Former home of Gough Whitlam sells for $1.15m ahead of auction
The Cabramatta house formerly owned by Gough Whitlam sold ahead of its auction.
A rundown house in Western Sydney once owned by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam has sold to an ALP preservation group just ahead of its scheduled auction tomorrow.
Whitlam Heritage Home Ltd, formed by Labor stalwarts, paid $1.15 million with the hope of turning the property into a museum.
The price for the Albert St house in Cabramatta was well above the $720,000-$750,000 price guide.
Former NSW Premier Barrie Unsworth and NSW Labor President Mark Lennon were reported to have arrived at Ray White-Canterbury on Friday determined to do a deal with Principal Manuel Roussakis and his vendor.
The marathon negotiations lasted three and a half hours.
Whitlam owned the property while he was Prime Minister.
“During the campaign I had 97 interested buyers through and it came down to these two parties. So many people wanted to restore the house,” Mr Roussakis said.
“I had the Labor elders in my office and the other interested party, a private couple, on the phone. I held live negotiations between the two parties and we finally secured a deal at 4pm.”
The ALP elders have said they will restore the house to its former glory and build a museum.
The original four-bedroom home at 32 Albert St, Cabramatta was owned by the Whitlams from 1956 until 1978.
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One of the giants of Australian politics, Mr Whitlam’s most memorable moment was being dismissed as Prime Minister by the Queen’s representative in Australia, Sir John Kerr, on November 11, 1975.
The house was in “original” condition.
“This home was a true slice of Australian history and it’s the first time it’s been offered to the market in more than 30 years,” the agent said.
The syndicate is understood to be seeking to recover the full cost of the purchase with a public appeal for donations.