Hi, it’s Adrian Bo and today I’m on Marine Parade in the beautiful beach precinct of Maroubra, surely the longest road in Maroubra being Marine Parade right here on the northern head. In fact, there’s so much to talk about, I’m going to discuss the northern end of Marine Parade this week and the southern end next week. So today I’m not far from the Tekapo Memorial, which commemorates the shipwreck of the SS Tekapo, a ship which mainly transported cargo and passengers between New Zealand and Australia. Now Maroubra would not be known as a place that gets much fog. However, on that fateful day back in May of 1899, as the ship left Sydney Harbour, heading to pick up coal from Launceston, the fog was so severe that Captain Sams had the whole crew of the Tekapo sent to the front of the ship as lookouts. Despite that, within an hour, the ship smashed into the rocks after getting wedged on flat rocks. It took a severe hammering, causing it to sink. At the time, Maroubra was not yet settled, but the noise and pandemonium was heard many miles away including in Randwick, Coogee, and surrounding suburbs.

Salvage attempts failed, and the hull was sold by the insurance company back to the original owners for a mere 380 pounds, being the Union Steamship Company. Refloating attempts failed, and eventually the company sold the wreckage onto Mr. Mountenay, who had also purchased the Hereward wreckage a year earlier 2km away. This is how the close by and very popular Hereward Street was aptly named. In 1986, some Maroubra divers, including Greg Tannos, raised the Tekapo’s anchor, which now forms part of the Tekapo Memorial at the northern end of Maroubra beach, having originally been placed outside the surf club itself. There is a fantastic analysis of the life and journey of the Tekapo on a Maroubra divers site called Michael McFadyen. Also at this end of Marine Parade where I’m located now is the iconic Mahon Pool, which was constructed by the local council in 1932 as originally an unemployment relief project around an already existing rock pool and has now become the informal training centre for the mighty Sydney Swans. Now, Mahon Pool benefits from being fully washed twice daily by the tides coming through. But it also takes a hammering from Mother Nature, and during the 1980s, Mahon Pool was a massive local bone of contention because there were discussions around extending it from 30 metres to 100 metres, also to increase its shelter for children and more novice swimmers, as the southwesterly winds can cause pretty tough swimming conditions in Mahon Pool itself. Now, in 1994, Mahon Pool was put on the National Trust Heritage Register, which I feel personally is a terrific opportunity to conserve an iconic Maroubra landmark. The Maroubra Seals Winter Swimming Club have been holding Sunday morning races at Mahon Pool since 1959.

Last winter, some wild sea storms caused a large 25 tonne rock to slip into the pool, and the council had to deploy jackhammers to break it up and distribute the smaller rocks outside the pool itself. Over the past 32 years during my real estate career, I’ve been extremely fortunate enough to sell many properties in the Maroubra area, including a semi at 68 Marine Parade, literally right opposite where I’m located today, for a record price of $3,850,000 last August, unit six at 62 Marine Parade, another semi for also a record price being 73 Torrington Road, and that was at $2,975,000. I also sold 42 Sackville Street Maroubra two years ago for $2,817,000. The delightful vendors of 42 Sackville Street, Irine and Mark, said some very nice words about me on their Rate My Agent review. I’ve sold many properties for this beautiful family since 2010, and it’s always a pleasure assisting them move forward to the next stage of their lives. Interestingly, 42 Sackville Street sold back in ’93 for $387,000, then also in ’95 for $485,000, and then in 2010 for $1.69 million. So the capital growth on this house has been absolutely enormous, which provides an accurate barometer of what freestanding family homes are worth here in Maroubra, with this particular transaction that I sold at Sackville Street, bringing a 66% capital growth rate during the last two transactions, which is only a decade. Now that’s amazing capital growth. What we’ve also experienced this week is a record sale in Maroubra for $14 million. If you want to find out more about that, please call me directly and I’ll provide you some insights. I really hope you enjoy the back end of summer and this beautiful precinct we call Maroubra, which is my birthplace and where I grew up. And I certainly do consider myself as one of the Bra Boys, and I always hope that you enjoy the content I provide on a weekly basis. Always remember, your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.