Legendary Australian Properties
At C&G, one of the many things that we love about property is the way it provides context for our lives. The places where people hang their hats is often central to their life stories, whether they’re a bushranger, gangland figure, international pop-star or a bratty teen. In today’s blog, we’ve picked out a few of our favourite legendary Aussie homes.
The Kelly Cottage
Greta
From ‘Mad Dog Morgan’ and ‘Black Douglas’ Charlie Russel to ‘Bold Jack’ Donohoe, North East Victoria was rife with bushrangers in the 1800s. None, however, were more notorious than the Kelly Gang! In the township of Glenrowan, locals have a curious fondness for the gang, which consisted of Ned Kelly, Dan Kelly, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne. Historically the subject of racial abuse from authorities, the Irish-Australian Kelly family lived in extreme poverty at Eleven Mile Creek in Greta, near Glenrowan. The gang’s showdowns against local police saw them outlawed, tracked and eventually shot down in an epic siege. All that remains of their family’s cottage today are red brick chimneys, which can be viewed from the road – an interesting site nevertheless. Learn more about Victorian bushrangers with National Geographic here.
Squizzy Taylor’s House
Richmond
Built in 1856, the property at 11 Goodward Street operated as a tavern prior to its use as a residence for the notorious Leslie ‘Squizzy’ Taylor in the 1920s. Located near the former Griffiths Tea factory, the site includes a dilapidated Victorian house with a vintage shop front, a two-storey warehouse and several industrial sheds that were used for manufacturing photographic film. Squizzy was shot dead by his rival, John ‘Snowy’ Cutmore in 1927, but the house only increased in value (as properties do), recently selling for $2.6 million. Learn more about the famous gangster with Walking Tours of Melbourne.
Corey’s Famous Party House
Narre Warren
In 2008, Melbourne teen Corey Worthington threw the house party of every parent’s nightmares. Over 500 house guests spilled out onto the street to cause mayhem in the south-eastern suburb of Narre Warren, causing over $20K worth of damage to the property, and prompting 30 police officers, a police helicopter and a dog squad to attend the site. Since then, Worthington shot to fame with a stint on Big Brother and a number of other TV appearances. Read the original news report here.
The Beyoncé House
Brunswick
Featured in Beyoncé’s No Angel music video, a rundown property on Beith Street sold for $650K earlier this year. In 2013, when Beyoncé visited the home for the shoot, 80-year-old owner Jeanette answered the door. When her team asked permission to film Beyoncé out the front, she was oblivious to the fact that there was an international pop-star at her door. ‘I thought he said they were with his fiancé,’ she told the press at the time, ‘not Beyoncé.’ The owners were paid AUD $300 for the shoot. Read the original story from Domain here.
Know of another Melbourne property with a cool story? Tweet us @ChisholmGamonRE!
