Step back in time this weekend to a historic auction being held on one of the best streets in the most sought-after suburbs in Canberra – 59 Duffy Street in Ainslie.

It’s not often you get to invest in a piece of authentic Canberra history with this original 1920s two-bedroom brick home, which pays homage to olden days with a horse stable in the backyard. This rare offering has stood the test of time.

It’s hard to believe that this affluent suburb was once a predominantly blue-collar area. Ainslie has well and truly become gentrified, with properties regularly fetching more than $1 million.

Among the most sought-after properties in the suburb are the heritage-listed cottages like this one, which was built during the conservative governments of Stanley Bruce and Joseph Lyons.

Inside this solid brick home are high ceilings and high-set doors, as well as hardwood flooring that gives an air of old-world elegance. Both bedrooms are of good size and the kitchen has been rejuvenated.

The well-designed floorplan with great orientation lends itself to further extensions to capitalise on this historic home in Ainslie’s tightly-held dress circle. The land alone – 942 square metres – sits on golden Ainslie soil.

If you are looking to buy this piece of history, you might be interested to know that the suburb was named after James Ainslie, a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, who worked at Canberra’s Duntroon Station in 1825, driving a mob of sheep south from Bathurst until he found suitable land – the limestone plains of Canberra.

Apparently, James Ainslie even camped under gum trees at what is now Corroboree Park.

This is a beautiful pioneering story that people will want to buy into. With Mount Ainslie, Ainslie Shops, a well-regarded Primary School and so much more at your doorstep, this is an auction not to miss.

This Ainslie home is just one of many auctions scheduled around Canberra this weekend, so we did some number-crunching to help you stand your ground.

According to Auction Advantage, statistically more than 15 bids will be placed if there are three or more registered bidders.

Canberra has about 25 active auctioneers, each with their unique style and idiosyncrasies. You want to know how those auctioneers take bids, how they negotiate and their approach which could potentially save you money. The last bid can be the difference between paying an extra $500 or $10,000.

59 Duffy Street, Ainslie. Auction: Saturday 27 July at 9:30am. Click here to read more about the property.