Gough Whitlam’s Home Sells Prior To Auction
The former Australian Prime Minister’s Cabramatta home set to be preserved.
The former Australian Prime Minister’s Cabramatta home set to be preserved.
Intent on preserving a part of Australian political history, former NSW Labor Premier Barrie Unsworth has led a team to purchase the Sydney home of late Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Sold for $1.15 million (prior to auction), the achieved price was $400,000 above a guide of $720,000 – $750,000.
Resting at 32 Albert Street in the south-western suburb of Cabramatta, the property was purchased by the Whitlam Heritage Home Fund – a public company established by Mr Unsworth, Gough’s son Nick Whitlam, NSW Labor president Mark Lennon and Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey.
The Fund is focused on the restoration of the property to its original state and its preservation as a historic site, one which will eventually open to the public.
“The main thing is we have acquired it for posterity,” said Mr Unsworth in a recent interview.
Whitlam lived in the four-bedroom house for 22 years, from 1956 to 1978. The property played a central role in various political moments, including Whitlam’s historic 1972 federal election win for Labor, which came after 23 years of Liberal leadership.
Whitlam served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975.
Chris Dixon, a partner who led the charge, says he has a ‘very long-term horizon’
Americans now think they need at least $1.25 million for retirement, a 20% increase from a year ago, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual
Scheduled auctions fall to winter levels as vendors hold back on going to market
Grand final fever and the long weekend have dampened scheduled auction activity this weekend, CoreLogic reports.
The number of homes scheduled for auction this weekend is set to halve, with 1,324 properties listed, marking the quietest week since mid June. Melbourne will experience the quietest week since Easter, CoreLogic data shows, with 223 homes prepared to go under the hammer. In Sydney, 805 properties are expected to go to market, the lowest number in seven weeks.
With long weekends in Queensland and South Australia, numbers are also down in Brisbane (111) and Adelaide (86), less than half the properties available for auction the previous week. It’s a less dramatic drop in Canberra, where 83 homes are scheduled for auction, down -22.4 percent on the previous week.
Chris Dixon, a partner who led the charge, says he has a ‘very long-term horizon’
Americans now think they need at least $1.25 million for retirement, a 20% increase from a year ago, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual