SCHOOL ZONES:
Rangitoto College, Murrays Bay Intermediate, Primary.
CONTACT:
Michael Gladding 021 465 334.
AUCTION:
2pm, Saturday April 9, on site.
Simple baches and gravel roads were still the norm in 1970 when the Gibson family moved into one of Murrays Bay's first architecturally designed homes.
And 46 years later the large, state-of-the-art house that Annette Gibson's late husband Elmer designed as a family home has stood the test of time and is testament to his forward thinking and talent.
After serving in World War II, Elmer was still finishing his architectural studies when the couple married in 1952 and moved soon after into a modest, three-bedroom bach in Seaton Rd in Murrays Bay.
They lived there for 17 years with their four children before buying a large piece of subdividable land near the Beach Rd end of Bournemouth Tce when their eldest child, Jenny, was 16.
Selling two sections enabled the Gibsons to build a house on the remaining corner section, which looks directly out towards Murrays Bay.
"It certainly gave us more space," says Annette of the two-level house, which was built to the contours of the land, and just a few minutes' walk to the beach. It has sea views from the front rooms.
Annette's association with the North Shore stretches back to her childhood when she lived in Epsom and her family would travel by train, then ferry to Browns Bay for their holidays.
Much of the area where she and Elmer later decided to settle and raise a family was still farmland with few shops and services.
"But they were good days because you knew everyone in the area and we would meet up down at the beach with our babies. It was a very close-knit community," says Annette.
Image 1 of 6: These walls have seen happy times, writes Jane Loudon
She recalls how one of the few locals to own a car as well as a boat would give much of his snapper catch to neighbours and was also on hand to drive women to hospital when they went into labour.
"Nobody else had cars so when we were due to have our babies, we'd call Frank White."
As well as having the beach at their doorstep and being close to good schools, the Gibson children had the luxury of space during their teenage years as the 280sq m home their father designed was generous, even by today's standards.
The house, which was built with a tiled roof, vertical cedar cladding, copper downpipes and guttering and mainly wooden joinery, is still in sound condition and has great bones.
At street level the front door leads into a large, square entrance foyer on the home's top level. Straight ahead, the spacious kitchen has plenty of cupboard space, views to the beach and a servery that connects to the dining room, which opens to a small north-facing patio.
Behind the dining room, the formal lounge has gallery-style walls and opens to a larger patio, which includes a sheltered barbecue area and raised fish pond.
To the right of the entrance foyer are a large laundry that opens to the outside; a bathroom and separate shower, the master bedroom and an enormous internal access garage with room for at least two cars and storage.
Stairs near the entrance foyer lead down to a large rumpus room with large picture windows and doors opening to the garden. Also on this level are another bathroom and four bedrooms. Two of these are divided from the main part of the house by a hallway that opens to a paved courtyard and the garden.
Steps down to a lower level of the garden lead to the "fairy path", which encircles the periphery of the property.
