Patrick Condren and his Brisbane home’s mayor essentials

Ahead of his tilt for the Brisbane lord mayor job, Patrick Condren wanted a settled base.

Patrick Condren with wife Margaret and friend at their home Picture: Glenn Hunt

A little room off the back deck is where Patrick Condren has set up his campaign headquarters as he looks towards the race to become lord mayor of Brisbane City Council from March.

The veteran Queensland state political reporter had a whirlwind start to his own political career last September. Walking through the blue front door of his home in the north Brisbane suburb of Grange one Friday evening, Condren got a call asking whether he would be interested in joining Labor as its candidate. Two days later, on September 29, he was front page news.

“It’s a really fascinating experience to be on this side,” Condren says.

The Condrens have lived in their two-storey home since they returned from several years in London in the early 2000s to raise their children Maddy, 19, and Finbarr, 17.

Originally a single-storey cottage, the structure was lifted and filled in underneath in a major renovation before Condren and wife Margaret bought the property in 2003.

“I can still recall vividly the conversation that I had with Margaret when we were in our terrace house (in London). It was sleeting outside and Maddy, who was a toddler at that stage, said ‘outside, Daddy, outside’,” Condren says.

“When Margaret came home from work. I said, ‘we’ve got to take this Aussie kid home and bring her up in Australia’. We made the plan from there to get us to come home.”

Relaxing on the back patio and looking over the backyard in the middle of suburbia, Condren admits: “It’s not really flash at all.”

Condren is hoping to take over the reins of Brisbane City Council from the incumbent lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, at the March 19 election. Taking on the top job will be no small ask, with the council encompassing more residents than the combined population of the Northern Territory, Tasmania and the ACT and having an ­annual budget of $3.1bn.

The portrait of Patrick Condren painted by a family friend Picture: Glenn Hunt

Hanging over the stairs leading to the top level is a portrait of Condren reading the paper that was painted by a family friend as a gift several years ago.

Classic Queenslander moulding and fretwork feature upstairs, complemented by a deck that wraps around three sides of the home. The original front door now hangs downstairs in a vibrant shade of “Tardis blue”, one of many nods throughout the home to the cult classic British sci-fi show, Doctor Who.

A homage to Dr Who Picture: Glenn Hunt

The downstairs was given a revamp almost five years ago with a reconfigured floor plan and updated kitchen, including bench seating covered in blue velvet, a generous living room and ample breakfast bar.

The revamped downstairs kitchen Picture: Glenn Hunt

It was important to Margaret that there were several spaces where family and friends could sit and interact. The authentic mid-century Parker dining set is a testament to this, with the paediatric oncologist happily recalling sitting around that exact same table as a child, cosied up next to her siblings and parents through dinner each night.

A lot of care was given to the back yard over the years. Originally completely covered in paving stones that scorched little feet through the hot Australian summer, the space slowly changed over the years, being grassed over and surrounded by gardens.

The kidney-shaped pool was recently replaced by a raised garden and fire pit — a winning change with the whole family.

The home was always intended to be “forever home”. This was cemented by the strong relationships built with their neighbours, with whom they regularly get ­together over coffees and bar­becues.

“When I grew up in regional Queensland, the family moved a bit and I was determined that my kids would stay put. So, we bought the house with a view to growing into it,” Condren says.

“It’s a good spot and I’ve always said that I’m happy to stay here until I die. I can see myself sitting here with my travel rug over my knees and just looking at the world.”