Mortlock family sells Killara sporting icon, Poitiers

Mortlock family sells Killara sporting icon, Poitiers
Staff reporterDecember 7, 2020

A 1904 Killara trophy home with great sporting pedigree was the nation's top weekend auction result.

The upper North Shore Sydney home, Poitiers sold for $5.45 million (above), having been listed with a price guide of $4.9 million to $5.3 million.

Sitting on 1,900 sqm with 35 metre Springdale Road frontage, it was once home to Bert Oldfield, the famous test cricketer from the Bodyline era.

After almost five decades' ownership Bert Oldfield and his wife Ruth sold the home to the current owners John and Patricia Mortlock, the parents of former Australian Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock.

The Mortlock family had purchased Poitiers in 1976 for $127,000. 

The Oldfields had bought it from the French-born Sydney socialite Paul Dekyvere in the early 1930s.

Featuring timber joinery and ceilings, original fireplaces and also a ballroom-sized formal lounge, the property was sold at weekend auction by Curran Property agent Glenn Curran.

He secured bids from four of the five registered bidders with it knocked down to local buyers of Chinese descent.

Attempts by the reality star and commercial real estate agent Krissy Marsh to secure $8 million for her six-bedroom Dover Heights home failed at its buyer-invitation only auction on Thursday evening (below).

There were three registered parties seeking the architect-designed home of the Real Housewives of Sydney star through Alex Lyons and Peter Starr of McGrath who placed an $8 million vendor bid.

An agency tweet on Saturday incorrectly advised it had been sold which triggered an inaccurate Sunday news report (below). 

Marsh is known on the series as the "property princess."

Just 1,402 auctions were held across the combined capital cities, significantly lower than the 2,907 held last week and a tad lower than one year ago (1,488), according to CoreLogic’s latest report.

Some four out of the eight states and territories had a public holiday Monday which has been a key factor in the fall in long weekend auction volumes.

The combined capital city clearance rate rose from 74 percent last week to 80 percent.

Both the two largest auction markets, Melbourne and Sydney, saw their preliminary clearance rates rise, with Sydney at 83.1 percent and Melbourne at 84.3 percent, while the highest clearance rate was in Adelaide where 87 percent of auctions cleared over the weekend. Canberra was also well into the 80s. 

One year ago, the combined capital city clearance rate was a lower 64.9 percent.

Given the Moomba long weekend only 355 Melbourne auctions were held, with a rise in the clearance rate for Melbourne from 78.4 percent last week.

Over the same weekend last year, Melbourne’s clearance rate was 68.6 percent across 420 auctions. 

Hawthorn East had the dearest house sale at $3.05 million, with 18 Carlyle Street (below) an 1890s Victorian house on 710 sqm.

The property offering three bedrooms plus study and two bathrooms last sold for $120,100 in 1984.

Of the Melbourne sub-regions, the highest clearance rate was recorded across the Inner South region, with preliminary results showing 92.9 percent of the 14 results were successful, followed by the Inner East where 92.5 percent of auctions cleared.

Sydney was the busiest capital city auction market this week, with 766 auctions held with its preliminary clearance rate of 83.1 percent well up on the final 76 percent for last week.

One year ago the clearance rate was 71.2 percent.

Sydney’s strongest performing sub-regions this week were Ryde (94.6 percent), Northern Beaches (90.9 percent) and North Sydney and Hornsby (90.2 percent).

With no public holiday on Monday for Brisbane, auction activity remained relatively stable, with 126 auctions held across the city, down from 158 last week and 152 one year ago.

The clearance rate increased from 55.3 percent last week to 61.1 percent this week, much stronger on the same time last year at 38.5 percent.

Across the Gold Coast, 45 auctions were held this week and preliminary results show that 46 per cent of the 30 reported results were successful.

In Adelaide, an 87 percent preliminary result was recorded across 82 auctions.

Last weekend, 147 Adelaide auctions returned a clearance rate of 68 percent for the city. 

A beachfront house at Henley Beach sold for $3.45 million. Located at 353 Esplanade (below), the 1918 bungalow was offered for the first time in 50 years.

Perth’s preliminary clearance rate was 44 percent this weekend, up from 28 percent.

This week 28 Perth homes were auctioned, while 9 results have been reported so far. 

An original War Service home at Mosman Park in Perth sold for $1.2 million, the top sale on its election weekend.

Located at 41 Samson Street (below) the north facing 705 sqm block was marketed as a perfect place for a new home site by Riverside Real Estate agent Henry Willis.

Across Canberra, 42 homes were taken to auction.

Preliminary results show a clearance rate of 83 per cent, up from 70 per cent the previous weekend.

A classic home at Campbell has been sold for $1.17 million, the most expensive Canberra home sold over the weekend.

Located at 25 Jacka Crescent, (below) the single level property features a formal lounge with slow combustion fireplace.

It last sold in 2013 for $860,000 and $697,000 in 2007.

The property was offered through Peter Blackshaw Real Estate.

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