Cafe queen pays $10.4 million for Coogee mansion she fell in love with

Therese Moussa and her husband Ramzey Choker know all about the allure of a local landmark. Their hospitality venue The Grounds has been among the biggest drawcards to Alexandria since it opened in 2012. They have since expanded to include The Grounds of the City and, more recently, The Grounds Coffee Factory in Eveleigh.

It’s fitting that Moussa, as the creative director and head stylist behind The Grounds, has purchased a landmark house in Coogee to which she plans to apply her designer eye.

Roslyn was built in 1886 for wealthy timber merchant Charles Saxton.Credit: Domain

“I fell in love with this house. It’s a gem that will be a fun project to bring to life, keeping all that beautiful heritage,” she said.

That house is Roslyn, the Boom-style Victorian mansion that has claimed a commanding hillside position in Coogee since it was built in 1886 for wealthy timber merchant Charles Saxton in the wake of the gold rush construction boom.

The Grounds’ director Ramzey Choker and Therese Moussa, creative developer and stylist.Credit: Edwina Pickles

The seven-bedroom residence with widow’s walk was later owned by local alderman Vincent McCauley, who subdivided the block into flats, only for it to be restored as a single residence by the late property investor Basil Burak following his purchase in 1955 for £5759.

Burak’s four sons sold it in 2015 for $4 million to cardiologist Aiden O’Loughlin and Ashleigh Skillecorn, who undertook a restoration and renovation before they listed it with PPD’s Alexander Phillips.

Records don’t confirm the widely tipped sale price of $10.4 million, nor was it offered by Phillips.

Don’t expect to see Moussa take up residence in the property, however. It is intended for family, freeing Moussa and Choker to remain Elizabeth Bay locals, where they are renting in the Kincoppal building from Taiwanese star and singer of the 1960s Betty Pai.

Narrawallee’s gem

The Narrawallee holiday home is listed with a $4 million guide.Credit: Domain

Feminist stalwart and businesswoman Wendy McCarthy has called time on the South Coast holiday home she purchased unexpectedly 15 years ago after visiting the area to stay with friends.

Wendy McCarthy is the former chairwoman of McGrath Estate Agents, who are selling her South Coast property.Credit: Bloomberg

At the time McCarthy paid $960,000 for the four-bedroom house, set at the north-facing end of Narrawallee Beach with views through the trees to the beach.

McCarthy is the former chancellor of the University of Canberra, but for more than half a century has been a trailblazer for women’s rights in Australia, having been one of the founding members of the Women’s Electoral Lobby in 1972, an adviser on women’s issues to former prime minister Malcolm Fraser and later chief executive of the Australian Federation of Family Planning Associations, not to mention deputy chair of the ABC.

“There’s a time for everything, this is the right time. We’ll hand it over with love,” McCarthy said of her decision to sell.

The sale comes a year after Narrawallee’s local house price records were smashed at $12 million when a beachfront house sold for $12 million – cash – to retiring farmers from Galong Roz and Max Graham.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom house last traded in 2009 for $960,000.Credit: Domain

The Potts Point-based McCarthy, a former McGrath Estate Agents chairwoman, has listed it – unsurprisingly – with McGrath’s Andrea Tucker with a $4 million guide.

Waverley highs

Michael Nebenzahl, whose venue operator Playbill runs the landmark Hordern Pavilion, has landed on Waverley’s property records as the recent $11.7 million suburb record setter.

The Waverley house bought by Michael Nebenzahl has set an $11.7 million high.Credit: Domain

Nebenzahl’s purchase through Phillips ended the brief ownership of former Goldman Sachs senior executive Pippa Downes and family law specialist Nicole Evans, who also set a suburb high when they bought it two years ago for $11 million.

Playbill Venues boss Michael Nebenzahl runs the iconic Hordern Pavilion.Credit: James Alcock/SMH

It was built a decade ago for neurosurgeon Mark Winder and his wife Emma Cowan, complete with a curved billiard room, media den, wine cellar, soundproof music studio, gym, home office, 25-metre lap pool and a stacker garage, all on just 473 square metres.

The Winders have since claimed a house price record in Wahroonga, where they paid $14.5 million for the home of tech entrepreneur Dominic O’Hanlon.

The Bear Cave

Former rugby league player Denis Cubis, who played for the North Sydney Bears in the 1960s, and his wife Beryl have listed their Kirribilli waterfront home for October 19 auction.

The couple have owned the four-bedroom spread almost 30 years, paying $1.6 million in 1995.

Beryl and Denis Cubis are selling their Kirribilli waterfront apartment after almost 30 years.Credit: Domain

The two-storey apartment is one of four in the waterfront block and comes with a private marina berth.

DiJones’s Nigel Mukhi has a $12.5 million guide.

Discounted result

Best-selling author John Flanagan, best known to younger readers for his Ranger’s Apprentice series, and his wife Leonie sold their Mosman home overlooking Quakers Hat Bay after they cut the guide by $1.5 million.

John Flanagan is the best-selling author of the Rangers Apprentice series.Credit: James Brickwood

The Flanagans initially hoped for $6.5 million to $7 million a year ago, but relaunched it recently with $5 million guide. It last traded in 2016 for $4.1 million.

O’Gorman & Partners’ Rob Jacobs declined to reveal the result.