The home at 35 Barchester St, Sherwood. Picture: Supplied
The grand Queenslander where an award-winning author penned his many books is going under the hammer in Brisbane.
Richard Newsome, writer of ‘The Billionaire’ series and the ‘Stella Unstoppable’ books, and his wife, Kathryn Britt, have called the 1914 Queenslander at 35 Barchester St, Sherwood , home for two decades.
The home was where the couple raised their three children, and it was where Mr Newsome became an author.
The former journalist and corporate strategist was in the main bedroom when he took a career-changing call from Text Publishing about his debut book, ‘The Billionaire’s Curse’, which won the inaugural Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing.
“It was like I’d won lotto,” he said.
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Richard Newsome reviewing proofs of ‘The Billionaire’s Curse’ at his home in 2009. Picture: Mechielsen Lyndon
The deck where Mr Newsome wrote most of his books. Picture: Supplied
Mr Newsome wrote eight of his nine books in pencil on the back deck, overlooking the garden and swimming pool, and estimates he penned half a million words there.
“It’s so calm and peaceful,” he said.
“The back deck has this beautiful, relaxing green outlook.
“You could almost be overlooking a valley in the countryside.
Mr Newsome edited his manuscripts in a hammock on the front veranda, overlooking the quiet street where his children played cricket with their neighbours and rode bikes and skateboards.
“It’s like going back decades in time,” he said.
“It really is how suburbs used to be.”
The home is full of character features. Picture: Supplied
French doors open to the wraparound veranda. Picture: Supplied
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home features a wraparound veranda, French doors and timber floors, and occupies 810 sqm across two lots with a 20m frontage.
Over their 20 years in the home, Mr Newsome and Ms Britt renovated the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry, transformed the backyard and swimming pool, and added airconditioning upstairs and insulation to the back deck.
With their three children now grown, the couple is saying goodbye to their beloved home to downsize to northern New South Wales.
But with a change in location, come a change in Mr Newsome’s long held writing routine.
“The biggest challenge is that I don’t have that back deck with the beautiful view to write on anymore,” he said.
“We’ll miss it, but it’s time for another family to make their memories here.
“It truly is a brilliant family home.”
The home sits on a big block with pool. Picture: Supplied
Place New Farm partner and selling agent Ann-Karyn Fraser said it was easy to see why Mr Newsome and Ms Britt stayed in the home for 20 years.
“There’s a sense of retreat when you look out from the back deck, yet you’re close to the arboretum, cafes and train,” she said.
“The next family can enjoy the verandas, French doors and timber floors that give a Queenslander its character, with the kitchen and bathrooms already renovated.
“There’s room for children to grow up here, just as Richard and Kathryn’s have.”
The property at 35 Barchester St, Sherwood, will go to auction onsite at 10am, Saturday, November 14.
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