For those who have passed its distinctive sandstone walls and central front staircase over the years, Grandview, at 20 Daisy Street, offers a glimpse into North Balgowlah’s early development. Remarkably, the sandstone used to construct the original house was quarried from the very land on which it stands.
Now, after raising four daughters in what they describe as their “most gracious and beautiful home”, the owners are preparing to sell, with the heritage-listed property heading to auction on 28 November.
For Cunninghams real estate agent Georgi Bates, Â who has spent almost 25 years selling homes across the Northern Beaches, properties like Grandview don’t come along very often.
“In my almost 25 years of selling homes across the Northern Beaches, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing only a handful of original sandstone homes,” she said.
Recent research by Northern Beaches Council local studies historian Michelle Richmond traces the property’s origins to a 26-acre land grant made to Sydney dentist Hugh Paterson in 1859.
The land changed hands several times before being subdivided into 92 residential lots as part of the Bonnie View Estate in 1914. Advertisements at the time promoted panoramic country and ocean views, while subdivision plans show a cottage already standing on what would become 20 Daisy Street.
Although subdivision plans show a cottage on the site by 1914, a 2019 heritage assessment suggests the surviving sandstone house was built around 1918 or in the early 1920s.
Manly contractor Alfred Bange purchased the property in July 1918, with historical records indicating a monumental mason associated with Manly Cemetery helped construct the sandstone house.
By 1927, the Bange household was the only residence recorded on the western side of Daisy Street in the Sands Directory. A photograph taken from nearby Dudley Street in 1932 shows just how sparsely developed the surrounding area remained.
While North Balgowlah gradually grew around Grandview, the heritage-listed home has changed a bit along the way, too.
The original cottage was extended and renovated over the decades, most substantially in 2009, when two contemporary wings were added to accommodate additional bedrooms and living spaces.
Despite those changes, the sandstone cottage remains identifiable at the centre of the home, retaining period features including ornate ceilings, fireplaces, timber floors and leadlight windows.
For its current owners, who purchased Grandview in 2011, the combination of its original character and more contemporary spaces has made it a memorable place to call home.
“Her sandstone, natural light and outdoor entertaining space have given us the ideal location for the best of times,” they said.
Those spaces have hosted everything from childhood pool parties to milestone birthdays, including 40th celebrations featuring opera singers and grand pianos.
Today, the five-bedroom residence occupies a 1,081-square-metre block with a 32-metre street frontage, with formal and casual living areas opening onto a north-west-facing garden and heated swimming pool.
For the family, the home’s history has become part of their own.
“For 15 years, this beautiful piece of history has been so much more than a house. It’s been our home, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have called it ours,” the owners said.
Grandview will go to auction on Saturday, 28 November 2026. Further information and inspection details are available through the property listing.
As they prepare to leave, the current owners have a simple wish for whoever comes next.
“We hope the next family will love her and create as many wonderful memories here as we have.”
Check out the rest of the property here.
This is a sponsored article by Cunninghams Real Estate in support of local news.Â
