Final scene in a Paddington tale.

From two Australian television identities who work behind the scenes in writing and production, it’s a fitting sentiment for a home that has held them so gracefully. Positioned along one of Paddington’s most picturesque streets, the stately Victorian terrace balances preservation and evolution with ease. Its proportions remain generous, its details intact, yet its spaces have shifted subtly over time to reflect the rhythms of a growing family, changing needs and a deep appreciation for light, garden and connection.

The story begins before algorithms and alerts - before property searches lived in your pocket.

“You have to remember we found this property before internet and mobile phones existed,” Steve says. “We discovered 60 Ormond Street in the Wentworth Courier - the main port of call for real estate searches at the time.”

At the time, the brief was simple but urgent: space, width, and a backyard. With a nine-month-old son and a desire to move on from apartment living in Elizabeth Bay, the house offered something immediate and intangible.

“It was like a breath of fresh air,” Catherine says. “There was open space at the back and, at the time, it was overlooked by the Royal Hospital for Women - where our son was born.”

What followed was not a single moment of transformation, but a gradual and thoughtful evolution. Over 39 years, the home has been shaped incrementally - improved when possible, never overworked, always respectful of its origins.

“It was an ongoing project and we improved the property gradually when money was available,” Steve says. “The most substantial renovation was creating one large space out of two rooms for the kitchen and dining area, although we didn’t alter the footprint of the house.”

That decision - to open, rather than extend - feels central to the home’s enduring appeal. The kitchen now forms the heart of daily life, lined with windows that draw in the north light and frame the garden beyond. It’s a space that privileges outlook over opulence, connection over statement.

“After opening up the dining area and creating more windows, it gives us great pleasure to look out onto the trees and sky,” Catherine says.

Elsewhere, the home remains richly intact. Fireplaces, cornices, ceiling roses and timber floors speak to its Victorian lineage, while the scale of its rooms - increasingly rare - allows for both intimacy and generosity. In winter, those same proportions take on a different mood.

“As the seasons change it’s nice to sit with friends - cosily in front of the fireplaces,” Steve says. “The house is never cold.”

For a couple whose careers have taken them across the world, the constancy of this address has only reinforced its value.

“There is no doubt in our minds that Australia is the best address in the world - particularly Paddington!” Catherine says.

Daily life here is defined less by occasion and more by ritual. Light arrives early, quietly filling the front rooms, while weekends unfold at a gentler pace.

“The sun streams through the front windows first thing in the morning,” Steve says. “Saturday mornings are quiet - except for the currawongs and kookaburras - and a short trip to the local market for fresh croissants, fruit and veg makes the beginning of a perfect day.”

Beyond the front door, the suburb offers its own rhythm - familiar, walkable, and deeply local

“Paddington is a great place to live,” Catherine says. “Five Ways has become a popular hub for pubs, coffee shops and eateries. Eat Thai is our go-to restaurant for dinner or takeaway. Everything is within walking distance - even the SCG.”

But it’s the private moments - the garden now fully grown, the rooms filled with years of use - that linger most.  And while the next move may be downsizing, close and simpler, the weight of what’s being left behind is not lost on them.

“We love the house,” Catherine says. “Although something smaller would suit… but not too far away."

In Paddington, distance is rarely measured in kilometres. It’s measured in familiarity - in streets walked daily, in neighbours known over decades, in a home that, for 39 years, has been both the setting and the story.

View the listing: 60 Ormond Street, Paddington