suburbs, Ivanhoe was settled in 1839 by speculators looking to establish country estates within striking distance of Melbourne.

Among them was a man by the name of Archibald Thom, who named his estate Ivanhoe, after Sir Walter Scott's novel.

Ivanhoe was not to Thom's taste - he sold it in 1840 - but by 1853 a school had been established on the corner of Waterdale and Upper Heidelberg roads, and by 1855 another harbinger of community, the Ivanhoe Hotel, had been established where the town hall stands today.

The brick moderne-style town hall, built in 1937, is the suburb's most recognisable landmark. The glass-walled Ivanhoe Library is its modernist riposte next door. But the suburb is best known for its mix of Victorian and Edwardian houses set among English-style gardens.

The dress circle includes the Fairy Hills estate, with examples of the 1920s arts and craft movement.

13 Marshall Street

Photo: Miles Real Estate

$2.3 million-$2.4 million

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car spaces

Auction: 11am, December 9

Agent: Miles Real Estate, Damien Carter 0438 850 166

A magnificent garden and prime riverside position add to the attraction of this large, renovated Edwardian home on almost 900 square metres of land.

17 Hawker Street

Photo: Nelson Alexander Ivanhoe

$1.875 million-$2.05 million

4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 car spaces

Expressions of interest: closing 7pm, November 28

Agent: Nelson Alexander, Nick Smith 0425 755 238

The 1930s home rich in period details has been renovated to include a huge informal living zone and a kitchen with Bosch and Smeg appliances.

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