This house was built using 1100 square metres of timber hand-cut by one man and paid for entirely by a miracle sweepstakes win one spring afternoon in 1926.
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If a horse named Valamita had not crossed the finish line first with the odds of 16 to 1, 21A High Street in Batemans Bay might never have existed.
For nearly a century, only two families called this grand estate, on the NSW Far South Coast, home: the Ryans, who built it with their winnings, and the Innes family, who preserved it for more than five decades.
But now, Steve "Sir" Innes, the eldest of five to Merv and Robin who purchased the home in 1967, said it was being listed for sale so it could be treasured by a family once more.
"All my siblings are in different places now, so to try and take on the 'Big House' is a bit much for all of us," Mr Innes told Bega District News.
"I hope it becomes a prestigious family home for someone. Although there wasn't much prestige with it when we started, it did become that.
"The house needs someone else now to love it and enjoy it. People make a house a home."
Perched above Batemans Bay with sweeping views of the coastline and Clyde River, Ocean View House, nicknamed the "Big House", was a rare example of early 20th-century craftsmanship.
"It was the first house in Batemans Bay to be built on concrete foundations, which was pretty progressive, and it took a builder and apprentice nine months to build," Mr Innes said.
The home highlighted an era when quality materials and skilled workmanship were paramount, revealed in the generous proportions, surrounding verandahs and the solid hardwood construction.
The Ryans developed the site as an accommodation house in response to Batemans Bay's growing popularity as a visitor destination.
By December 1929, it was said that the accommodation was fully booked even before construction had been completed.
Although it opened just mere months before the Great Depression hit, Ocean View House remained with the Ryan family for 37 years.
The Royal Australian Air Force even used the building in World War II where it served as Australia's early warning system in the role of a lookout for plane spotting.
Several air force personnel were stationed at the property, making use of its elevated position on the Far South Coast.
By 1967, the house was sold to Merv and Robin Innes, the second owners of the grand property.
"Since we had grown up living in the top of the boatshed down on the river, moving up to the house was a bit of a strange experience for us," Mr Innes said.
"All the things we had disappeared when we moved to this 'Big House'.
"That's why we built a pool, because during the hot nights at the boatshed we'd lay in the water.
"When Mum and Dad bought the house, Mr and Mrs Ryan lived in one bedroom at the back of the house, there was a cold water tap in the kitchen, no bathrooms, a pan toilet, and plenty of lantana.
"The house was originally built with oil lamps throughout it as there was no electricity when they built it and there was no plumbing.
"So when Mum and Dad bought it, it took two years to make it liveable."
Mr Innes recalled several anecdotes from his time as a teenager living at Ocean View House up until he moved out at 22 years old.
These included his dad deciding to build a new fishing trawler called "Robin Elizabeth" from the side of the home to the unique and interesting guests who came to stay.
"In 1972, we built a trawler beside the house," Mr Innes said.
"The house was perfect for it because we could run planks along the large verandah and the house wasn't overwhelmed by the boat."
The home's nine-bedroom layout (eight up, one down) easily accommodated the Innes family of seven, plus a constant stream of guests invited to stay by his mother, Robin.
"In Batemans Bay, there was a shortage in accommodation," Mr Innes said.
"So Mum used to let rooms out to people who worked in forestry, school teachers and bank tellers, so we always had a steady flow of boarders.
"Phil Deer worked in forestry, Di Turner was a bubbly school teacher, and a lady named Sandra married a guy who came back from the Antarctic.
"It added to the lifetime of memories of people that came through the place with us."
The property at 21A High Street, Batemans Bay, has been listed through Elders Real Estate agent Rebecca "Bec" Shepheard, and was open for expressions of interest.
Contact her on 0413 580 309 or click here to see the listing.
Jimmy Parker
I am a multi-award-winning regional news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. I aim to immortalise the stories of everyday people through narratives and capture breaking news. Have you got a story? Contact me on 0437 166 441 or at jimmy.parker@austcommunitymedia.com.au
