Seaforth ‘60s Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired glass and stone bungalow listing on Donjan estate: Title Tattle

John Barnes, the former head of Deutsche Bank Australia, and his wife, Joy, have listed their Frank Lloyd Wright-style Seaforth waterfront reserve property.

It’s a 1,954- square-metre largely level block on Castle Circuit that the Sydney developer Don Rose and wife Janice selected as their own home when developing the circuit in the 1960s.

It’s been listed by Richardson & Wrench Seaforth father-son team Glen and Tim Wirth for May 26 auction with expectations in the high $3 millions.

It’s surrounded by national park on three sides with lawns, garden, entertaining decks and terraces, some with 180-degree views over Middle Harbour to the city skyline.

It comes with direct access to the waterfront via a path to a beach at low tide and the ability to launch to a possible mooring.

The Barnes family have been at the property for 20 years. Don and Janice Rose developed Castle Circuit as the Harbour View Estate in the early 1960s when it was “just a mountain”.

Out of the 50 or so sites they retained the best for themselves and then built their home using some of the most modern construction techniques of the time.

Bungalow architecture was the first topic of the current Sydney lecture series that traces housing styles in Australia hosted by the Historic Houses Trust as part of the Sydney Open program.

It kicked off last week with author, historian and conservation consultant Dr James Broadbent and Scott Robertson, director of Robertson & Hindmarsh Architects, addressing bungalow homes.

The Thursday evening talks run weekly until June 14 held at The Mint on Macquarie Street, Sydney.
Architects can claim informal CPD points by their attendance.


The series


Apartment
Thursday, May 3, 6pm - 7.30pm
Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, assistant director, Creative Services, Historic Houses Trust
Adam Haddow, Director, SJB Architects

Villa
Thursday, May 10, 6pm - 7.30pm
Scott Carlin, Curator, Historic Houses Trust
Philip Goad, professor of architecture at the University of Melbourne

Mansion
Thursday, May 17, 6pm - 7.30pm
Dr Charles Pickett, curator of design and built environment at the Powerhouse Museum
Jonathan Chancellor, managing editor, Property Observer

Beach shack
Thursday, May 24, 6pm - 7.30pm
Dr Michael Bogle, design historian
Peter Stutchbury, Peter Stutchbury Architects

Terrace
Thursday, May 31, 6pm - 7.30pm
Keri Huxley, social and political scientist and former mayor of Woollahra Council
Hannah Tribe, founding principal, Tribe Studio Architects

Project home
Thursday, June 7, 6pm - 7.30pm
Dr Judith O’Callaghan, senior lecturer, The University of New South Wales
Tone Wheeler, principal architect, Environa Studio

Portable
Thursday, June 14, 6pm - 7.30pm
Megan Martin, head of collections and access
Sean Godsell, Sean Godsell Architects