When Newcastle couple Angela and Sam North purchased their new home in Charlestown this month they did not have to think twice about whether they would be keeping its unique feature.
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The walls of the lower level of the house at 27 Pillapai Street are lined with thousands of beer cans, collected from all over the world and across Australia, since the 1960s.
Related: House of beer-tiques
The collection was the handiwork of the late Kent Murrells, a former printer at the Newcastle Herald, who died in April, after a battle with motor neurone disease.
When the three-bedroom home was listed last month through Ray White’s Darren Penn, marketing material said: “Beer can collection is included in sale or can be removed.”
The Norths bought the property for $680,000.
“It’s so impressive; we love it,” Angela said. “We’ll definitely keep it. We had a cafe in Sydney before we moved to Newcastle and our style is full retro.
“My husband is totally into beer and brewing beer and my grandma and poppy used to own the Mattara Hotel in Charlestown.”
They have had mixed reactions when telling people about the can collection.
“People laugh but it’s actually really impressive,” Angela said. “I think it could be an art exhibition or if you’re doing a fit-out for a pub or bar it would make an awesome wall.
“In the meantime it will be our party room.”
The couple are now selling their own home in Mayfield which they have renovated. It being marketed through Century 21’s Suzanne Hill for $649,950.