The townhouse that gave birth to New Zealand rock legends Split Enz has hit the market for sale.
The elegant four-bedroom terrace at 473 Parnell Road, in Parnell, Auckland, was used by the band's founding members as a place to rehearse their songs.
Bass guitarist Mike Chunn had rented the house from his parents in the early 1970s, and together with brother Geoff and friends Tim Finn and Phil Judd, they developed the sound that would soon propel them to fame.
The property has changed a few times since, and its current owner is former New Zealand cricketer Ingrid Cronin-Knight.
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She bought the home with her wife, Sacha, in 2015 for $1.62 million, and set about upgrading it for their growing family.
“I was raised in Sydney and I love that Paddington townhouse style,” Cronin-Knight told OneRoof.
The couple renovated the bathrooms and laundry, installed double-glazing and heat pumps, and updated the decor with Finnish Marimekko fabrics. They have loved their years in the house but are selling up for extra backyard space (they need room to install cricket nets and artificial turf).
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Cronin-Knight told OneRoof that Chunn recently paid a visit, keen to see what the house looked like now.
"Mike Chunn knocked on the door last year. He came in and had a bit of a chat," she said.
"Our place is where the band practised, but next door, the family used to host garden parties. They were the highlight of the season."
Split Enz bassist Mike Chunn in 2020. His family used to own the entire block of terrace houses. Photo / Michael Craig
Split Enz when they hit the music scene in the early 1970s. Photo / Supplied
Chunn's parents, Jeremiah and Yvonne, had rented the three Edwardian-era homes in the block at first. They planned to build a permanent home in neighbouring Remuera, but their children wanted to stay put, so they bought the block from their landlord and knocked down a few internal walls.
After the band found fame and moved out, Chunn's father converted 473 into his allergy clinic. But in 2001, Chunn acquired the property, and commissioned architect Nicholas Stevens to turn it back into a family home. He sold it three years later for just under $1m.
Cronin-Knight and her wife Sacha at the Cricket World Cup in 2022. Cronin-Knight played for the White Ferns. Photo / Talia Parker
The couple have upgraded the Parnell townhouse. Photo / Supplied
The block of townhouses is instantly recognisable and close to the Auckland Cathedral. Photo / Supplied
Cronin-Knight said the listing had attracted a lot of interest. "We had a lot of curious people come and check it out, to see what it's like inside."
The property is listed with Barfoot & Thompson agent Linda Galbraith and goes to auction on June 19.
The agent also has another "historic" home on her books, the former home of Auckland mayor Albert Devore.
An apartment in the castle-like house at 33 St Stephens Ave, in Parnell, is for sale by way of negotiation and is one of the city's standout properties.
Devore, who led Auckland in the late 1880s, built the grand home, dubbed Lavington, in the early 1900s. Back then, it had a ballroom and hosted many a lavish party for Auckland's elite.
The house was broken up into apartments in the 1960s, and it is the largest of the four that Galbraith is marketing. The vendor told OneRoof she had fallen in love with the building many years ago and had worked her way up to taking ownership of number two.
The largest apartment at 33 St Stephens Avenue, in Parnell, is for grabs. Photo / Supplied
The inside is stylish and welcoming. Photo / Supplied
“I’ve had a love affair with the property ever since I first wandered into an open home here,” she said. “I wasn’t in a position to purchase the property at the time, as it was the largest apartment in the building, but I couldn’t get the house out of my mind. I kept phoning the agent to see if she could persuade the owner of the smaller turret apartment to sell. She wouldn’t have a bar of it.
“I finally had a call to say that she’d had a change of circumstance and would sell it to me off-market if I paid her nominated price within the week. We lived in that apartment for around five years and adored it, and eventually moved to the front garden apartment, equally fabulous, until the large garden apartment finally came up for sale again. We took out bridging finance and went for it.”
- 473 Parnell Road, in Parnell, Auckland, goes to auction on June 19. 2/33 St Stephens Avenue, also in Parnell, is for sale by way of negotiation
