If you’ve ever thought of escaping the city bustle and enjoy countryside living, you might be interested this property, one of the rare historical residence of Armidale, New South Wales.
Located along Brown Street, one of Armidale’s most sought after and tightly held addresses, Birida is a property sure to impress. Built-in 1907 as a retirement property for pioneer pastoralist, George Baker, Birida sits on 2384 square meters of land constructed from Armidale blue brick.
Brief History
In 1940, the property was bought by the Presbyterian church to be used as the country arm of the Presbyterian Ladies’ College. In the 1960s, retired architect J.R Magoffin purchased the estate and remained in the property till his death in the 1980s.
Following that, the Armidale City Council granted Terry and Beth Moore permission to divide the property into four luxury apartments in 1991. They retained Apartment 3, the main center section of the original home containing the magnificent hallway and the exquisite drawing room as their residence.
Apartment details
Surrounded by beautifully manicured and established gardens, this property has been sympathetically restored and offers the finest period features complemented by all the modern conveniences expected in a luxury residence.
Enter Birida through the majestic turreted entry portico via the grand slate stairway and see its beauty for yourself. The impressive entry and wide, long hallway feature a gorgeous pressed metal ceiling, leadlight pendants, and hand-blocked friezes made especially for the property.
Featuring 3 bedrooms, the spacious master bedroom has French doors leading to a private balcony for the best morning views. The bedrooms are done in Australian red cedar doors and skirting, giving a rustic ambiance. There’s also two bathrooms and an incredibly spacious drawing room with a beautiful curved bay window and an open fireplace with classic mirrored over the mantle and polished timber mantlepiece.
You can whip up everything in the kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment and appliances including Bosh dishwasher and De Longhi oven, stone benchtop, and huge island bench. The kitchen flows to the sun-drenched north facing dining and sitting area with large picture windows overlooking the 100-year-old camphor laurel and front gardens. On the southern side of the kitchen is the spacious butler’s pantry with excellent storage.
Birida also features a lock-up garage for your parking needs. In this historical house of luxury living, comfort is ensured with reverse cycle-air conditioners built-in. One can look forward to developing their green fingers with the 313m2 of exclusive use garden on the title and a garden shed.
This apartment is located within easy walking distance to the city center, cafes, and schools.
Birida is considered an outstanding Federation mansion and is probably the best of all the City’s surviving Federation properties. It is one of the most attractive examples of the period.
“As a family, we’re very sad to say goodbye to Birida.” – Sandy Moore (Son of Beth Moore)
Birida goes on auction on 5 December with Uphill & Schaefer Real Estate.
