News

A piece of masonite, slathered in black-and-white photos and official documents from the 1930s and 50s, has turned out to provide a beautiful background story to one of Canberra’s earliest buildings.<img alt="IMG_1898 (1)" class="richtext-image full-width" height="476" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1898_1.width-800.jpg" width="800">The board was discovered on Collett Street in Queanbeyan, among a pile of rubbish awaiting collection by the local council. It was delivered to Zango by a reader who thought we might be interested in what appeared to be an unusual piece of Canberra nostalgia. Of course, we were.<img alt="IMG_1901" class="richtext-image full-width" height="1066" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1901.width-800.jpg" width="800">What may have been a school project but looks more likely to be a showpiece for an anniversary of the building, shows the back story of the home of Canberra Dairy Society Limited on Mildura Street, Griffith.<img alt="IMG_1892" class="richtext-image full-width" height="440" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1892.width-800.jpg" width="800">The inter-war, functionalist style building is still there today – although several further buildings have been added to the site – home to the Canberra headquarters of Capitol Chilled Foods Australia, where your treasured Canberra Milk and Dare Iced Coffee is treated, packed and distributed.<img alt="IMG_1887" class="richtext-image full-width" height="478" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1887.width-800.jpg" width="800">Photos on the board show the original 1937 model for the milk treatment depot, including a manager’s residence, which was added in 1940.According to the Canberra Museum and Gallery website, local dairy farmers joined forces in the 1930s to create the Canberra Dairy Society Limited, after ongoing complaints about milk quality and availability from Canberra’s ever-growing population.<img alt="IMG_1890" class="richtext-image full-width" height="488" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1890.width-800.jpg" width="800">Although individual dairies had established cool rooms and wash up areas on-site, there was apparently no improvement in the quality of milk and its distribution.The purpose-built milk treatment depot offered bulk storage and modern cooling facilities.<img alt="IMG_1891" class="richtext-image full-width" height="485" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1891.width-800.jpg" width="800">For many years milk was received in 45L (10 gallon) metal cans, brought to the factory by farmers who operated dairy farms at Acton, Fyshwick, and Kambah. The milk was delivered to Canberrans without bottling or pasteurisation, ladled into waiting containers.<img alt="IMG_1895" class="richtext-image full-width" height="573" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_1895.width-800.jpg" width="800">A new factory was added to the Mildura Street site in 1952, and pasteurisation and bottling began in 1958. Around this time, many local dairies ceased operation after the resumption of their land for the filling of Lake Burley Griffin in the early 1960s.The original building and later additions have produced and distributed milk to the ACT community for more than 85 years.

Kerbside garbage turns out to be a gorgeous piece of Canberra history

Wind the clock back 100 years and the capital looks something like this: the hulking silhouettes of a partly-built Parliament House and mostly built Hostel No.1 (now the Hyatt Hotel) rise from the land over near Capital Hill, with nothing but dusty, treeless plains between. The spire of St John’s, Reid dominates the skyline across the river, and the only other major building of note is the Eastlake Powerhouse.<img alt="old-canberra-100-years-19" class="richtext-image full-width" height="450" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/old-canberra-100-years-19.width-800.jpg" width="620">A light tramway runs from the powerhouse to the Yarralumla Brickworks, and dotted across the capital at the site of several major infrastructure projects - including its first main sewer - are rows and rows of tents, housing the thousands of men who’ve come from across the world to build Canberra from the ground up.Life for the construction workers is no picnic: long hard days of labour and sleeping on mattresses made of hay in between. It’s little wonder, then, that they live for the weekends, which include two main pastimes.<h3 data-block-key="ds9ol">Heading over the border to drink in Queanbeyan.</h3><img alt="learn-days-end-workers-oph-3111468-1" class="richtext-image full-width" height="629" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/learn-days-end-workers-oph-3111468-1.width-800.jpg" width="800">In 1910, Minister for Home Affairs King O’Malley (yes he was a real person) banned liquor licences in the new Australian Capital Territory, marking the beginning of a 17-year dry spell for Canberra. This meant the thirsty workers building Canberra were forced to cross the border into Queanbeyan for a drink.In his 1988 thesis, the Australian National University’s HJ Gibbney describes King O&#x27;Malley&#x27;s liquor policy as “a national joke” .“The policy had always been resented in the Territory and, as the population expanded, both the law and its evasion became something of a national joke.“Queanbeyan hotels made large profits from thirsty Territorians and every Saturday afternoon in Queanbeyan became something of an orgy.<img alt="Royal Hotel souvenir" class="richtext-image full-width" height="504" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Royal_Hotel_souvenir.width-800.png" width="800">“Crawford Vaughan, a prohibition leader, wrote: ‘I saw Queanbeyan on Saturday and it was what one could expect in a town invaded by thousands of men from constructions camps … while it is deplorable to see crowds wandering from pub to pub, the conditions were no worse to than I have seen in towns adjacent to other construction works of a similar magnitude.’“The law prohibited sale but not consumption and ‘sly grog’ prosecutions were not infrequent. Most men who visited Queanbeyan brought back bottled liquor, either for themselves or for friends, and despite the restrictions, there was a considerable trade in empty bottles.”<h3 data-block-key="1q4nl">Taking to the field for a game of Aussie Rules.</h3>Most of Canberra&#x27;s 1924 population lived mostly for sports, with drinking and gambling enthusiastically pursued on the sidelines.<img alt="living in tents" class="richtext-image full-width" height="436" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/living_in_tents.width-800.png" width="800">HJ Gibney: “Australian Rules Football probably boasted the largest following, including some influential men. The first president of the Federal Capital Territory Australian National Football League, established in 1924, was Jeremiah James Dillon, a 114 kilogram, Victorian-born miner, who had come from the West Australian goldfields.“Employed as a foreman on the main sewer, he was said to have a remarkable flow of profanity and to be totally illiterate. He smoked a heavy pipe beneath an equally heavy moustache and travelled between the jobs he controlled by a horse-drawn sulky.<img alt="Canberra-in-the-making-video-600x371" class="richtext-image full-width" height="371" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Canberra-in-the-making-video-600x371.width-800.png" width="600">“Besides &#x27;Rules&#x27; Football, he also sponsored Rugby League through his team known as &#x27;The Sewer&#x27;, was active in the Westridge Tennis Club and was prominent in cricket.“Probably the first Canberra sporting team sent interstate narrowly lost an Australian Rules match on 15 August 1925 to a Sydney metropolitan team but was given a civic reception in the Sydney Town Hall.”Photos in this article courtesy of the ANU Archives, National Capital Authority, National Geographic, National Archives of Australia and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecanberrapage/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Canberra Page</a>.

Life in Canberra in 1924: Construction, footy and drinking in Queanbeyan

Property

A home that has received the magic touch of designer Gina Carmody always stirs some interest when it appears on the real estate market.Now, it’s the award-winning designer’s own property that is sure to get hearts racing.<div>
 <iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PMhJqEPyzGw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen title="Zango Feature Property Preview: 19A Farrer Street BRADDON, ACT 2612"></iframe>
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Carmody’s lovingly restored and extended lodging at <a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">19A Farrer Street, Braddon</a>, was originally designed by Kenneth Oliphant, an architectural icon of Canberra, and will go under the hammer on 29 November.Agent <a href="/agents/holly-komorowski/">Holly Komorowski</a> from <a href="https://zango.com.au/agencies/home-holly/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home.byholly</a> said the home was a seamless blend of old and new.“Gina has worked her design magic on this home for the past 20 years,” Holly explains.“Her influence and her work are scattered throughout Canberra and, in particular, in heritage houses in the inner north. She’s got a natural way of connecting old with new and reimagining whilst preserving.“Her own home is, of course, a perfect example of this. This home is cohesively integrated into the landscape. The old part of the home pushes through to a new wing and connects to the garden easily.<img alt="19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image-0-20231109001657178510-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image.width-800.jpg" width="800">“There is also a self-contained separate studio with its own access that has been Gina’s office but could also be utilised for other purposes.”As you would imagine, the features are plentiful.Outside, there’s an inground chlorinated pool, outdoor kitchen, oversized double garage and security system. Inside, you won’t know where to look first.<img alt="19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image-0-20231109001701156899-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image.width-800_TnRnimJ.jpg" width="800">The three-bedroom, three-bathroom masterpiece has living spaces and more than a few surprises, including a 9 x 4-metre playroom attic.There are beautifully preserved period details. The front living room has an original Oliphant fireplace set with a gas fire, there are high beaded ceilings, picture rails and bay windows. Jarrah features predominantly – the flooring is simply stunning and perfectly complements the incredible kitchen joinery.<img alt="19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image-0-20231109001658862044-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image.width-800_Ntv7lbJ.jpg" width="800">The gardens feature neatly clipped box hedging, a sea of agapanthus and magnificent shady trees, including apple and fig trees.<img alt="19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image-0-20231109001656222304-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102-image.width-800_GhURO3r.jpg" width="800">“The home is enchanting, the gardens are ethereal, and the location is compelling,” said Holly.“Farrer Street is one of those addresses that, when it pops up, it grabs attention. Anything in Braddon in that tightly held enclave is always significant, and this is an iconic property.“It’s an authentic beauty but also serves up a decidedly buzzing urban lifestyle.”It’s a leisurely stroll to the independent eateries, shops and bars of the dynamic Braddon precinct.Surrounded by green spaces, including Haig Park and Mt Ainslie Reserve, the home is also handy to Dickson and the popular Ainslie shops. It’s close to transport, including light rail, providing fast links to all of Canberra, and is a stone’s throw from the ANU and the CBD.As for Carmody, she loves the area and isn’t leaving any time soon, Holly says.“I think you could say she is downsizing and is looking forward to creating a home for the next chapter, but she’s staying in Braddon and close to family.”19A Farrer Street Braddon goes to auction 5:30pm on Wednesday 29 November 2023.<a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/19a-farrer-street-braddon-act-2612-90102/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the full listing.</a>Article originally written and published by <a href="https://the-riotact.com/the-magic-touch-of-carmody-and-the-timeless-style-of-oliphant-on-show-in-braddon/720105" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the RiotACT</a>

'It’s an authentic beauty': Braddon home steeped in history and detail

Slava Jezek remembers when Canberra was a ‘single set of traffic lights’ town.“There was only one set of lights when I arrived here in the late 1960s,” Slava recalls.“They were on Northbourne Avenue. Canberra was very much a bush town.”The brand new suburb of Mawson was welcome relief for Slava, his mother, grandmother and two siblings, who arrived in Canberra as refugees from the Czech Republic in March 1969. A Soviet Union-led pact had invaded their country and was enforcing mandatory conscription. Having Slava forced into the Army was terrifying for the Jezeks, so they fled.<img alt="IMG_0077" class="richtext-image full-width" height="546" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_0077.width-800.jpg" width="800">At the same time, another family from the Czech Republic, the Jelinkovas, had also left the country, bound for O’Connor, Canberra. The daughter of the family, Georgina, joined her parents in the inner north in September 1969 from London, where she’d been working as a Nanny.“I got off the plane and the taxi driver headed toward O’Connor, where my parents were living,” Georgina recalls.“I ended up saying to the taxi driver, ‘When will we actually arrive in Canberra?’“He said, ‘What do you mean? This is it.’“I’d just been in London – one of the biggest capitals in the world – and here I was in Australia, in the capital, and it was just bushland.”<img alt="IMG_0081" class="richtext-image full-width" height="554" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_0081.width-800.jpg" width="800">In a coincidence that would change the lives of both families, the Jezeks and Jelinkovas – who ”knew of each other” — ran into each other in front of Monaro Mall (now the Canberra Centre) in front of David Jones in early 1970. Slava had never seen Georgina before but right there and then he invited her to Batemans Bay for the weekend.“She said yes,” Slava says.“The rest, as they say, is history.”Over the next 54 years the Jezeks built a life they loved in Canberra. As newlyweds they lived in Holt, had two children, Monica and Mark, and then moved southside to Pearce in 1982 to be closer to a new business they’d started at Chifley shops.<img alt="IMG_0083" class="richtext-image full-width" height="543" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_0083.width-800.jpg" width="800">That business was the Bavarian Bakehouse, and if you grew up in Canberra in the 1980s and 1990s, you’ll know it was a Canberra institution. Saturday mornings saw lines around the block for the bakehouse’s pastries (which Slava taught himself to make) and the bakery’s award-winning caraway seed rye bread.“People came from all over to buy the rye bread – from Sydney, even from Melbourne,” Slava recalls.“People would call and say, can I order 50 loaves of bread? And take them home to Sydney and freeze them.“Then I started making different types of cakes, my own recipes so that no-one could copy.<img alt="IMG_0076" class="richtext-image full-width" height="567" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_0076.width-800.jpg" width="800">“Danish pastries, poppy seed strudels, walnut strudels, poppy seed croissants, cheese and bacon, custard with almonds. We were just enjoying feeding the people of Canberra.”The Jezeks sold the Bavarian Bakehouse in 2008 and spent time turning <a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/4-mclaren-crescent-pearce-act-2607-88687/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the family home into their dream home</a>, with the addition of an extension, a pool, brand new kitchen and bathrooms, and to Georgina’s delight, in-slab heating.<img alt="4-mclaren-crescent-pearce-act-2607-88687-image-0-20231018230151257458-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/4-mclaren-crescent-pearce-act-2607-88687-image.width-800.jpg" width="800">But now they want to be closer to their grandchildren and have purchased a block at South Jerrabomberra. Their McLaren Crescent, Pearce, home will be auctioned on 11 November.“This has been a wonderful home, so close to the shops, our business, and all the work on the home has kept us busy over the years,” Slava says.“We hope another family can love this home like we have.”Number 4 McLaren Crescent, Pearce, goes to auction at 1.30pm on Saturday 11 November 2023.<a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/4-mclaren-crescent-pearce-act-2607-88687/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the full listing.</a>

Former Bavarian Bakehouse owners Slava and Georgina are selling the family home of 41 years

Canberra: land of iconic bus shelters, exceptional mountain biking and people who &#x27;only came for two years&#x27; and ended up staying.A city that somehow feels spacious and intimate all at once.As a purpose-built capital, we&#x27;ve had to market our fair city and its unique lifestyle to outsiders pretty much since day dot. Here are the various ways we&#x27;ve promoted Canberra over the years.<h3 data-block-key="9ljtj">The 1960s: Home of the Australian dream</h3>The earliest marketing campaigns we can find for Canberra were post-WWII campaigns which focused on two key audiences: families and students. In 1965, the capital had a new lake and a commitment from Prime Minister Robert Menzies to make Canberra the true heart and showcase of the nation (until then, prime ministers had struggled to commit to the cold, new and quite foreign city).<img alt="IMG_5727" class="richtext-image full-width" height="974" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_5727.width-800.jpg" width="800">During the 1960s and 1970s, the National Capital Development Commission established and gradually developed the new town centres of Woden, Belconnen and Tuggeranong to accommodate a growing population.<img alt="Screen Shot 2023-05-30 at 12.31.05 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="556" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-05-30_at_12.31.05_pm.width-800.png" width="800">Building on the original design for Canberra, which focused on more central suburbs as far north as O&#x27;Connor and as far south as Red Hill, the new town centres maximised the natural contours of the land. Woden was established in 1964 and Belconnen in 1967. Tuggeranong came along in 1973. These additional town centres played a vital role in facilitating significant population growth between 1960 and 1975.<h3 data-block-key="f721g">1970s: The public service needs you</h3>In 1971, Canberra was being advertised as &#x27;a bush city&#x27;, with sprawling front lawns and oodles of space. Our population stood at 146,000.APS employment and propaganda was at an all-time high, with school leavers being targeted and recruited by the thousands to build new systems in tax and family services, among others.<img alt="Screen Shot 2023-05-30 at 1.22.52 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="793" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-05-30_at_1.22.52_pm.width-800.png" width="800">The Canberra, past, present and future brochure of 1972 describes Canberra as:&quot;A centre for the nation to make its laws, honour the great, welcome important overseas dignitaries, and provide a suitable venue for national and international seminars and conferences ... Canberra is all of these, and is also a place for people to live.&quot;It has an annual average of seven hours sunshine a day, freedom from smog and industrial pollution, and a spaciousness that gives the city an almost rural air.&quot;In developing suburban areas like Woden, Belconnen, Weston Creek - and in the near future Tuggeranong, new imaginative housing projects in &#x27;greenbelt&#x27; areas have their own neighbourhood shopping centres, schools and sports facilities.&quot;<img alt="Screen Shot 2023-05-30 at 12.33.19 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="960" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-05-30_at_12.33.19_pm.width-800.png" width="756">The brochure pictured above follows the lives of three women in the public service; and offers bonuses for those who can type 50 wpm. It also describes the type of men you might meet in Canberra (!), as well as the city&#x27;s vibrant social life: shopping at Woden Plaza, going home every day for lunch and eating at fancy restaurants for dinner. The aim was clearly to appeal to the modern, independent working woman of the 1970s.<img alt="Screen Shot 2023-05-30 at 6.15.44 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="711" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-05-30_at_6.15.44_pm.width-800.png" width="800"><h3 data-block-key="9ei25">1998: Feel the Power</h3><div>
 <iframe width="200" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iwcjmUsr16I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen title="Feel the power of Canberra - 1998"></iframe>
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By 1998, the Canberra population had reached 300,000 residents.This was the year the ACT Government launched Feel the Power - a campaign designed to promote Canberra as a bright, powerful and innovative city under former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell.The message was promoted to outsiders on the side of a jet, and to locals through the option to own branded number plates. Critics described the campaign as &quot;bland and disappointing&quot;.<h3 data-block-key="77d07">2006: Live in Canberra</h3>The Live in Canberra campaign of 2006 included a roadshow Sydney and cities in regional NSW, and hoped to attract people to Canberra to help overcome a shortage of skilled labour. We sadly can&#x27;t find any pics for this one!<h3 data-block-key="28sc">2014: Confident, Bold, Ready</h3>After an incredible centenary year in 2013, it was decided that Canberra needed it owns brand. Enter Confident, Bold, Ready: a clever play on the key letters of our city&#x27;s name. The ACT Government declared at the time: &quot;The city brand is for all of Canberra, not just the government&quot;.<img alt="Screen Shot 2023-05-30 at 8.14.45 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="442" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-05-30_at_8.14.45_pm.width-800.png" width="800">The $2.6 million campaign included a new logo for the capital and a website that &quot;identifies Canberra’s unique qualities in a single, unified, storytelling framework&quot;.The logo was widely adopted by business, industry and organisations across the wider territory and can still be seen on marketing materials to this day.<h3 data-block-key="8cgqr">2018: Special edition number plates</h3>Number plates have always played a key role in the marketing of the city and offer a way for Canberrans to spread the love. We&#x27;ve had &quot;Canberra - Heart of the Nation&quot; and &quot;Canberra - The Nation&#x27;s Capital&quot; in the past and then there was the dull offering of &quot;Canberra - Age Friendly City&quot; in 2018.<img alt="Screen Shot 2023-05-30 at 12.25.46 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="290" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-05-30_at_12.25.46_pm.width-800.png" width="800">Yes, we&#x27;re an age-friendly city, but we&#x27;re so much more than that.<h3 data-block-key="2csjv">2023: The Canberra story</h3><img alt="Screen Shot 2023-06-01 at 3.52.24 pm" class="richtext-image full-width" height="524" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2023-06-01_at_3.52.24_pm.width-800.png" width="743">In the recently-launched <a href="https://canberra.com.au/other/being-canberran/discover-the-story/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canberra story</a>, writers* from <a href="https://truenorthcontent.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">local content agency True North</a> interviewed 65+ Canberrans to uncover the truth of life in the city. It&#x27;s beautiful, authentic, and provides a unified way for organisations to talk about what it means to be Canberran.Grab a cuppa and read it, it&#x27;ll make you fall in love with the &#x27;Canberra dream&#x27; all over again.Photos courtesy of the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia and the ACT Government.*I was one of those writers.

How we've sold the 'Canberra dream' to the rest of Australia over the years

Now is your chance to own a slice of <a href="https://zango.com.au/research/suburb/cooma-nsw-2630/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cooma</a> history.Built about 160 years ago as part of the hospital, this original granite cottage at <a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/31-victoria-street-cooma-nsw-2630-42740/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">31 Victoria Street</a> in Cooma is in original condition and a true testament to Australia’s regional history.<img alt="31 Victoria Street COOMA, NSW 2630" class="richtext-image full-width" height="599" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2021-07-06_at_2.03.32_pm.width-800.png" width="800">As one of four matching cottages in the complex, the historic cottage is on a 412sqm block and features two bedrooms, a main living room, renovated kitchen, bathroom and outdoor sitting area.Selling agent <a href="https://zango.com.au/agents/craig-schofield/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Craig Schofield</a> of <a href="https://zango.com.au/agencies/one-agency-craig-schofield/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One Agency Craig Schofield</a> said many of the historic features have been retained.“The interior has not been mucked about with at all,” Mr Schofield said.“There are original timber floors and high ceilings with picture rails.”<img alt="31 Victoria Street COOMA, NSW 2630" class="richtext-image full-width" height="598" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2021-07-06_at_2.03.43_pm.width-800.png" width="800">There is also an impressive fireplace located in the corner of the living room. It’s easy to imagine that this is where a family would have spent most of their time in the freezing winter nights in Cooma.The bedrooms are small but as Mr Schofield said, “you only needed small bedrooms back then”.The thick walls mean the property will remain cool in summer and warm in winter.<img alt="31 Victoria Street COOMA, NSW 2630" class="richtext-image full-width" height="601" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2021-07-06_at_2.04.30_pm.width-800.png" width="800">Outside there is a deck that overlooks the large backyard. This is the perfect nook the enjoy a coffee in the morning and take in the historic surroundings. There is also a small gate at the front of the property that provides rear lane access.The cottage has previously been rented out and the owner has now decided to sell given the booming property market.<img alt="31 Victoria Street COOMA, NSW 2630" class="richtext-image full-width" height="596" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2021-07-06_at_2.05.32_pm.width-800.png" width="800">Mr Schofield said interest has been strong from a mix of people from out of town, even those from Sydney who have sent people to check out the property on their behalf because of the latest Covid lockdown restrictions.In addition to the historic lifestyle on offer, the property is also in an ideal location just moments away from the hospital and in a cul-de-sac with minimal traffic flow.<img alt="31 Victoria Street COOMA, NSW 2630" class="richtext-image full-width" height="595" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Screen_Shot_2021-07-06_at_2.05.47_pm.width-800.png" width="800">The cottage is heading under the hammer on Saturday 17 July at noon.Based on the listing on Zango, the property’s unimproved land value in 2020 was $56,300. According to <a href="https://zango.com.au/research/suburb/cooma-nsw-2630/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zango data</a>, Cooma has a current median property price of $375,000.To find out more, contact <a href="https://zango.com.au/agents/craig-schofield/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Craig Schofield</a> of <a href="https://zango.com.au/agencies/one-agency-craig-schofield/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One Agency Craig Schofield</a> on 0414 865 922.

Rare 1860s Cottage in Cooma Heading to Auction

No matter where in the world you live, it’s easy to lust after exploring foreign lands or faraway places – learning about the history and sightseeing amazing attractions.But what if we explored a little closer to home, and really took the time to connect with where we live?In Canberra, we have such a rich history despite being the youngest settlement in Australia. Many of our earliest buildings are still in great shape, and capture what life was like in the nation’s capital back in the roaring 1920s.One of these buildings is Calthorpes’ House: one of Canberra’s earliest properties and home to the Calthorpe family. It was designed by <a href="https://zango.com.au/news/brilliant-architects-who-shaped-face-canberra/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kenneth Oliphant</a> – an esteemed architect from Victoria who designed more than 30 of Canberra’s original homes around Forrest, Red Hill and Griffith.Interestingly, the home’s original owner, John Henry (Harry) Calthorpe, was also a partner in the first local real estate agency to sell land leases in Canberra.Calthorpe and Woodgers Ltd. was a partnership between Calthorpe and brothers William and Tom Woodger. Calthorpe and William Woodger had a lot in common, having both grown up around Queanbeyan and served in WW1.The real estate business was officially established in 1927, and managed the sale of the first business and residential leases in the ACT. One of these was the land where Calthorpes’ House was built.Calthorpe and Woodgers Ltd. became very successful, acting for the Commonwealth in the sale of Canberra leases for 35 years. After Calthorpe passed away in 1950, the business continued under William Woodger before eventually merging with L.J. Hooker in 1959 where he became a board member.<h4>Visiting Calthorpes’ House</h4>Calthorpe engaged Kenneth Oliphant to design Calthorpes’ House at 24 Mugga Way, Red Hill in the late 1920s. It was to be the family home for Calthorpe, his wife Dell, and their two daughters who attended Canberra Grammar School just down the road.After Calthorpe passed away, his wife continued to live in the home until shortly before her passing in 1979. The property was then acquired by the Federal Government and later granted heritage status, where it has since been preserved as a wonderful showcase of life in Canberra’s younger years.The house is a charming cottage surrounded by beautiful gardens. It features an earthy façade with archways over the verandah and window shutters. Timber panelling, exposed beams, and an intuitive layout are indicative of Oliphant’s architectural style.Other <a href="http://www.historicplaces.com.au/calthorpes-house/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">features of Calthorpes’ House</a> which are reminiscent of the times, include:&gt; a tradesman’s safe on the back porch &gt; maid’s room and laundry &gt; ice chest &gt; breakfast room &gt; blackout blinds (compulsory during WW11) &gt; bomb shelter in the backyard There is also an impressive collection of family memorabilia including photos, war treasures, old toys, and much more.Calthorpes’ House is open to the public with guided tours on weekends (bookings essential due to COVID). To learn more or to take a virtual tour, go to <a href="http://www.historicplaces.com.au/calthorpes-house" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ACT Historic Places</a>.

7 news articles with tag history