Monday 8 August 2022 09:13 AM ABC TV show described house at Wollstonecraft on Sydney's north shore as 'very ... trends now
A house in an upmarket suburb near Sydney Harbour was described as 'very ordinary' despite its proximity to the city in a fascinating glimpse into the rise of John Howard using archival ABC footage.
The home was used in a 1978 feature on the ABC current affairs show, This Day Tonight.
The Wollstonecraft house, on the city's lower north shore, described as 'ordinary' would now be worth millions of dollars.
The profile piece was describing the then 38-year old federal Liberal treasurer John Howard, who went on to become Australia's second longest-serving prime minister.
'Everything about John Howard is low profile: he lives in a very ordinary three-bedroom, suburban house in Sydney's north shore,' it said.
'It's functional, convenient, but hardly a status symbol.'
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A house in an upmarket suburb near Sydney Harbour was described as 'very ordinary' despite its proximity to the city in a ABC TV segment
The old ABC footage then cuts to Mr Howard in the kitchen with his wife Janette, with the microphone catching the then treasurer saying the words: 'Sorry about that.'
The voiceover continues: 'There's nothing flamboyant about the inside either or the Howard lifestyle if it comes to that.'
The journalist also noted Mr Howard drove a late 1960s English-designed Austin 1800 over footage of him reversing out of his driveway.
'No flashy cars for the Howards either,' the voiceover said.
'He's had this rusty, rattling contraption for seven years and it's doubtful whether it's been near a car wash or a panel beater since he first entered Parliament.'
The clip was played on the ABC Of special featuring actor David Wenham interviewing Mr Howard, 83, to commemorate the national broadcaster's 90th birthday.
In 2022, some 44 years later, Wollstonecraft is far from being 'very ordinary'.
The suburb has its own train station and is just 6km from Sydney's city centre, via a train or car ride over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The postcode it falls under, 2065, has a median house price of $4.3million, which is
