Homes of Australia's criminal elite
Michael Hurley, the Pyrmont wharfie who became known as Australia's cocaine import king, once owned a luxury Glebe trophy home that sold earlier this year for $4.22 million.
It was Hurley's home in the late 1990s, before he moved to a waterfront unit at Pyrmont.
Hurley paid $515,000 in 1997, selling it three years later in 2000 for $1,325,000. Hurley, who died of cancer in 2007, a year after his arrest, began his criminal life stealing chickens.
During ownership of the Toxteth Road home he used a public phone box rather than the home phone.
And his babysitters were instructed not to open the door.
A neighbour reputedly decided against installing an air-conditioning unit after being warned Hurley would object.
During renovations a fireplace was stolen, however it was returned promptly within 24 hours when it emerged it was Hurley who owned the home.
It was marketed by Belle Property as "a shining example of the opulent Italianate architectural era."
The Toxteth Road home didn't feature in the recent TV mini-series, Roger Rogerson.
The show portrayed Hurley and Rogerson turn up to an auction attempting to buy back his childhood home.
The actor who was the auctioneer was Peter Mochrie, who is a regular auctioneer for the McGrath Estate Agents group.
He was auctioning at Pymble and Castle Hill yesterday.
The Padstow Heights home of the convicted former NSW detective Roger Rogerson was recently transferred into the sole ownership of Anne Melocco, now technically his former wife, but devoted friend.
It had been bought jointly for $385,000 in 1998 from Brett and Cherie Holmes, with their lawyer, Graham Bellamy.
They had been living in a Condell Park townhouse which Melocco sold for $117,000 in 1998.
There was a discharge of its original $270,000 Citibank mortgage that came with the recent title dealing.
It had been the business address for his Re-Con Scaffolding business.
The Central Coast holiday home of convicted former NSW detective Roger Rogerson was sold last year to pay his lawyer fees for his Jamie Gao murder trial.
The basic single level 1950s cottage at Long Jetty, 100 kilometres north of Sydney, fetched $555,000.
Rogerson paid $51,000 in 1984.
The 660 sq m Thelma Street holding was retained by Roger following his 1992 divorce from his first wife, Joy.
It was just the one bedroom cottage with combustion fireplace and sunroom, located a few hundred metres to Toowoon Bay.
The corrupt cop Mark Standon lost his Bateau Bay property for a loss.
It was bought for $737,500 in 2006 but sold by RAMS mortgagee for $630,000 in 2009.
This article first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph.