Wallabies captain and former ACT Brumbies star Stephen Moore sells Canberra home

Super Rugby fans now have the opportunity to place bids on a house rather than online merchandise with Stephen Moore’s Canberra abode hitting the market on Thursday.

The Wallabies skipper and former ACT Brumbies captain and his family have swapped the bush capital for sunny Brisbane as Moore returns to his home state to join the Queensland Reds.

It’s a bittersweet move for the rugby great who has called Canberra home for more than seven years while playing with the Brumbies.

“We’re very sad to leave Canberra,” Moore said.

“The decision to move up to Queensland happened very quickly. Now that it’s happened we’re excited by the challenge, particularly for me with my career, [but] Canberra’s been such a big part of my life.

“It’s where both our kids were born, it’s the only place in Australia where Courtney, my wife, has lived, so for her it’s very much home in terms of Australia.”

Moore and Courtney – who moved to Canberra from South Africa in 2010 – have two children: three-year-old son Theodore and two-year-old daughter Darcy.

Their four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 16 Hunter Street in Yarralumla has provided the family with plenty of space to run around with a football. 

The block encompasses a mega 1960 square metres of land – almost double the size of the traditional quarter-acre block that characterises many of Canberra’s established suburbs.

The house features light-filled living areas, including a lounge room with parquetry flooring and a fireplace, plus an updated kitchen and a paved alfresco area.

Moore’s favourite feature is one many parents can appreciate.

“The biggest thing for me is everything is on the one level – that’s a big benefit when you’ve got kids and prams and all that sort of stuff,” he said.

“It’s a little thing. [In] Brisbane, everything is two to three levels.”

Like many Brumbies players, Moore’s no stranger to the inner south thanks to the club’s historic ties to Griffith.

But a switch of headquarters to the University of Canberra in Bruce wasn’t enough to push him to move elsewhere, having also lived in Manuka, Forrest, Narrabundah and Red Hill during his time in Canberra.

Moore’s family originally leased their Forrest home before moving in themselves last year.

“I know that part of Canberra the best. I’ve always lived in that area,” Moore said.

“We’ve really enjoyed the lifestyle. I think one of the great things about Canberra is having that space you probably don’t get in other cities.

“To go to Bruce, it’s only 15 minutes max to get there [from Yarralumla] compared to what some of my teammates at the Wallabies would do in Sydney – it might be an hour each way.”

But Moore’s strongest memories are tied to people rather than place. 

“I’m lucky to have been a part of the Brumbies family. Anytime you feel like that, when you have to leave, it’s a very emotional period,” he said.

“We don’t have any family in Canberra so, we’ve had so many wonderful people come into our lives and make our lives so much happier and easier.”

No.16 Hunter Street, Yarralumla is being sold via Peter Blackshaw Real Estate Woden and Weston Creek agent Rowan Glanville and will be auctioned on October 29.

Prospective buyers can look through the house this weekend with inspections scheduled for Saturday, 12.30pm-1.15pm and Sunday, 11.15am-12 noon.