News

Property

<a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This heritage-listed home in Reid’s Dirrawan Gardens</a> is filled with history and finished with modern-day touches.The 1926 home would have been one of Reid’s first after construction commenced at the base of Mount Ainslie during the same year.<img alt="9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0-20230302043137804093-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0.width-800.jpg" width="800">Those familiar with Canberra’s history would know the city’s first suburbs were built to accommodate public servants ahead of the opening of Old Parliament House.But <a href="https://zango.com.au/agencies/home-holly/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">home.by holly</a> agent <a href="/agents/holly-komorowski/">Holly Komorowski</a> says the property is distinctive compared to Reid’s confirmed Federal Capital Commission-built homes.“It’s got a really deep porch which is different to the more enclosed and smaller front porches that you find on other properties,” she says.“The high ornate ceilings with cornices and roses, and the front entryway with glass doors also speak to a privately built home.”<img alt="9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0-20230302043141406295-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0.width-800_xckBrbS.jpg" width="800">Holly says it’s possible the home’s design was influenced by Canberra’s first private architect Kenneth Oliphant. It features a slew of period details, including picture rails, timber sash windows and an original fireplace.“I love that they retained those front rooms – the heritage of the home,” Holly says.“That originality at the front of the house is really special.”<img alt="9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0-20230302043139936168-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0.width-800_ck5uOlQ.jpg" width="800">However, the renovated property also sports the latest in contemporary style.“The floorplan is really expansive and has been modernised to the back of the property,” Holly says.“There’s a really decadent and beautifully-designed ensuite which is one of the most luxurious features of the home.”The master bedroom flows into a rainforest-inspired ensuite with stone counters, twin basins and a separate shower and bath. Its glass-panelled facade overlooks a forest of tree ferns, allowing for cloud watching or star gazing.<img alt="9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0-20230302043141892149-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0.width-800_tFuFKcA.jpg" width="800">The master also sports a walk-in wardrobe, courtyard access, walls of cabinetry and porthole windows.Three more bedrooms with built-in robes and garden views centre around a second bathroom.A study on the other side of the house - with a wine cellar and access to the double carport - could be used as a fifth bedroom.Sitting in the centre of the property is an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area with large skylights and a sunny northeast orientation.<img alt="9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0-20230302043142756220-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0.width-800_8VpGOVy.jpg" width="800">The minimalist kitchen features soft touch drawers, integrated and concealed appliances and a central island bench with a breakfast bar.“The home opens up from the kitchen/dining area to a beautiful outdoor dining area with ornamental vines,” Holly says.A swimming pool and separate studio sit among the clipped hedges and established trees of the backyard. Landscaped gardens continue out front, with vintage oaks lining the drive and streetscapes of Reid.<img alt="9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0-20230302043140490663-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302-image-0.width-800_DAjvIZW.jpg" width="800">The home is within walking distance of Civic, Glebe Park, and Reid Park and Oval. The Parliamentary triangle, Reid tennis club and Anzac Parade are also nearby.Holly says only a small number of properties sell in the “tightly held” suburb of Reid each year.“Buyers coming into the home have the intention of securing something that’s quite rare,” Holly says.“I just love the character, the soul and the spirit of the home, which goes back to our earliest days.”Number 9 Dirrawan Gardens, Reid, is for sale between $2,950,000 - $3,100,000.<a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/9-dirrawan-gardens-reid-act-2612-76302/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the full listing.</a>Article originally written and published by <a href="https://the-riotact.com/distinctive-reid-property-with-a-heritage-story-ready-for-its-next-chapter/643167" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The RiotACT.</a>

1926 Reid home built for one of Canberra's first families listed at $3 million

There aren&#x27;t many homes in Canberra that claim to be &#x27;limited edition&#x27; - but the Tocumwal houses absolutely fit the bill.The Tocumwals, one and two bedroom cottages trucked from Tocumwal, NSW, to Canberra in the late 1940s, are a special collection of properties only around 200 Canberrans can actually own.<img alt="Tocumwal_009254" class="richtext-image full-width" height="475" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/Tocumwal_009254.width-800.jpg" width="600">The homes were originally located on the banks of the Murray River at Tocumwal, 270km north of Melbourne, a purpose-built RAAF base during WWII. Tocumwal was the largest US Army Air Corps&#x27; training base in the southern hemisphere; used as a training base for bomber pilots.Tocumwal provided RAAF barracks accommodation for nearly 4000 military personnel. The simple homes were designed to look like &quot;ordinary civilian Australian houses&quot; to avoid detection by the enemy. <img alt="101418077_4167528329954629_4496134644457093581_n" class="richtext-image full-width" height="580" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/101418077_4167528329954629_4496134644457093581.width-800.jpg" width="800">When WWII ended, more than 200 of the cottages were demounted and transported by road to Canberra for re-establishment in the &quot;greatest mass movement of houses in the Commonwealth’s history&quot;. Most were set up in O&#x27;Connor but a few made it to other suburbs.Canberra, under mounting pressure to create housing for its growing population, cheaply re-purposed the Tocumwal military buildings. Construction was simple, with footings laid on brick courses and finished in weatherboard to windowsill height. The homes had fibro sheeting between timber windows, and came without ceilings or internal lining.<img alt="1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-20221009233214888413-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-2.width-800_Ln4iVvg.jpg" width="800">If you want to see what a Tocumwal looks like in 2022 - or even own one - you need to see <a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">number 1 Lang Street, Ainslie</a>. The 1940s military dwelling sits at the heart of the home, but stunning additions make it one of the most unique properties on the market today.The four-bedroom home sits in a leafy quiet street at the base of Mount Ainslie and still has features of the mid-century dwelling, including the exterior brick chimney and rewired pull cord lighting with original hardware. Renovated in 2011, the home boasts the charm of its previous life with contemporary inclusions for comfort. <img alt="1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-20221009233215597854-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-2.width-800_dvQI3TD.jpg" width="800">Polished wooden floorboards and wool carpets underfoot lead through ornate timber doors into a living room with fireplace. The master suite&#x27;s glass doors open out to private gardens for a morning coffee. Splashes of colour throughout bring the home to life and contrast beautifully against the lush green gardens, packed with Japanese maples and Chinese elms and featuring a pond. The home&#x27;s nine foot raked ceilings add an air of space while checkerboard flooring in the kitchen and laminex benchtops in the bathroom continue the mid-century romance. <img alt="1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-20221009233219391839-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-2.width-800_c8pbSVG.jpg" width="800">The exterior of the home no longer resembles the weatherboard and fibro box of black-and-white images. Recycled reclaimed timber, stunning floor-to-ceiling glass doors with durable corrugated iron are features of the exterior.Outside is a fully functional studio with bathroom and kitchenette, designed by architect Ric Butt and providing the perfect opportunity for a guest house or a grandparents&#x27; or teenager&#x27;s retreat. <img alt="1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-20221009233214394913-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757-image-0-2.width-800.jpg" width="800">Number 1 Lang Street Ainslie goes to auction at 10.15am on Saturday 29 October 2022.<a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/1-lang-street-ainslie-act-2602-67757/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the listing here.</a>(Quotes from 100 Canberra Houses: A Century of Capital Architecture by Tim Reeves and Alan Roberts.)

2 news articles with tag homes-by-holly

1926 Reid home built for one of Canberra's first families listed at $3 million

Step inside the Ainslie home that arrived on the back of a truck in the 1940s