The house at Kurrajong Cres 10, Nightcliff. Image: supplied
This sprawling retro home on a large block in Nightcliff is on the market for the first time since it was built after Tracy.
The five-bedroom house is located on a 974sqm block at 10 Kurrajong Cres, Nightcliff, and was the family home of Darwin residents Gaetano and Flavia De Luca, and their three children.
The couple’s daughter, Sonia Triantafillos, said she and her two brothers enjoyed growing up in the Kurrajong Cres home.
“We used to always get together with family,” she says.
“I remember birthdays on the back porch and having big parties and barbecues.
“My father was a nice man and he loved to party and invite friends over.
“All our 16th, 18th and 21st parties were there and our friends often came to play and hang out.
“We also had friends in the neighborhood, and we would jump on their trampoline and swim in their pools.”
The living room has a bar area. Image: supplied
The master bedroom is huge. Image: supplied
Ms Triantafillos said her father had bought the block before Cyclone Tracy but only started building the epic home afterwards.
“He came to Australia from Sicily in the late 1950s and started with a house on Phoenix St and then built eight apartments on Chapman Rd.
“He bought the block (on Kurrajong Cres) just before Cyclone Tracy, but when Tracey hit it there was just a concrete slab on the block.”
Ms Triantafillos said her father, who was a painter by trade and also a skilled handyman, helped rebuild Darwin and then started building the family home.
“He built the ground floor first so we could live in it, and slowly finished the rest over the years,” she said.
‘Eventually it was finished upstairs and my brothers and I were allowed to move into our own rooms.’
Ms Triantafillos said that although the house was dated and needed some TLC, it was big, beautiful and solid – perfect for a large family.
“You could do a lot with it,” she said.
“The rooms are all huge, especially my mother’s room.
“There is nothing that compares to the size of her bedroom and bathroom – it is almost three rooms in one.”
The kitchen has an old-fashioned look. Image: supplied
There is a separate dining room for large family dinners. Image: supplied
The substantial house is spread over two levels.
On the ground floor there is a special entrance area and a lounge area with a bar with a curved wall.
There is a separate dining room and kitchen with plenty of bench and cupboard space and enough space for a full dining area.
There is also a large laundry room, bathroom and large bedroom on this level.
Both the bedroom and the kitchen give access to the large rear veranda that overlooks the backyard.
Upstairs, the large master bedroom has its own balcony and en suite bathroom.
There are three further spacious bedrooms, a bathroom and a study, which could also be used as a bedroom.
The bathrooms have a lot of retro charm. Image: supplied
Two of the bedrooms have access to the balcony at the front and there is a second balcony at the back of the house, plus a roof terrace above the double garage.
The property is a short walk from Nightcliff’s waterfront and close to shops, schools and cafes.
Ms Triantafillos said the house was on a great street with mainly local residents.
“It’s such a fun part of Nightcliff,” she said.
“You can easily take a walk along the waterfront or go to the beach.”
Ms Triantafillos said her father sadly passed away in 2010 and her mother wanted to downsize, so it was time to say goodbye to the family home.
PROPERTY INFORMATION
Address: 10 Kurrajong Cres, Nightcliff
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3
Parking spaces: 2
Auction: Saturday, November 22, 11 a.m
Agent: Sascha Smithett, 0414 909 506, Real Estate Central
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