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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Brendan Crabb

One-bedroom South Coast beach shack has $4m price tag

Marianne Fraser's family beach cottage near Jervis Bay is highly recognisable among both locals and visitors.

"Whenever we mention the rock pool at Currarong, people say, 'oh, we love the green and black house there'," she said.

"People are amazed when we tell them we live there.

"It's an early example of a classic fibro beach cottage. I think the bathroom was altered a little, but it's in virtually original condition."

Read more: New Shell Cove release scheduled for March

Neville and Hugh Macken crossing Currarong creek at low tide, before the bridge was built in the early-to-mid 1930s. Picture: Supplied

The one-bedroom cottage at 5 Beecroft Parade, Currarong is on the market for the first time in more than 80 years.

The home, set on 695.6 square metres and which has local heritage listing, has a price guide of $4 million.

It's due to go to auction on February 26.

Neville Macken in the backyard of 5 Beecroft Parade, Currarong, believed to be from the early 1940s. Picture: Supplied

The home is set against Beecroft Peninsula, which forms the northern headland of Jervis Bay.

The front yard spills over into a rock pool that also forms part of Jervis Bay Marine Park, as well as Abraham's Bosom Beach, which is next door.

The property has been owned by the Macken and Mark Foy families since it was built.

Mark Foy was a businessman who established the department store Mark Foy's Emporium in Sydney, now the Downing Centre.

The home is now held by the Frasers, part of the same family.

Marianne Fraser, who co-owns the home with brother Rick, estimated it was built in the late 1930s.

"Two members of the family, including my grandfather Neville Macken and his brother Hugh bought blocks there - Hugh's was next door and his family still owns it," she said.

"Granddad's place was always a holiday house when we went there, and since our parents passed it's been for my brother and I to use.

Camping on the reserve in the early 1930s, before the house was built. Picture: Supplied

"My first memories are lobster pots, so we had unlimited seafood. We had oysters, we'd go prawning.

"The wild horses, the brumbies that used to roam between the villages used to come into our yard and steal vegetables from granddad's vegetable patch.

"It was a simple, free life. No shoes, outdoor life, swimming all day and barbecuing."

Read more: Auction wrap-up: Final $500 bid helps local buyer snare Port Kembla home

Mrs Fraser said it was a reluctant decision to sell the property.

"It needs some TLC, and we're not in a position to renovate or rebuild," she said.

"We'll be sad to part with it, but hopefully someone can buy it who will love it as much as we have."

Selling agent, Carrie Bond from Bond Lifetyle Properties said the home was attracting interest from "everywhere", including Sydney-siders and local buyers.

"It's incredible the amount of inquiry that's come through... We had 30 groups, so there would have been at least 60 people milling around on Saturday at the open house," she said.

Ms Bond said it was the location in the sought-after spot that had captured the imagination of prospective buyers.

"The location is absolutely idyllic," she said.

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"Because of its orientation, because of how the peninsula comes around, it faces north-west and so you can basically watch the the sunset from the water.

"You walk off your front door, down the grass to the steps and right into this beautiful rock pool.

"Because it's part of the Jervis Bay Marine Park, there's not just dolphins, but penguins, sea turtles and stingrays. And it's very private."

Beach shacks have been attracting significant interest and prices elsewhere.

In January, in what is believed to be a record price for the area, $1,675,000 was achieved following the on-site auction of the modest two-bedroom Pambula Beach holiday home on 853 square metres of land at Coraki Drive.

The property had been in the Henderson family since the 1960s and it was the first time it had been offered for sale.

While the home itself is a beach bungalow built from a decommissioned Snowy Hydro scheme mess hall, the big selling point was its location as the property sits close to Lions Beach and the Pambula rivermouth.

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