A 1920s Canberra prototype home sells for $1.45 million
A 1930s early Canberra residence that was recently renovated has sold for $1.45 million at its weekend auction.
It was built to a 1926 prototype, the most expensive of five housing styles that were permitted by the agency set up to build Canberra.
The Federal Capital Commission was set up to further construct Canberra from 1925 and prepare it for the arrival of civil servants. The FCC took over from the Federal Capital Advisory Committee, which took over from Walter Burley Griffin. The FCC was disbanded in 1930 with the onset of the Great Depression.
The Hann Street, Griffith, property was originally built at a cost of £2000 and had been expected between $1.3 to $1.5 million.
The FCC had 26 approved house designs. Some, like the type 13 on Hann Street, were rarely built.
The two-storey house was built in 1938 with a sleep-out, a contemporary kitchen, large living room and front and back verandas.
The façade of the building revealed the trappings of a senior public servant lifestyle with its Dutch-gable roof line, overhanging eaves and stylish window treatments.
The property was sold by Luton Property agent Richard Keeley, REIA residential sales person of the year 2012.
Vendor Mark Stevens bought the property in 2002 for $720,000. Prior to that it traded for $410,000 in 1996 and $467,000 in 1993.
In 2008, Stevens unsuccessfully tried to sell the property for $1.66 million despite it being on the market for 288 days. Stevens had another crack at selling in 2011 with an initial asking price of $1.7 million.
Stevens bought the property in a run-down condition and has renovated over the last decade.
He bought the property from the New Zealand government.
The property sold to a family hoping to owner occupy.
Canberra was established in 1913 and built over various stages of central planning over the next century with an eight-year hiatus during the Great Depression.
Canberra celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.
The following pictures on page 2 show most of the 26 house designs produced by FCC architects.
