Noosa property: The high profile owners at Witta Circle

Inside “old Noosa’s” most exclusive street where Australia’s rich and successful own riverfront properties with private jetties.

From real housewives stars to banking supremos, one of West Australia’s richest and company chiefs “old Noosa’s” most prestigious street has attracted some high-profile property buyers.

Witta Circle at Noosa Sound is known as one of Noosa’s most prestigious streets where architecturally-designed homes are the norm along with a private beach and jetty.

Not one sale this century at the tightly held area has gone for less than a million dollars.

Notably three months ago a riverfront block where former owners knocked down a Hamptons-style home sold for $13m.

Just five years ago Century 21 Noosa Principal Mike Hay sold the same property, with the house still on it, for $8m.

Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh, Super A-Mart founder John Van Lieshout, bankers and successful business people are just some of the area’s property owners.

“It’s one of the premier streets in Noosa,” Mr Hay said.

Slice of paradise: One of the riverfront Witta Circle homes. Picture: Tom Offermann Real Estate

“It’s the closest waterfront street to Hastings St and it doesn’t have any traffic as far as parking goes because there’s no reason to go in there unless you live there.

“It’s a lovely, quiet little circle essentially.”

While Sunshine Beach to Noosa’s south has claimed plenty of headlines as a high end enclave Mr Hay said Witta Circle would never lose its reputation.

Century 21 Noosa principals David Conolly and Mike Hay say Witta Circle sales are a rarity.

“People are moving to Witta Circle for lifestyle but these people always have their investment caps on,” he said.

“The premium end buyers are typically saying ‘I would love waterfront on Noosa Sound, a beachfront on Sunshine Beach, or something beautiful in Little Cove’.

“They’re happy to buy in any one of those three locations.”

You don’t have to be a millionaire to experience the Witta Circle lifestyle with some of the private-beach properties advertised as holiday homes.

Most come with a $1000 or more a night rate.

Housewives of Noosa?

Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh purchased a $10 million mansion in Noosa in 2020.

Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh is among one of the newer homeowners at Witta Circle after snapping up a stunning property for just shy of $10m last year.

Tom Offermann Real Estate’s Lauren Chen and her father Luke Chen completed the off-market sale of the riverfront home to Ms Marsh, billed on the reality show as the resident “property princess”.

Mining magnate’s cash splash

Mining magnate Kerry Harmanis. Picture: Colin Murty

Kerry Harmanis was among a group of businesspeople to snap up a vacant block at Witta Circle for $13m in August.

Mr Harmanis has a lawyer background but made his fortunes over four decades working in the Australian mining industry.

He was the founder of nickel mining company Jubilee Mines which he established in 1987 and sold in 2008.

This year he was ranked by The Australian as the nation’s 174th wealthiest person with an estimated worth of $670m.

Mr Harmanis is now a philanthropist and founder of Mindful Meditation Australia.

Super riverfront

QLD_SM_RICHLIST_VANLIESHOUT

Super Amart founder John Van Lieshout and his wife Linda own two neighbouring riverfront properties at Witta Circle.

Mr Van Lieshout now owns Unison Projects and JVL Investment Group and this year was ranked as Australia’s 45th most wealthy with a fortune of $2.45bn.

The Queensland billionaire spent $3.68m expanding their Noosa Sound retreat by buying the house next-door.

They purchased their first Witta Circle property in 1989 for $430,000.

Banking on a Witta property

Steve Boxall (Co head equities ANZ) pictured in Sydney in 2017 with UBS colleagues Robert Karofsky and Chris Williams. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Sonya and Steve Boxall splashed $6.6m at auction for a trophy home at Witta Circle in early 2020.

Mr Boxall is UBS’ head of equities.

The couple bought the modern waterfront home with four bedrooms and four bathrooms from Tom Offermann Real Estate’s Luke Chen.

Powering ahead

Trevor St Baker recharges his 4 year old Nissan Leaf with one of his company’s charging stations near his home in St Lucia, Brisbane. Trevor owns one of the biggest charging station companies in the world. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

An influential player in Australia’s electric vehicle industry has owned a slice of Witta Circle paradise for five years.

Trevor and Judith St Baker purchased a Witta Circle home in 2016 for $4.7m.

Mr St Baker’s net worth was estimated at $699m in 2020, making his fortunes through investments in coal and gas and more recently nuclear and electronic vehicle technology.

He is director of the St Baker Energy Trust and chair of Sunset Power International – which owns Vales Point coal-fired power station in New South Wales.

Through his innovation fund Mr St Baker has invested in fast electric car charger manufacturer Tritium and Evie Networks.

Cash for community, and prized home

Keith and Jeannette Ince have owned a Witta Circle home for 18 years. Photo: Erle Levey

Keith and Jeannette Ince have held on to their Witta Circle home since 2003.

They purchased the riverfront property in 2003.

The Inces have a sub-fund with the Australian Communities that supports a range of issues including environment, threatened species and assisting Indigenous communities.

They were both raised in Melbourne where Mrs Ince went on to work at universities and Mr Ince within investment management.

Mrs Ince is well-known for her work as a consultant pioneering Australian employment policies on work-home balance.