The Marino brothers are selling the Forest Hill home their parents Sebastiano and Angela bought in 1977, ending nearly 50 years of Italian family life.
For almost half a century, pasta was cooked five nights a week in this Forest Hill kitchen.
Now the three-bedroom wooden plank house at 438 Canterbury Rd is being sold for the first time since 1977, closing a chapter that the Marino brothers, Alberto and Delfino, built by hand.
The house, located on 836 square meters, was auctioned with a price expectation of $1.09 million to $1.17 million, but was passed after two expected bidders were unable to secure financing. Negotiations continue.
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The house was purchased in 1977 by Sebastiano and Angela Marino.
A builder by trade, Sebastiano renovated the property himself shortly after the purchase, redesigning the layout, upgrading finishes that were considered progressive at the time, and building the stone barbecue that would later anchor decades of family gatherings.
He passed away in 1999, but his craftsmanship remains visible throughout the house.
Alberto and his brother Delfino sell on behalf of their mother Angela, who has moved into care.
The hallway reflects the original footprint that builder Sebastiano Marino reimagined shortly after the family purchased the house in 1977.
One of the three bedrooms in the wooden house that has been in the Marino family for 49 years.
“This was our childhood home,” Alberto said.
“Dad built it to last.”
In the backyard, fruit trees planted decades ago still produce tangerines, lemons, figs, pears and nectarines.
“I remember when the mandarin tree was just a twig,” he said.
“Now it’s this huge boom that we can’t keep up with.”
In the backyard there are fruit trees planted decades ago and a stone barbecue built by Sebastiano, where Italian family gatherings were once held.
The bathroom retains original features from the late 1970s renovation, including a bidet rarely seen in Australian homes at the time.
Inside, Angela anchored the household in the kitchen.
“If you ask about pasta, five nights a week, for almost 50 years,” Alberto said.
“Mommy made the best sauce.”
Forest Hill was traditionally orchard country and the garden still reflects that heritage.
The decision to sell, Alberto said, was about responsibility.
The kitchen, where Angela Marino cooked pasta five nights a week, was the heart of the parental home.
The lounge is directly connected to the kitchen and reflects a layout that encouraged long meals and family conversations.
“We want to make sure Mom feels comfortable in her next chapter.”
Asked to describe the house in one line, Albert said: “Our family started with an honest piece of Italy, with an Australian accent.”
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Agency Victoria’s Jim Christou said the pass was a reflection of financial timing and not a lack of demand.
The garden remains full of mandarins, lemons and figs, reflecting Forest Hill’s orchard past and the Marino family’s Italian heritage.
“It wasn’t a lack of interest,” Christou said.
“It was purely financial timing. There are still strong buyers circling.”
Mr Christou said the block size and the flexibility to move in later, renovate or explore redevelopment had supported buyer interest.
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david.bonaddio@news.com.au
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