Stonington sale ranks seventh highest in Australian top 10 trophy homes list
The Victorian residential price record was smashed last week when it emerged the Malvern mansion, Stonington sold for $52.5 million.
The big trophy home sale ranked firmly in the top 10 highest trophy home sales across the country.
Property Observer has pulled together the top 10 trophy home sales in Australian history.
1. $71 million - Elaine, Double Bay, NSW, 2017
Elaine at Double Bay was the big story of last year.
The 7,000 sqm waterfront which had been in the established Fairfax family for nearly 130 years sold to tech billionaire Scott Farquhar and wife Kim.
Fronting Seven Shillings Beach, the 1863 built trophy home, described as 'tired', was bought by Geoffrey Evan Fairfax in 1891. He paid £2100.
In 2016 Elaine was given an $80 million asking price and spent three years on the market in total before being sold by Christie's International agent Ken Jacobs.
Farqhuar, co-founder of tech company Atlassian, had been based in a Pyrmont spread.
The 37 year old sits atop the BRW Young Rich List with fellow co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes with a combined net worth of $4.6 billion.
2. $70 million – La Mer, Wentworth Road, Vaucluse NSW, 2015
James and Erica Packer sold their Vaucluse mansion for a new Australian house price record.
James and Erica Packer spent $30 million acquiring three properties in Sydney’s Vaucluse, before spending another $40 million to build the mansion La Mer. The photo below is prior to its construction/renovation.
The property sold to the Hunters Hill based Australian-Chinese billionaire businessman Chau Chak Wing.
3. $67 million* Phoenix Acres, Vaucluse, NSW, 2017
Hotelier Dr Jerry Schwartz and wife Debbie moved less than a kilometre across the Vaucluse waterfront to Phoenix Acres.
The six bedroom home belonged to Singaporean businessman Ck Ow and included a tennis court, resort-style pool and an old style English pub, a feature Ow had in his homes in London, Singapore and New Zealand.
A number of reports suggested it would set the national price record.
4. $61.8 million Altona, Wunulla Road, Point Piper, NSW, 2016
Altona, the Victorian Italianate manor headlines the prices on Point Piper's pricey Wunulla Road.
With a who's who of owners, the Dods and Zuccon designed home spans 1,400 sqm floor space. It has three levels and a turret.
The property was bought in 2016 by the low-key, formerly Hunters Hill based Huang family.
It had been owned by former teenage magazine publishing industry entrepreneur Deke Miskin and his wife Eve, as well as the publishing Handbury family.
Actor Russell Crowe looked at buying it in 2007, as did the Lowy shopping centre family.
Altona sits just a few doors along from the home of the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and wife, Lucy.
5. $60.66 million Portofino, Wingadal Crescent, Point Piper, NSW, 2016.
In late 2016 luxury car importer Neville 'Croaky' Crichton sold his Point Piper home quietly to downsize to a $33 million home in the same suburb.
He shipped that one off quickly in six months for $36 million then bought a $39 million home nearby.
The $60.66 million Windgadal Crescent home (front and centre waterfront) sits next door to Aussie John's mansion which was believed to have received a $100 million offer from China last year.
Known as Portofino, the Tuscan-style residence has six bedrooms, a gym, private jetty and is set on 1500 sqm.
The home broke the headlines in 2011 after Title Tattle revealed Microsoft boss Bill Gates was set to rent the home during his Sydney sojourn.
6. $57.5 million – Saunders Street, Mosman Park, WA, 2014
Perth's residential record actually stood as a national price record for a few years.
The 2014 Mosman Park sale from mining heiress Angela Bennett to mining magnate Chris Ellison and wife Tia held the record for two years before James Packers La Mer sale.
It spans 7,567 sqm of Swan River land and included three self-contained buildings, private jetty, boathouse, gym, cinema, pool and tennis court.
The Ellison's have continued to expand, buying a further two adjoining properties which takes the total land to more than 8,800 sqm.
7. $52.5 million Stonington, Glenferrie Road, Malvern, VIC, 2018
The most recent sale, the only in 2018, was Stonington, the historic Malvern mansion that sold last week.
Stonington belonged to art dealer Ron Menzies, who paid $17.5 million a decade ago. It sold to Chinese interests.
The 1890's home, built by Cobb & Co coaches partner John Wagner, bettered the previous $39 million Toorak sale late last year.
He bought the 1.2 hectare estate from developers who had sliced off large sections of the yard on which were built townhouses and apartments.
8. $52 million – Villa Veneto, Wolseley Road, Point Piper, NSW, 2010
The waterfront Italianate villa’s sale price was made in two instalments, with only the initial $44 million showing on title records, but it was long credited as Sydney’s top price after documents were shown of a second $9 million transfer.
It was sold by recruitment entrepreneur Andrew Banks and his wife Andrea to dentist David Penn and his wife Linda in 2010.
The grand five-storey Italianate villa at the end of Wolseley Road was designed by Michael Suttor and has six bedrooms, a 21 person lift, home theatre, glass-roofed dining room, sauna, art gallery, gym, linen chute and library.
It has nine bathrooms – including one for the gardener.
9. $52 million – Altona, Wunulla Road, Point Piper, NSW, 2013
Altona appears on the list again when it was sold for $52 million in 2013 by Deke Miskin and wife Eve.
10. $45 million – Coolong, Coolong Road, Vaucluse, NSW, 2008
In 2008 the national house price record was set when Coolong, the Vaucluse waterfront trophy of the late Allco founder David Coe, sold for $45 million.
The 4,100 sqm home sold to expat currency trader Ivan Ritossa and wife Marina. It had $40 million-plus hopes.
The Sydney record had stood at $32.4 million when Craig-y-Mor, a non-waterfront Point Piper house, sold to a Chinese businessman a few months earlier
