Outspoken former City of Adelaide councillor Anne Moran to leave North Adelaide

Former Adelaide councillor Anne Moran – who fiercely fought to protect North Adelaide’s heritage identity – is leaving the suburb after 31 years. Here’s where she’s headed next.

Outspoken former City of Adelaide councillor Anne Moran is moving out of North Adelaide after more than three decades as she sells her city fringe mansion.

But she’s not moving far, having recently bought a property in Gilles St in the city.

Ms Moran – who has fiercely fought to protect its heritage identity throughout the years – moved to her 1880-built bluestone home ‘Glena’ at 59 Mills Tce home from Unley 31 years ago to be closer to her husband Patrick’s work.

“Prices were down then, so we could just scrape in,” she said.

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Patrick and Anne Moran at their 59 Mills Tce, North Adelaide home, which is now for sale. Friday. Picture: The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette

“We bought it from Wendy and Bill Wauchope who now run Glen Ewin Estate.

“They’d done it up in a very lovely way – she used to work for an architect and she was an interior designer, so it was very interestingly done, and very nice.

“I think it had been in a bad state when they bought it.

“North Adelaide was in a bit of a decline at that time – a lot of the big houses were boarding houses or nursing homes and things like that, because the rates were so high, and then the council brought in relief for owner-occupiers and suddenly the houses all started to go back into being family homes, which is handy for us as we had a family then.”

The home’s grand facade. Picture: Supplied

The sparkling swimming pool. Picture: Supplied

The chef’s kitchen. Picture: Supplied

One of the home’s cosy living spaces. Picture: Supplied

Sitting on 1152sqm of land over two titles and offering some eight bedrooms, Mrs Moran said the home had been ideal for her family.

“What we loved about it was that it was like a little slice of the country but it’s in the city,” she said.

“We look out onto the parklands, and the golf course, so it really is like a big country house very close to the city.

“It’s a very peaceful house, and for a big old house – because some of these can get a bit dark – it’s incredibly light and bright.”

Offering some 657.5sqm of indoor and outdoor living space, the home is currently set up as a main character residence of 10 rooms on the ground level, and two spacious self-contained two-bedroom upstairs apartments Mrs Moran said were perfect when their children were teenagers.

A period dining room. Picture: Supplied

One of the home’s living areas. Picture: Supplied

A light-filled living space. Picture: Supplied

“Once the kids sort of hit 16 or 17 they moved up there, and because two of mine are now in Melbourne, when they come over they can stay in the flats,” she said.

“It’s a lovely home and we’ll be very sad to leave it, but it’s just too big for us now.

“We’ve bought a place in Gilles St, so we aren’t moving too far away.

“We’d never move out (of the Adelaide council area) and we would have bought in North Adelaide, but there was nothing for sale.

The Morans in their backyard. Picture: The Advertiser / Morgan Sette

“My son was saying the other day that we’ve been in this house so long that it’s sort of part of the family now, but the new house is lovely and it’s in a familiar street because we lived in a place 10 doors down when we were first married.”

The property, which also has a swimming pool, is being sold through Fox Real Estate without a price guide. Expressions of interest close Wednesday, October 4 at 1pm.

“It needs a big family in it and new blood,” Mrs Moran said.

“The grandchildren just love it – they say we live in a castle.”