A Newtown property sold by the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a bid to raise funds to help free his son a decade ago has returned to the market.
Assange’s father John Shipton told media in 2022 that a campaign to free Assange, holed up in the Ecuadorion embassy of London at the time, had “swallowed” all his money and that he had to sell the house in 2015.
The corner home at 36 Kent St, now for sale, sits on a 247 sqm parcel, notable for murals, mosaics and indoor to outdoor living with a spiral staircase and rooftop garden.
The residence last sold for $1.42m in 2015, below an asking price of more than $1.5m.
It had been transformed by Shipton, an architect and activist, over the 1990s and 2000s.
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36 Kent Street, Newtown was owned and transformed by John Shipton, father of Julian Assange
The Newtown home is notable for murals, mosaic and a spiral staircase
Mr Shipton is alleged to have split with Assange’s mother before he was born and did not know him until he was an adult. Assange was born Julian Hawkins and later adopted the surname of his stepfather.
Mr Shipton, a builder by trade, rebuilt the Newtown property in the 1990s after his partner Catherine Barber bought it for $130,000 in 1989.
It was reportedly originally constructed in the 1870s as the servant’s quarters to the neighbouring Victorian villa Ferndale.
After a decade in the home, current vendor Callum Bushby says it’s time for a new chapter.
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Father of Assange, John Shipton speaking at the Free Julian Assange rally in 2023. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Simon Bullard.
“When I first saw the property advertised on Realestate.com.au and I remember it said ‘A work of art you can live in’,” Mr Bushby said.
“And when I walked through the front door of 36 Kent St in 2015, it was clear that this description was spot on.
“Behind the entry of this corner block sat a space that felt more like going through a museum than a conventional terrace or cottage.”
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Inside the Newtown home
The kitchen in the home
Mr Bushby said the embedded artwork in walls and furnishings was evident throughout the home.
“I’d spent years living in historically and artistically interesting homes, and this one had that rare combination of architectural individuality and human warmth that drew me in instantly,” he said.
Mr Bushby recognised that the house was looking a bit weary and over the past decade has renovated the home enhancing contemporary comfort and style without dulling its original character:
“I was excited by the challenge of unlocking its full potential, not flattening its character,” he said.
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One of the two bedrooms in the home
Interiors are decorated with artwork
The spiral staircase …
… to the rooftop garden
This included a complete kitchen renovation with island bench, modern appliances, storage and durable finishes, bathroom and laundry remodel, addition of airconditioning, ceiling fans, blinds, and insulation as well as rooftop waterproofing, re-membrane installation and lighter artificial grass for long-term performance of the rooftop garden.
A spiral staircase now also makes the rooftop garden far more inviting and accessible, previously only reachable via a totem pole.
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The office space
A mosaic at the home
Mr Bushby said the rooftop garden was “a space for morning coffee and contemplation”
“It was, for me, the emotional heart of the house: a place that feels like a destination,” he said.
Other favourite spaces include the media lounge and the home office or study, with a view down Ferndale Lane.
“After more than ten years of loving and nurturing this home, the time has come for a new chapter,” Mr Bushby said.
“I’m relocating to Melbourne to be with my girlfriend.
“It’s a heartfelt move and I’d love to keep the place, but rather than rent it out, it feels like the right moment to share this exceptional space with someone who will appreciate both its history and its continued evolution as one of the most unique homes in the area.”
The home is guiding $2m set for auction on March 07 selling via The Agency’s David Barndon.
The listing is set to go live in February.
Julian Assange spent close to seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London between 2012 and 2019. He was later incarcerated in a London prison between 2019 and 2024 on charges of obtaining classified information by hacking. He was released in 2024 after a plea deal and flew to Australia.
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