It was the South African icon’s beloved family home and retreat from the hustle and bustle of working life, and now it’s yours as the property comes on the market for the first time in nearly six decades.
The late football director and leading barrister Max Basheer AM bought their Wattle Park home with his late wife Elaine in 1967 – the day Harold Holt mysteriously disappeared – attracted by its location and the sense of tranquility it offered.
The late Max Basheer in the Supreme Court library after announcing his resignation as an Advocate. Photo by MATT TURNER.
![Advertiser's library](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Max with Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke during his visit to Football Park, West Lakes in 1983.
Max’s Grand 16 Simpson Rd, Wattle Park home. It is provided
It’s those same features that daughters Jayne and Ann, who sell the property, have come to love.
“Until the end, my father loved it here,” said Jayne.
“He was still practicing law at the age of 92 and was Australia’s oldest practicing lawyer.
“He stayed here until his last days, supporting his family because he didn’t want to leave.
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“It’s a delightful home and a very nice, comfortable house.
“It’s high in the area so when you sit on the veranda it feels like a Queenslander except it’s made of stone.
“And you get these amazing winds, so you have this great feeling that you’re waking up to kookaburras and magpies and birdlife, and it all changes with the seasons.”
A light-filled living space. It is provided
One of the bedrooms. It is provided
Another place to stay. It is provided
But it’s not just the nature of this four-bedroom home that his late father loves, says Jayne – it sits on a 2936sqm allotment – but it offers the community a range of indoor and outdoor living spaces, including a formal living room, study and sunroom, formal living room, open-plan kitchen and dining room, lounge, lounge.
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“My father came from a Lebanese family and was very hospitable,” Jayne said.
“This place was known to have parties of up to 300 people, and he always had people eating by the pool and eating by the fireplace, or drinking in the basement.
“This home has been lived in and hundreds of people from all walks of life, be it law, football or the racing community, have enjoyed their time here.
Plenty of room for books. It is provided
There is even a wine cellar. It is provided
There is even a lake. It is provided
“When he was 90 he didn’t want to have one party because it was over quickly and you couldn’t talk to anyone, so we had 10 three-course dinners for 16 people – one every second Saturday and from April to September.”
Since this place is too big for him or Mimi to handle, it’s time for someone else to call it home.
“It’s a magical place and we’re sad to say goodbye,” said Jayne.
“But it begs for a small family to come in and enjoy it.
It was a place of love for all of us.”
