LOCATION AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE
The Sir John Monash Centre (SJMC) lies to the east of Amiens alongside the Villers-Bretonneux military cemetery. Situated behind the western front for most of the war, the village was nonetheless at the heart of the battle for Hill 104. The Germans captured the
strategic ridge from exhausted British soldiers on 24 April 1918. It was Australian 13th and 15th brigades, including indigenous Australians, who recaptured the ridge the same night. The loss of life was enormous
and the centre commemorates this, together with the Australian contribution to the conflict. Ben Daetwyler was appointed
into life behind the front. Originally a chalk quarry, the underground complex was used in the 17th century to shelter local inhabitants during the Thirty Years’ War. Rediscovered and reopened
to tourists in the late 19th century, it became a popular destination for off-duty soldiers during WWI and many left graffiti in the soft chalk walls. Of the 6,000 named graffiti, 2,500 were from Australian soldiers, and this evidence is being used, with the photos from Vignacourt, to piece together their lives. Superimposed are the marks of the Nazi occupation of the caves with German soldiers adding their own graffiti to the walls.
ON THE MARKET “Amiens is an easy-going place to live, with lots of green spaces, parks and the famous
On the market
as director of the centre on a two-year contract in April 2024. He moved to France with his wife Sarah and their three children and says: “Bretonneux holds a very special place in the story of Australia and its army. Being able to help share that with visitors is very special. “I also have a family connection
through my great uncle, William Ecclestone, who was killed in France during WWI. Because his body was never recovered, his name appears on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. “As a former army officer with a keen interest in history, working
Amiens’ modernised citadel is now a university campus
at the SJMC was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It’s also an amazing opportunity for our kids to be exposed to a different culture and language.” The Daetwylers’ pet dog and
rabbit also made the journey from Australia and Ben’s family now rents a home just outside Paris so that the children can attend an international school. “Enrolling the kids in French aſter-school activities has been great,” Ben says. “It’s forced them to engage with the language and has allowed them to feel more a part of the community.” Because Ben is in Amiens during the week, he found a
studio apartment to rent in the city. He says: “I spoke next to no French before we moved, although I’m learning, but the process was straightforward. There’s a good selection of estate agents and plenty of housing available. I found that engaging with agents in person, rather than via email, helped; I moved into my flat next to the belfry just a week aſter finding it. “Amiens is a university city,
with about 30,000 students, and my flat is pretty typical of the surrounding housing. It’s a vibrant place, with a great cultural life and everybody is very friendly.”
sjmc.gov.au
to Charles de Gaulle airport next year, Amiens will be even closer to major cities. “Since Covid, there has
been a sharp rise in sales of houses with gardens and flats with terraces. Parisians have relocated here, but we’ve seen a downturn in sales with recent rises in interest rates.”
“Amiens is an easy-going place to live, with lots of green spaces”
hortillonnages, a tranquil area of ‘floating’ gardens close to the cathedral,” says estate agent Catherine Odent. “We have a pedestrianised city centre, plenty of shops and the Somme countryside close by, and we’re
only an hour or so from the Picardy coast and 15 minutes more from Paris.” According to Catherine,
now is a great time to invest in property. “With the arrival of the TGV line linking Amiens
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SOUGHT-AFTER SPOTS Typical Amiens houses, Catherine tells me, usually cost between €250,000 and €400,000 in areas close to the centre, such as the sought- after Henriville, Ste-Anne and St-Honoré districts. For a three-bedroom family home in very good condition, prices are around €2,500 to €3,000/m2
.
For a luxury flat with a lift, outside space and a garage, this rises to somewhere in the region of €4,000/m2
. Areas around the station
are popular with people who work in Paris or towns accessible by train, but the whole city is well served by an electric city bus network. What impressed me most
€654,000, Amiens: In a central spot, this three-bedroom duplex built in 2018 has a roof terrace with pool, city views, ensuite bathroom, plus a basement garage (Agence du Centre)
€150,000, St-Leu, Amiens: This one-bedroom waterfront flat has an open-plan kitchen and living area, plus a view of Amiens cathedral; it would make an ideal pied à terre (Agence du Centre)
74 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025
€389,000, Bacouel-sur-Selle: Near Amiens, this modern three- bedroom home is set in a garden of 1,000m2
; it has balconies,
log-burner and open-plan kitchen and living area (Agence du Centre)
about this northern city was its energy. Everywhere you look – whether it’s the renovation of individual buildings, the revitalisation of whole areas, or the sensitivity with which it explores its complex past – Amiens appears to be truly indomitable. If you’re looking for a fresh
and creative place to live, it’s well-worth putting Amiens at the top of your list. ■
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