The father of Assange sell his property in Newtown

Assange's father sells his property in Newtown 

 

The Newtown home of Julian Assange's dad John Shipton sold on Wednesday for $1.42 million.

It was a strong result for the quirky two-bedroom property, selling for well in excess of the $1.1 million-plus guide.

The two-bedroom house last traded in 1989 for $130,000 when bought by Shipton's partner Catherine Barber, and was largely rebuilt by Shipton in the 1990s.

Shipton is the founder of the WikiLeaks Party, formed as part of Julian Assange's bid for a Senate seat in the 2013 federal election.

Assange remains holed up inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since June 2012 following British moves to extradite him to Sweden to face questioning over a sexual assault investigation.

Set on a corner block the original house was built in the 1870s as a servant's quarters to the historic Victorian villa Ferndale next door.

 

Anna Mendonca

Newtown Real Estate
www.newtown-realestate.com.au

1300 938 931

Where to hang out in Newtown? on Australia Day?

What makes Newtown, Newtown? It used to mean an alt-suburb, where fashion was caught in a kind of weird loop of cyber-goth, rockabilly, psychobilly, punk and feral. That melting pot is part of what helps define the most colourful pocket of the Inner West. And now, creeping in between the lines are the hipsters in their early thirties, pushing prams in their selvedge jeans. And is that a French bulldog sitting patiently outside an Aesop store? I think it is.

The Betta Meats shopfront, a landmark for Newtown’s never-changing aesthetic, now boasts longer queues than ever before. But it’s not for lamb chops or bones for your heeler. It’s for Earl’s Juke Joint – one of the most exciting new bar openings this year. 
You might argue that once the decent bars and restaurants start popping up, it’s a short stop to gentrification and massive rents – the suburb loses its grit. But then you could also argue that it’s a step towards the kind of quality the suburb ultimately deserves.


“As a resident I’m happy to see new cafés, bars, restaurants and more interesting shops opening and filling the vacant shop fronts that are slowly getting more and more vandalised each week,” says Pasan Wijesena, owner and manager of Earl’s Juke Joint. “Rents might go up but they are not exactly bargain basement right now. People inherently don’t want this to become Paddington. They like being a little rough around the edges, slightly left of centre and grungy. I can’t see it ever being totally gentrified.”

Take a walk down King Street sometime. You’ve still got Vietnamese hot-bread shops, old pubs, stalwart Thai restaurants and Happy High Herbs. But in between there are boutique pie shops, shops that sell nothing but cookies and milk, vegetarian butchers (we’re not exactly sure what that means) and a frozen yoghurt store on almost every block. And where the hell did the Sandringham go?

Luke Hiscox is the manager of the Union Hotel on south King Street. His mother Mel Wood ran it before him, and her father Kel Wood ran it before her; they’ve had the pub since 1982. Luke has been instrumental in introducing craft beer to the scene, and though it meant losing some of his regular customers, it’s introduced a whole new clientele to the Union. “In the last few years, everything’s just picked up,” says Hiscox. “There was a period just before I came on board where I said to my grandfather ‘look, I think you’re going to want to up your game – things are changing here.’”

 

Great new bars, restaurants, cafés and venues have changed the face of the 2042 postcode. What does it mean when a vibrant Inner-West ’burb goes from alternative to artisan?

What makes Newtown, Newtown? It used to mean an alt-suburb, where fashion was caught in a kind of weird loop of cyber-goth, rockabilly, psychobilly, punk and feral. That melting pot is part of what helps define the most colourful pocket of the Inner West. And now, creeping in between the lines are the hipsters in their early thirties, pushing prams in their selvedge jeans. And is that a French bulldog sitting patiently outside an Aesop store? I think it is.

The Betta Meats shopfront, a landmark for Newtown’s never-changing aesthetic, now boasts longer queues than ever before. But it’s not for lamb chops or bones for your heeler. It’s for Earl’s Juke Joint – one of the most exciting new bar openings this year. 

You might argue that once the decent bars and restaurants start popping up, it’s a short stop to gentrification and massive rents – the suburb loses its grit. But then you could also argue that it’s a step towards the kind of quality the suburb ultimately deserves.

“As a resident I’m happy to see new cafés, bars, restaurants and more interesting shops opening and filling the vacant shop fronts that are slowly getting more and more vandalised each week,” says Pasan Wijesena, owner and manager of Earl’s Juke Joint. “Rents might go up but they are not exactly bargain basement right now. People inherently don’t want this to become Paddington. They like being a little rough around the edges, slightly left of centre and grungy. I can’t see it ever being totally gentrified.”

Take a walk down King Street sometime. You’ve still got Vietnamese hot-bread shops, old pubs, stalwart Thai restaurants and Happy High Herbs. But in between there are boutique pie shops, shops that sell nothing but cookies and milk, vegetarian butchers (we’re not exactly sure what that means) and a frozen yoghurt store on almost every block. And where the hell did the Sandringham go?

Luke Hiscox is the manager of the Union Hotel on south King Street. His mother Mel Wood ran it before him, and her father Kel Wood ran it before her; they’ve had the pub since 1982. Luke has been instrumental in introducing craft beer to the scene, and though it meant losing some of his regular customers, it’s introduced a whole new clientele to the Union. “In the last few years, everything’s just picked up,” says Hiscox. “There was a period just before I came on board where I said to my grandfather ‘look, I think you’re going to want to up your game – things are changing here.’”

Several of Newtown’s best-known pubs have gone under the knife lately. The Sandringham was completely gutted to become Newtown Social Club. The Newtown Hotel now sports a slick Greek restaurant. The Bank has just installed a new upstairs cocktail bar and music venue. “Everyone had to work harder to get customers in – publicans couldn’t just sit on their hands anymore, they had to start making things interesting.”

Hiscox digs the new-Newtown. “I think all these new bars are great for business. And really, what I would love is two or three more small bars on the south end of King Street. Because you want a precinct where people can go and drink at three or four bars in the one night and go on a bar crawl rather than just sit in the one venue. I think it’s good for the area.”
Could it be that Newtown’s simply grown up? Most students can’t afford to live here anymore. They’re moving to areas like Redfern, Petersham, Marrickville and Stanmore. It might still be a creative and cultural suburb, but has Newtown had a haircut and gotten a real job?

Oscillate Wildly’s chef-owner Karl Firla says the general age of people visiting his restaurant is older now. And as a local, he’s proud of the area. “Across the board, everyone in Sydney is focusing towards the Inner West. We get so many customers now that are non-local or from interstate. That have come to the area to not only see what we’re doing but just to see the area in general. Different people within our industry are doing so many amazing things.” 


So, who's who in the new Newtown? Check out our favourite parts of the ever-evolving suburb

Time out Newtown Check it out!
www.newtown-realestate.com.au

Brewery Yard Markets - Newtown

Brewery Yard Markets - Out & About in Newtown

 

The Brewery Yard Markets is an exciting, new inner-city market launching October 12 and held every second Sunday on the green at Central Park, Chippendale (28 Broadway, opposite UTS).

Located only a short stroll from Sydney's Central station, the Brewery Yard Markets features live music, art demonstrations and handpicked stalls trading organic produce, streetwear and vintage clothing, artisan wares, fine floral bouquets, gourmet bites and beverages. There's also unique activities (curated for each event) for the curious, free-spirited and fun-loving.

So whether you're a cityslicker, explorer, market reveller, trendsetter or simply stoked it's Sunday - come and hang in the Yard.

Brewery Yard Market

www.newtown-realestate.com.au