Dame Joan Sutherland's childhood Woollahra home is up for grabs

With ambitious $13.5 million hopes, Clyde Cottage, the now restored one-time Woollahra childhood home of Dame Joan Sutherland, had it first open for inspection yesterday.

The queue which occasionally extended onto Queen Street appeared to be mostly opera and architectural buffs.

But then Atlassian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes was spotted walking through the village.

But he walked right past the open front gate, instead heading to the newsagency of buy five copies of The Australian newspaper which featured him all over the front page.

Cannon-Brookes and wife, Annie spent $12 million last year in Centennial Park after selling in Paddington.

Clyde Cottage, which has had a makeover by studiointernationale and May+Swan Architects, is being sold by Singapore billioniare Ronald Ooi, who was educated in Sydney.

It last sold for $4 million in a dilapidated state.

The house became Sutherland's home after her father died suddenly on her sixth birthday in the early 1930's and sold by the family sold in 1951.

Several years before her death Sutherland noted: "Unfortunately, from the time my family gave up the house, the deterioration set in.”

Considered among Singapore's richest, Ooi secured $1.35 billion when his 40 year old family securities and investment broker company was sold several years ago.

The restoration and extension of Clyde Cottage retained the original residence at the front, and added two interconnected pavilions behind it that include the ultra-contemporary main living areas.