Red Hill home of acclaimed journalists Lenore Taylor and Paul Daley sold for $1.9 million

The Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor and reporter and novelist Paul Daley’s four-bedroom Red Hill property sold for $1.9 million in December.

The house at 19 Beagle Street, Red Hill was on the market for 45 days late last year before it was swooped up via private treaty.

The property was built in 1962 and was home to the former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Sir Nick Parkinson and his family. Parkinson was also a one-time Australian ambassador to the US.

The original house was designed facing north in a bid to take advantage of the light in the winter months, with open living spaces and a verandah.

Records show the home was purchased in 1992 for $385,000 and once more in 1997 for $330,000. At the time recently ousted Prime Minister Paul Keating was one of its neighbours.

Both highly decorated journalists, Taylor and Daley have won two Walkey Awards while living in the Red Hill home, and earned the Paul Lyneham award for excellence in press gallery journalism with Taylor winning the award twice.

Before taking on her role at The Guardian Australia, Taylor was the chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald. Daley is an essayist, playwright, journalist and novelist whose work has been shortlisted in major Australian literary awards. One of his books, a memoir of his time in the capital city, was written in the Red Hill home.

As previously reported in Domain, Taylor and Daley had hosted a number of politicians and journalists at the property. The couple also used to host regular Wednesday night dinner parties during sitting weeks.

The property was extensively renovated and remodelled in 2006, adding in new living areas, while a beautiful magnolia was preserved in the front yard.

Today, the residence sits on 1047 square metres of land and boasts a family room on the ground floor with terrace and pool access, high ceilings with vaulted skylights, and a fireplace with custom seating and storage.

Taylor and Daley parted ways with their property after moving to Sydney for work.

Prior to selling the home, the couple said, “We had great times there – raised three children in it. We still miss it – the beautiful light and the trees, and the cockatoos and kookaburras.

“We loved its proximity to the bush of Red Hill Reserve where we’d wander every day with our dogs.

“If we’d stayed in Canberra instead of moving to Sydney a few years ago for work reasons, we’d still be there.”

Daley and Berkely Residential declined to comment when contacted by Domain.