Former schoolhouse in Southern Highlands sold for about $4.4 million
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Kurkulla, the former 1880s Bowral schoolhouse in the NSW Southern Highlands, has been sold for about $4.4 million.
The residence, which is on Evans Lane near the town centre, was restored and extended under the guidance of architect Howard Tanner in 2000.
With a new two-storey wing, the five-bedroom brick-and-timber residence features high ornate pressed ceilings, jarrah floors and eight fireplaces.
There is a heated pool and a tennis court with lights on its 1.5-hectare grounds with Catherine Lewis landscaping.
Kurkulla sold through Di Dixon of Ian Rayner Real Estate in conjunction with Bill Bridges of Ballard Property.
It ceased being a boarding school for boys in 1909 when purchased by Ada Evans and her brother.
Evans was the first woman to graduate from the law school at Sydney University, but was refused admission to the bar because the law at that time disqualified woman from practising.
Her battle culminated in the Women's Legal Status Act of 1918 being passed by the Holman government. However, becoming the first woman in NSW to qualify for admission to the bar meant two further years of study.
Evans lived in Kurkulla from 1909 until her death in 1947.
It has been sold through by the Kennedy family, who bought it from the Grattan-Smith family for $4.375 million in 2006. The buyers are said to have come from Canberra.
The Southern Highlands has shown glimpses of activity, including the sale of The Chase at Sutton Forest. Its most noteworthy listing is Riverbend at Berrima by the singer Jimmy Barnes.
