A very special house today, from one of my favourite suburbs to which I’ve never been: Klemzig, South Australia!

This late 1950s pioneer has withstood the trials of time and development due to its dedicated and passionate owner, who has lovingly cared for this residence since the late 1960s. The time has come for it to pass into someone else’s hands and it is desperately vulnerable to the developer’s roving eye. I cross my fingers and post it here in order to prevent such a dire outcome. As Don, the present owner explains:

‘The house was built in 1958 when Clarence Avenue was created as the result of the subdivision of a huge property. While most of the new houses that were built in the street in 1958 were traditional in style, our Number 19 was way-out, daring, Avante Garde for the era, and it was a display home for the street… hence its unusually attractive setting, diagonally across the block, and its unusually attractive entrance hall with its glassy window wall looking into the living room.

We bought the house in 1968 and have been owners for 51 years. The large front garden has been carefully maintained and enhanced over the years.

We have restored the house to its classic mid-century appearance, as we regard it as a treasure of a property. While we realise that a developer may buy the property, our hope is that the successful buyer will be someone who values the property for the special character that it has, and enhances it even further.’

Hear hear!

View the property listing on Domain, and original MA article here.

Run by Patricia Callan and Pete Bakacs, Modernist Australia is the passion-project/website dedicated to raising the profile of mid-century design and modernist principles in Australia. For more swell eye-candy, visit Modernistaustralia.com.