Downer home with an art studio for sale for the first time in close to 60 years

It’s not every day you find a property that has been owned by the same family for decades, but a humble abode in Downer is on the market for the first time since Robin Bennett first called it home in 1963.

The charming house at 32 Giblin Street was one of the first properties built in the suburb. Ms Bennett and her husband, John, bought it for just £5600.

“At the time, Downer was the last suburb in Canberra,” Ms Bennett said. “There were no other suburbs beyond it, not a lot of greenery and not a lot of people.”

Sitting in her shady garden brimming with established plants, soaring oak trees and blooming azaleas on full display, it’s difficult to imagine what 32 Giblin Street looked like in the 1960s.

“My husband was passionate about keeping our grounds green – not even the kids were allowed to kick the ball on the lawn,” she said, laughing. “Our lawn was perfect.”

Aside from her richly planted garden, it’s what can be found in her backyard that sparked my interest — a tiny art studio, given to her eight years ago.

The studio is home to dozens of artworks Ms Bennett has painted over the last few years, with a handful proudly adorning the walls and an unfinished canvas on a table easel. 

“I was always been creative growing up. It was my sister that did art, actually, and I did flower arranging. We were quite competitive,” Ms Bennett said, giggling, her eyes wandering far off to a distant memory.

“I only really picked up the paintbrush in 2002, not long after she died. I’ve given a lot of [paintings] away already to family and friends but there are a few I don’t want to let go of just yet.”

Ms Bennett joined a six-week art course in 2002 and fell in love with watercolours. Soon after, she joined the Artists Society of Canberra and the Queanbeyan Art Society, and she created countless pieces of art for exhibitions.

Her paintings have been inspired by her upbringing in Rye Park – a town located an hour and 40 minutes from the capital – by native Australian flowers, beaches, including Corrigans Beach in Batemans Bay, and the sunsets at Cable Beach in Western Australia. 

Trawling through rows of paintings, she picked up an artwork that was inspired by her parents’ farm in Rye Park, her face beaming with pride.

“There are themes at the exhibitions and this particular artwork was centred around the theme of family,” she said.

The painting was of a sunset over a paddock, with a photo of her parents attached to it.

“I’d take a picture of something during my travels and recreate it on paper,” Ms Bennett said. “I love watercolours because it’s unpredictable. You throw colour on paper and let it run and sometimes paintings need a bit of spontaneity.”

As she leads me into her four-bedroom home, a stone fireplace and grand piano feature in the living room, as do a number of her flower paintings.

“In my time here, I’ve done three major extensions to the home,” she said. “As the family grew, so did the house. It was initially a three-bedroom house but we installed an additional room to cater for our family of three kids.”

At 81, Ms Bennett is as sharp as a tack. While all her kids have grown and left the nest, Ms Bennett keeps busy with her granddaughter Chloe, who also lives with her.

“I don’t feel any different from when I was 70. It’s how you feel in your heart that matters and the people around you,” she said. “I go to Chloe’s school events and I speak to her friends, who call me ‘nana’. It keeps my mind and body active.”

It’s a bittersweet sale for Ms Bennett, who has decided to part with the home in a bid to downsize, but while she prepares to farewell the place she’s called home for close to 60 years, she says she will remain in the suburb.

“Everyone knows everyone in Downer. There’s a real community spirit here and I’ve seen it transform from a new suburb to one of Canberra’s established leafy areas,” she said.

“This suburb holds a special place in my heart so while I may be saying goodbye to this house, I’ll still be around.”

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