Houses designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Eric Nicholls in Castlecrag, Sydney listed for sale

The landmark homes are located in Castlecrag, a suburb in Sydney's lower north shore that was developed by Griffin and his wife, architect Marion Mahony Griffin.

The American couple designed the suburb in the 1920s, some years after they won an international competition to design Canberra.

Known as one of Griffin's grandest designs, Fishwick House, located at 15 The Citadel, Castlecrag, is up for sale with a price guide of $5.6 million to $6.1 million.

Designed by Griffin in 1929, the two-storey, sandstone house sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on a 809-square-metre block.

It features four bedrooms, two of which were designed as maid's quarters, two bathrooms, a sunken study and a reception area.

According to the Walter Burley Griffin Society, Fishwick House is among the most celebrated of Griffin's Castlecrag designs "because it demonstrates the Griffin ideas applied for a client with the will, the means and the enthusiasm, to implement them".

The impressive home was originally designed for English-born businessman Thomas Fishwick and once included design quirks such as two glass-bottomed fish tanks built into the dining room ceiling.

At some stage, the fish tanks were removed and skylights now take their place.

Fish tanks aside, many of the home's original features have been maintained and restored by its current owners, who purchased the house in 1976.

Selling agent Marcus Lloyd-Jones of Modern House Estate Agents said most of the interest so far has come from Sydney buyers.

"They're most definitely folk who understand where Walter Burley Griffin stands in the story of Australian residential design," he said.

"Some have described themselves as potentially 'future custodians'.

"Others have heard of Walter Burley Griffin, of course, but the name is not the main reason why they would be living in the house. They just want to live in something that is absolutely beautiful."

The current owners undertook an extensive restoration of the home in 1996, which was later listed as an item of state significance on the NSW State Heritage Register.

Mr Lloyd-Jones said Fishwick House is a significant example of early modern design but ultimately, it is a home.

"At the Fishwick House, Walter Burley Griffin had the right client and the right budget to design a substantial house that included incredibly modern features for the time," he said.

"From the covered entry, the ceiling height progressively gets higher through the house. The entrance hall flows into the main living space with that extraordinary panoramic view over Middle Harbour.

"It is a very sophisticated house to live in. The plan is so good and it's full of small moments of joy. It's quite incredible."

Another Castlecrag landmark, 3 The Bastion, is slated for auction later this month with a price guide of $4.8 million.

Known as Pangloss, the house was designed in 1939 by Eric Nicholls, who worked alongside the Griffins for many years.

The grand home was built for Guido Baracchi, a founding member of the Communist Party of Australia.

Defined by its sandstone Martello tower, the single-level home is divided into two wings and includes four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study.

In the 1940s, the circular room at the centre was used as a theatre by Baracchi and his partner, playwright Betty Roland.

Today, the space looks out over an entertaining deck and outdoor swimming pool.

The property last sold in 2018 for $4.1 million, CoreLogic records show.

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Selling agent Stewart Gordon of Ray White Lower North Shore said downsizers were among those showing serious interest in the home.

"It's been very, very popular throughout campaign obviously with serious buyers looking to buy but also people who come just to look at the history," he said.

"The really interested parties will probably be early downsizers, with a couple young families having a look at it too."

Despite his immense influence on the territory, Griffin didn't design any residential buildings in Canberra.

His ACT inventory, as outlined by the Walter Burley Griffin Society, includes the grave of Major-General Sir William Throsby Bridges, three sewerage vents and an incinerator designed by his associate Nicholls.

Castlecrag and its landmark homes are an important visual memory for Canberrans, said Peter Graves, chair of the Canberra chapter of the Walter Burley Griffin Society.

"Marion and Walter Griffin are largely forgotten in Canberra except for the name of the lake and the view," he said.

"The major ways that we remember them are actually by the private sector, with a mural in Kingston and cafes in the Regatta Point.

"But the homes that they built in Castlecrag are their lasting visual memory and acknowledgement of their architectural work and design."

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