Tranmere villa with winery roots
This Victorian villa, which once formed part of a winery, has been carefully restored to reflect its rich history.
Jobert Anjelo and his wife Anu were looking for the perfect place to raise their young family when they discovered 14 Fourth Street, Tranmere.
They purchased this 1890s villa when their youngest child was born seven years ago, becoming its first custodians in some 55 years.
“We moved to this property looking for a space for our new little one to cherish for her early days,” says Jobert, a medical specialist.
Jobert says they were attracted to the property’s rich heritage, which was once part of Brookside and Auldana wineries.
Colloquially known as Brookside North, the house once formed part of the estate belonging to colonial vignerons John Holmes and his son James.
“When we went and saw this property, the house had a rich heritage to boast, which I think it was a hidden thing until when we read about it and looked for it,” he says.
“The other good thing we found was this house was actually locked in with a return verandah.”
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These days, the five-bedroom, two-bathroom house sits on 1470 square metres and includes space for up to four cars.
Jobert says the extensive renovations were carried out by the previous owners, which included replacing the plumbing, wiring and flooring.
The dwelling’s original cellar from its winery days has also been restored and repointed.
“We looked at it as a gift because the whole house had two front visiting rooms and has a flow of rooms with a big hallway, which brought the family together,” he says.
Jobert and Anu, a dentist, have also carried out some upgrades of their own, such as improving security, installing solar and an automatic irrigation system, putting in a new pool and tennis court, and creating an outdoor kitchen.
Outdoors, they also built a small fish pond with a fountain, as well as coops for their chickens and rabbits, which can be reached by a new pathway they put in.
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“We were all self-sufficient in terms of our food and the poultry and eggs. We didn’t buy much, to be honest,” says Jobert.
They planted lots of fruit trees too, including mandarins, nashi pears and apricots, while a 100-year-old orange tree still fruits regularly.
Jobert says his favourite parts of the property are the outdoor kitchen, the pool and the deck.
“The deck is so elevated, you can watch the kids swimming, plus you can sit there. There is a small bar fridge and there’s a whole scale kitchen too.”
He also loves the cellar, which has a space for people to sit and relax, as well as dwelling’s great insulation.
But, after seven years, Jobert says they have decided to move near the CBD to be closer to his work.
Jobert says he will miss watching the seasons change in the garden with all its fruits, the ease of access to nearby shops and the layout of the house, which connected the whole family.
“We will miss all the fruits and things, which we have planted so nicely. We wanted to take them, but it’s very difficult. We started to get mangoes as well – so that’s a big miss,” he says.
The sale of 14 Fourth Street, Tranmere is being handled by Sally Cameron and Makeeley Abraham of Toop + Toop.
