A historic Jamberoo home built nearly 130 years ago is on the market for the first time in four decades.
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Sitting on one-and-a-half acres, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house at 15 Wyalla Road, Jamberoo is for sale by negotiation.
There is no price guide available at this time.
The property has been owned for more than 40 years by Rob and Ros McKinnon.
The McKinnons are only the third owners of the home, which was built in 1889.
It was initially owned by the nearby Methodist Church (now known as the Uniting Church) and utilised as a minister’s residence until the early 1930s.
“The first minister had 12 children – I don’t know how they fitted in the house,” Mrs McKinnon laughed.
“The church had it, then a local dairying family bought it and they had it for about 40 years. Then we bought it in 1977.”
Mrs McKinnon said the couple relocated to Jamberoo from Kiama shortly after they were married.
“We both loved old houses and that type of thing,” she said.
Mrs McKinnon said Jamberoo had become a far more popular location for home buyers in the ensuing decades.
“When we moved to the town, the signpost said the population of the town was 200,” she said.
“Half the main street was vacant, and there was a still functioning dairy in the main street.
“It was a bit forgotten when we moved here. I think we were among the first new people to move in; it was mainly locals, locals’ kids and dairy farmers’ kids that were in the town.”
The 2016 Census figures listed Jamberoo’s population as 1636.
The McKinnons’ property initially sat on two acres, but in the mid-80s they sold off two quarter-acre blocks at the northern end.
The McKinnons built an extension at the rear of the house after their second child was born.
“We blended it in so it almost looks like an original, and that’s got two bedrooms, a bathroom and a TV room,” Mrs McKinnon said.
Other features include verandahs around three sides of the home; long French windows that reach down to the floor in most rooms; and five fireplaces, four of which are original.
“Most of the doors, windows and skirting boards are original,” Mrs McKinnon said.
The couple now plan to downsize to a unit in Kiama.
“It’ll be sad to leave it,” Mrs McKinnon said.
“We love the house, and we love the space and everything.
“Our children grew up here, and now our grandchildren love coming here.
“It’s a classic, old-style house in very good condition, a large late Victorian era residence.”
Selling agent Steve Pryor, co-director of Raine and Horne Kiama said the rendered brick original residence was uniquely positioned within the village centre, yet private and secluded.
Mr Pryor said the property also has the potential for future rezoning (subject to council approval).
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