Cranbrook School secures the $15.5 million Bellevue Hill former home of Sir Peter Abeles
The neighbouring Cranbrook School was the undisclosed $15.5 million buyer of the former Bellevue Hill matrimonial home of the late transport tycoon Sir Peter Abeles.
The 2549 square metre land was originally part of the Cranbrook estate -- now home to the private school for boys -- which was subdivided in 1917.
As it rained down Sundorne, the 1925 house (pictured below) sold at $15,501,000 when offered at its onsite auction after being listed with $11 million-plus hopes. There was only competition from a North Shore family after the 2A zoned property was announced on the market at around $11.5 million.
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The school council president Dr Helen Nugent and treasurer Geoff Kimpton were in attendance at the very damp invitation only auction, accompanied by Sydney lawyer, Bruce McWilliam. They seemed to adopt the school motto, Esse Quam Videri which translates from Latin to "to be rather than to seem to be".
The acquisition (see red below) with crown land portion (green triangle) is across the road from the school (large green space below) on the corner of Victoria Road and Rose Bay Avenue, which was known as Gallipoli Avenue until 1926.
Cranbrook School (pictured below) was founded in 1918 through the generous benefaction of a small number of supporters. On 1 December 1917, the former private home and vice-regal residence, Cranbrook, was listed by the NSW Government and bought at auction by an agent for Samuel Hordern, the main financial benefactor of a group of businessmen and churchmen aiming to establish an Anglican boys' school in the Eastern Suburbs.
The 1859 sandstone Cranbrook residence built for the Tooth brewery family and then owned by the White pastoralist family from 1873.
It served as the abode of the NSW Governor between 1900 and 1917.
The first headmaster, Rev. F T Perkins opened the school in July 1918.
The property presented a rare opportunity as it last sold 45 years ago, had also been sold in the 1917 government subdivision sell-off.
Sundorne, the well-hidden Tudor style six-bedroom Victoria Road mansion, was bought from the well-connected establishment Simpson lawyer family in 1958 through Sir Peter's company P.A. Holdings Pty Ltd for about £60,000.
The block was purchased in 1917 by Edward Percy Simpson, who commissioned architect CA Millyard to build Sundorne in 1925 as a wedding present for his son, Edward Telford Simpson.
The school council president Helen Nugent confirmed the acqusition in an email today (pictured below) to parents noting "the significant investment offers us the chance to accelerate the realisation of our plans for the revitalisation of the senior school campus, with our aim being to bring it into line with the world-class standard set by our new Junior School." It said the school enjoyed "the advantages of a magnificent setting at Bellevue Hill, but space is at a premium: the acquisition of this expansive property will allow us to advance our vision more efficiently and effectively."
