James Morrison sells The Eyrie at Bungan Head - but price nothing to trumpet about
The Newport home of legendary jazz musician James Morrison has been finally sold, some months after being relisted with reduced $3 million plus price expectations.
The Eyrie, an unusual sandstone five-bedroom house with tower on a 1,665 square metre block at Bungan Head, last traded for $790,000 in 1994 when bought by James and Judi.
Coming with views of both Newport and Bungan beaches, it was marketed also as a potential development site.
Its listing agent Geoff Grist was initially seeking $3.75 million-plus for rendered sandstone house, The Eyrie last year.
The sale price is undisclosed on Grist's website.
It has has sweeping lawns, a 20-metre lap pool, a Balinese cabana, pizza oven and a guest cabin overlooking the pool.
When it was bought in 1994 from Ross Barwick, Sir Garfield Barwick's son, it was being advertised as an "unfixable dump".
Title Tattle recalls when the then neglected estate was auctioned in 1994 it was hotly contested by the tenants of 14 years, Rodney Booth and Sue Cummings, but a determined Morrison paid $90,000 more than the reserve.
Morrison sold his other Newport home for $935,000 shortly after.
RP Data list around 116 properties on the road, with 18 sales above $2 million over the years. Of these there were five sales above $2 million last year. There have been three sales above $4 million, topped off at $4.65 million in August 2006 some 11 months after being listed with $5 million hopes. There are six properties with 1,500 square metres or more on dress circle strip.
The name Bungan is first recorded in a survey in 1814 as Bongin Bongin, referring to the 700 acres which included present day Mona Vale and Bungan granted to Robert Campbell junior.
Bungan Beach is bordered by Mona Vale to the south and Newport to the west and north.
The land rises to the summit of Bushrangers Hill at 103 metres, a natural lookout point - which despite the name has no known connection with bushrangers.
In 1890s Alfred Yewen built a cottage, Bungania, at the north end of the beach headland.
Before the 1920s few people lived at Bungan.
Mona Vale library records reveal in 1908 that the Napier Thomson family of Whitecourt, Cremorne built The Eyrie, presumably then a one bedrrom cottage on a much bigger land holding.
In 1919 Adolph Albers built Bungan Castle atop Bungan headland.
Transport in those days was by horse and cart or on foot, the library archives noted. Families kept a few cows to supply milk. Apparently time was spent walking, fishing, boating, or bathing. And presumably entertaining themselves with musical instruments.