Rippon Lea Estate is a heritage-listed historic house and gardens located in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

[1] The Rippon Lea mansion and garden was created for Sir Frederick Sargood, a wealthy Melbourne businessman, politician, and philanthropist.

Sargood named the property after his mother, Emma Rippon, adding lea, an old English word for meadow.

However, before the final carve-up of the estate could be undertaken, the leader of the consortium, Sir Thomas Bent, died, and the property was put on the market in 1910.

For example, the wallpaper in the entrance hall and corridors (originally embossed in gold) was over-painted in rich cream, while a new dining room featured brocades and tapestry fabrics.

In preparation for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, a section of the property was sold by a family member while Louisa was overseas in 1954 to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Victorian government to house a new television studio complex.

The Rippon Lea studios then became the ABC's Melbourne home and in later years were used as the production centre for many renowned programs including Bellbird, Countdown, The Big Gig and The Late Show.

In 1963, the Commonwealth Government announced their intention to compulsorily acquire the main part of the garden, with the lake and lookout, setting off public protests and long-running legal action by Mrs Jones.

She eventually settled with the government, agreeing that, on her death, the house and the land still in her possession would be bequeathed to the National Trust, allowing it to remain intact in perpetuity.