Beaumaris: Essendon great turned architect Jack Clarke’s former mid-century home for sale

18 Hutchison Ave, Beaumaris, goes to auction on June 21 with $1.98m to $2.1m price hopes.

A mid-century Beaumaris home influential architect and Essendon Football Club great Jack Clarke designed for his own family has hit the market just one block from the bay.

The talented centreman captained the Bombers to the 1962 premiership and later coached the side before being inducted into the Australian football Hall of Fame.

He forged a similarly successful career off the field as an architect alongside contemporaries like Robin Boyd.

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The home’s original floorplan was incorporated into Victoria’s Small Home Service, which Jack Clarke ran.

He designed ‘Clarke House’, a 18 Hutchison Ave, Beaumaris, for himself in 1956, when the Modernist home was described as “futuristic” for its early adoption of opening up living areas to the north.

A sunken atrium-style conversation pit and spiral staircase leading to a first-floor parents’ retreat with a private sauna are among additions he oversaw during the family’s 30 years at the property.

After marking their own mark through a modern-day renovation, the current vendors are also parting ways with the Beaumaris icon.

The sunken conversation pit was part of a later addition by the architect.

The renovated kitchen has an induction cooktop, Bosch oven and dishwasher and custom joinery.

Jack Clarke during his playing days with Essendon and out training with his brother Ron Clarke (left), champion long-distance runner.

Buxton, Sandringham listing agent Romana Altman is taking the five-bedroom, two-bathroom house to auction on June 21 with $1.98m to $2.1m price hopes.

“In Beaumaris mid-century homes are super popular but there’s not many of them left because Beaumaris used to just be a holiday place in the 1950s so a lot these places were built as holiday houses,” Ms Altman said.

“This one was his actual home. The difference is now it is fully renovated, so it’s turnkey. People can just move in and literally have a party.”

She said the renovation was sympathetic to the late architect’s original design, retaining multiple flexible ground floor living zones with floor-to-ceiling windows alongside a sleek central kitchen and updated bathrooms.

The north-facing back yard is a big asset.

Disappear up the ladder to the reading nook.

A whimsical ladder even turns a loft-style reading nook into the perfect hidey-hole for children.

“Sometimes the new renovations can be overwhelming but they have tried to keep in the style of the mid-century heritage, which is good,” Ms Altman said.

“But I think the best thing about this property is the location. It’s literally the next street up from Beach Rd.”

Clarke was the brother of champion long-distance runner Ron Clarke, who set 17 world records during his athletics career.

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