The Sell: Trailblazer takes broad view of ‘magical’ Narrawallee
Feminist trailblazer, author, change agent and business woman Wendy McCarthy has listed her coastal Narrawallee retreat with $4m price guidance.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Feminist trailblazer, author, change agent and business woman Wendy McCarthy has listed her coastal Narrawallee retreat on the NSW South Coast.
It has been listed with $4m price guidance by McGrath Mollymook agent Andrea Tucker.
The now renovated home was bought in 2009 for $960,000 by McCarthy and her husband Gordon, who were married for 53 years until his death in 2017.
McCarthy’s roles through the years have included being deputy chairman of the ABC, the National Trust chief executive and chairwoman of McGrath Estate Agents.
“We’ve had a glorious life in that beautiful community,” McCarthy told The Sell. “From our deck I can see broad views of sea and bush.
“Our five grandkids have a wonderful time at the beach there.
“Narrawallee is a really magical place because the beach is very long and wide; it accommodates good surfers and the ordinary swimmer, plus there’s a couple of little rockpools for the kids.
“Narrawallee is almost unknown, just the way the locals like it,” she said.
“It’s not overly civilised but we have everything from three-hatted restaurants to writers’ festivals, music and a movie theatre nearby.
“Canberrans love it too.
“Narrawallee is the sort of place where you start off as weekenders and eventually end up living there full time. I’m happy now to be concentrating on my Potts Point home,” she said.
This year’s priciest Narrawallee sale occurred in May this year when $4.4m was paid by the Feary family on Surfers Ave for a four bedroom, three bathroom house on a 1097sq m holding. The top price came last October when retired farmers Max and Roz Graham from Galong on NSW’s southwest slopes, paid $12m for a Victor Ave property.
RED WIGGLE, WIFE SELL TO GAIN SPACE FOR FAMILY
Red Wiggle Simon Pryce and his wife Lauren Hannaford, the gymnast turned FHIT online fitness entrepreneur, have sold their longtime Clovelly home.
There has been no price disclosure, but its Belle Property agents Nick Simitzis and Thomas Lloyd had a $1.9m guide for its September 28 auction. PropTrack calculates the two-bedroom apartment median price sits at $1.8m, up 17 per cent after 24 sales over the past years. Pryce has called the two-bedroom apartment home since paying $860,000 in 2011.
Engaged in 2015 and married in 2017, and now with three-year-old son Asher, the family is understood to be looking for more space. The elevated first floor Ocean St apartment, which enjoys ocean views from its wraparound study, dining area and sunroom, secured some 2330 page views during its marketing on realestate.com.au. The apartment has 108sq m space including balconies plus a 15sq m lock up garage.
The renovated apartment features polished concrete Terrazo flooring in the living area, which is separated from the study space with modern timber screening.
The last sale in the 1970s block of nine was in 2020 when a higher level two-bedroom apartment fetched $2,225,000.
Pryce bought the unit two years before becoming the Red Wiggle, however, his involvement with the Wiggles dates back to 2002, when he began as one of their voice artists on their CDs. He joined their regular tour in 2009, as Ringo the Ringmaster and understudying for founding member Murray Cook, before replacing him in 2013.
The couple met in 2011 when Hannaford toured with the Wiggles.
Pryce told The Daily Telegraph earlier this year that he had a “whole new appreciation” for his work as one of Australia’s most loved children’s entertainers, now that his toddler son has started clapping along.
“It’s this milestone your child’s reached, where they’re marrying words with actions, and they’re hearing, they’re listening and they’re following along,” Pryce said.
“I’ve got a whole new appreciation for what we do as Wiggles.”
Pryce has joined a new “dads’ alliance” to encourage the federal government expand paid parental leave, lift wages for early childhood educators, and work to attract more men into the female-skewed profession.
ACCLAIMED BEACHCOMBER PROPERTY SNAPPED UP
The acclaimed Beachcomber house at Arncliffe has been snappily sold at an undisclosed price.
It was listed by vendor Marnie Kuypers with $2.2m to $2.5m price guidance earlier this month through Marcus Lloyd-Jones at Modern House.
It last sold in 2021 for $2m.
The largely original home proved to be a coveted masterpiece designed by the late architect Nino Sydney with cityscape views.
Set on a 714sq m gently sloping battleaxe block, The Beachcomber was designed in 1961, when he was chief architect of Lend Lease Homes.
It is a flat-roofed lightweight framed home raised on slim steel columns with space for parking and a laundry underneath.
The floor plan with original exposed Oregon beams and kauri floorboards included a large balcony and open plan living spaces.
Anna Dearnley, a librarian specialising in architecture with the State Library of NSW, noted Sydney gave his adopted city high-end design at an affordable price. He was born Hrvoj Oskar Ninoslav Pleminiti Somogji (anglicised as Harvey Oscar Nino Von Somogy) in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1932 and studied architecture between 1950 and 1954.
Arriving in Australia a year later, his Croatian qualifications weren’t recognised so he graduated in architecture at the University of Sydney in 1959 and then changed his surname.
He was chief architect for real estate and investment group Lendlease from 1961 to 1973, during which he designed many houses including the modernist-style Beachcomber house for the masses
It first went on view at the Lend Lease project homes village fair in Carlingford.
Sydney had been inspired by the German Bauhaus movement and the work of architect Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier. About 200 Beachcombers were built at a £4495 cost, which Dearnley calculated as at around $134,992 in today’s money.
Nino died in January 2022.
FREEDMAN HOME SET TO TAKE THE LEAD
Horse trainer Michael Freedman and wife Anna are selling their Kensington home.
Listed through McGrath Coogee agent Mark Macpherson in conjunction with Sotheby’s International agent James Ball, it ranks as the priciest offering so far this spring in the suburb.
Ball and Macpherson have it scheduled for October 15 auction with 1935 page views on realestate.com.au so far.
The Freedman’s reimagined Federation house is being marketed as a “once-in-a-lifetime forever family home”.
Set on one of Kensington’s most tightly-held, wide, tree-lined streets, the Winkurra St home has five bedrooms, with its master bedroom coming with a dressing room and ensuite.
There are three living areas across the two levels, the main one adjoining the Carrara marble kitchen and dining space which opens to a rear alfresco deck. There is a level lawn, a heated pool, and outdoor shower on the 685sq m block.
The Freedmans are selling as their triplets, Jessica, Sophie and Max, have flown the nest. The couple are likely looking to stay near the track at Royal Randwick and their 29 boxes.
Freedman is one of the most recognised names in horse racing. Michael is the youngest of four brothers, along with Anthony, Richard and Lee.
It was in 2008 when Michael branched out to train in his own right then training in Singapore and Hong Kong, before returning to Australia.
OWNER WAVES GOODBYE TO RARE HOME
An intact 1996 Hunters Hill home designed by the late architect Harry Seidler sold midweek post-auction.
Known as the Gilhotra House, it sold at an undisclosed price after being passed in at $8.3m.
There were four registered bidders for the home which had a $8m guide during the campaign through McGrath agent Tracey Dixon.
The split-level Francis St house features Seilder’s signature wave roofing with two curves above glass walls, with views across Parramatta River towards the city skyline.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom house sits on a 1050sq m block in an elevated street high above Pulpit Point. The property has access to Pulpit Point Estate’s resort-style facilities.
The building block cost $765,000 in 1993.
It first sold for $3,320,000 in 2010.
It last sold in 2019 for $5,560,000 when bought by Katherine Galettis at Madhouse Bakehouse.
The recent marketing made no reference of Harry Seidler and the McGrath office declined to explain the curious absence.
The Vienna-born Seidler has long been recognised as one of Sydney’s leading proponents of modernist architecture. Gilhotra House is one of only two houses in Hunters Hill designed by the eminent architect.
It featured in Sydney Houses, published by teNeues in 2004.
BIDDING FOR A BEACH UPGRADE
Lawsons auctioneer Martin Farrah and wife Sarah have listed their Culburra Beach weekender.
The Roseville couple, who are set to upgrade at the South Coast locality, have scheduled an October 15 auction through Ray White agent Julie Gauci.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom Silvermere St house, which sits on a 1008sq m holding between the ocean and Lake Wollumboola, cost $625,000 in 2018.
ACCLAIMED SOLID OFFERING
Builder David Fewson and his wife Jane have listed their Tintenbar acreage which comes with three residences including the acclaimed Ground House guest house.
The concrete bunker guest house is submerged beneath a landscaped roof garden. The property also features the four-bedroom main residence and two-bedroom Queenslander plus a barn-style studio and pool. Offers close October 31 with Sotheby’s seeking $10m.
AIMING TO HIT A HIGHER NOTE
The Whitlams’ frontman Tim Freedman is now seeking $2.25 million for his two-storey terrace in Newtown.
The three-bedroom, one-bathroom Hordern St offering had been scheduled for recent auction with $2 million guidance.
Freedman, who bought the 124sq m holding in 2004 for $777,500, is downsizing. He apparently fitted acoustically engineered windows.
Got a property news tip? Email jonathan.chancellor@news.com.au
More Coverage
Originally published as The Sell: Trailblazer takes broad view of ‘magical’ Narrawallee
‘Grandma hates it but face tatts no longer taboo at work’
A growing number of Aussies are sporting tattoos, with one in four sporting ink somewhere on their bodies. But are face tattoos accepted yet?
‘Made with love’: Sydney takeaway left ‘devastated’ after 45 fall ill
The owners of a Sydney acai takeaway business, shut down after claims 45 people fell ill with food poisoning, say they’ve been left ‘devastated’by the incident.