Squizzy Taylor Carlton offering finds buyer

It might be a cliched marketing claim, but the former Carlton tavern supposedly frequented by the legendary Squizzy Taylor sold at its weekend auction.

The 1850s property on Barkly Street (above), which had a price guide of between $2.25 million and $2.5 million, fetched $2.6 million through Nelson Alexander agent James Keenan.

The two level, five bedroom home renovated by architect Shane Murray last traded for $478,000 in 1989.

Sydney's went without its equivalent, Henry Lawson slept here cliched offerings.

But a Glebe property with a fascinatingly disturbing past did go to auction without initial success.

However the 1833 Georgian Regency villa, Lyndhurst in Glebe which had $7 million plus hopes sold soon afterwards.

It was the home designed by esteemed architect John Verge as a marine villa for the colonial surgeon James Bowman, the husband of the iconic pastoralist John Macarthur's daughter, Mary. 

Lyndhurst colourful history saw it briefly as the headquarters of an Australian neo-Nazi party in the late 1960s.

Regarded as one of the inner Sydney’s most historically significant homes, it last sold at $3.3 million in 2005 to stockbroker Tim Eustace and his partner Salvatore Panui.

Eustace and Panui are bound for Darlinghurst, where they bought another historic inner city landmark, Iona, for $16 million from entertainment industry couple Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.

The top result under the auction hammer of the weekend was in Strathfield, in Sydney's inner west where Dr Vipin Goyal sold his seven-bedroom home for $6.83 million through Devine Real Estate.

The nation's top weekend private treaty result was secured by actress turned author Sophie Lee and her husband, advertising agency boss Anthony Freedman.

Their Bronte home, Shell House sold Friday evening through private treaty having $10 million plus expectations through D'Leanne Lewis of Laing + Simmons Double Bay.

Lee appeared as an actor in roles including Muriel's Wedding, Holy Smoke and The Castle, but she is now better known as an author.

Anthony has founded two agency groups, Host and One Green Bean.

The other big coastal offering, the Tamarama home of the pioneering former Oxford Street fashion retailer Robby Ingham and his wife Sarah was pulled from auction.

Its listing with $12 million plus hopes came as they have finished construction of their new home just around the corner.

The Gaerloch Ave property, listed through Pauline Goodyer of Goodyer Real Estate, has point blank ocean vista and views back to beach given its position above the iconic coastal walk.

The national clearance rate across the combined capital cities rose this week, up from 69 percent the previous week to 70 percent.

The level of activity across the capital city auction market was similar to the previous week, with 1,863 auctions held this weekend, compared to 1,876 last week.

Auction activity remains well below the comparable week last year, however, when 2,599 capital city auctions were held and 79 percent cleared.

This week, there were 825 auctions held in Melbourne, down from 871 last week, and also lower compared to one year ago (1,162).

Preliminary results show that 70 percent cleared this week, falling from 71 percent last week and well below the 82 percent one year ago.

CoreLogic RP Data noted over the past seven weeks, Melbourne has maintained a clearance rate above 70 percent.

The most auction activity this week happened in Melbourne’s inner sub-region, where 172 auctions were held and preliminary results show a 72 percent clearance rate.

Mlebourne's strongest clearance rate across the cit was in the outer East region at 80 percent.

Melbourne's top reported sale was $3.9 million in Brighton on Champion Street.

The four bedroom house on 840 sqm had last sold in 2006 at $2 million.

Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate was 74 percent this week, retaining its status as the nation's strongest property market.

The best performers were the city and inner South (86.5 percent) and North Sydney and Hornsby (83.0 percent).

Brisbane results showed a strong 55 percent, compared to 49 percent last week, and the strongest clearance rate in twelve weeks.

Adelaide's clearance rate sat in equal second place at 70 per cent. The nation's cheapest sale was in Adelaide's Rostrevor.

The one bedroom Radnor Avenue villa offering fetched $209,000. It had sold at $166,500 in 2008. It was a $235 a week rental.