Witta Circle: Who lives on ‘Old’ Noosa’s most exclusive street
You need two things to live on Noosa’s most sought after street, notoriety and plenty of cash. We’ve uncovered the high-flying owners behind some of Queensland’s most spectacular homes.
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Witta Circle at Noosa Heads has long been a millionaire’s playground, with its rich and famous homeowners quick to snap up properties which appear on the market few and far between.
The street, which backs onto Noosa Sound, boasts luxurious houses with their own private jetties and beach fronts and is known as “old” Noosa’s most exclusive street.
These are some of the high flyers lucky enough to call Witta Circle home.
Lawrence Down and Nikki Morris
Colonial Brewing Co managing director Lawrence Dowd and his partner Nikki Morris joined the Witta Circle neighbourhood in November 2022.
Property records state the couple purchased their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home for $19.5 million.
Colonial Brewing Co is an independent, Melbourne-based brewery which was established in 2004.
Kerry Harmanis
Philanthropist and Mindful Meditation Australia founder Kerry Harmanis bought his Witta Circle home in March 2022.
Property records state the mining magnate bought the three-bedroom, three-bathroom property for $19.5 million.
Mr Harmanis also owns a second neighbouring property under the entity Stirling 216 Pty Ltd, which is linked back to the address of Harmanis Holdings in Western Australia.
Property records state this home was bought for $13 million in August 2021.
Mr Harmanis has a lawyer background, but spent more than 40 years working in the Australian mining industry.
He established nickel mining company Jubilee Mines in 1987, but sold it in 2008.
In 2021 he was ranked by The Australian as the nation’s 174th wealthiest person with an estimated worth of $670m.
Daniel and Kylee Burke
Hamell Retail Group founders Daniel and Kylee Burke bought their Witta Circle home in June 2020 to the tune of $11.25 million, property records state.
Hamell Group are responsible for redeveloping and making-over several southeast Queensland shopping centres and recently added Tewantin’s Poinciana Place shopping centre, on Poinciana Ave, to their portfolio.
Property records state Mr and Mrs Burke snapped up the shopping centre in June 2023 for $17.5 million.
Krissy Marsh
Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh owns two exclusive properties on Witta Circle.
Property records state Ms Marsh bought the first property, a five-bedroom house, for $9.8 million in October 2019.
She later snapped up her second property, a four-bedroom house, for $7 million in May 2022.
Ms Marsh appeared on reality TV show the Real Housewives of Sydney but was previously an Associate Director of Marketing at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and has also worked in real estate.
Sonya and Steve Boxall
Sonya Boxall and her husband, head of UBS Equities Steve Boxall, bought their Witta Circle home in January 2020.
Property records state the Boxall’s snapped up their stunning waterfront home for $6.6 million at auction.
The couple bought the modern waterfront home with four bedrooms and four bathrooms from Tom Offermann Real Estate’s Luke Chen.
Trevor and Judith St Baker
Billionaire and energy mogul Trevor St Baker and his wife Judith have owned their Witta Circle home for nearly a decade.
Property records state the St Baker’s bought their home on the exclusive street for $4.775 million in February 2016.
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.
Linda and John Van Lieshout
Super Amart Furniture creators Linda and John Van Lieshout are perhaps the longest standing owners of property on Witta Circle, having owned one of their two properties in the exclusive street for more than 30 years.
Property data states the couple bought their first property for $430,000 in August 1989.
They later bought a second property, a four-bedroom, two bathroom house for $3.68 million in July 2011.
Mr Van Lieshout now owns Unison Projects and JVL Investment Group and in 2021 was ranked as Australia’s 45th most wealthy.
The Queensland billionaire spent $3.68m expanding their Noosa Sound retreat by buying the house next-door.
Paul Higgins
Ex-Oakley and 2XU Chief Executive Paul Higgins has owned property on Witta Circle since October 2012.
Property data states Mr Higgins bought the four bedroom, four bathroom home for $3.55 million.
It was reported the Melbourne-based retail boss sold his Brighton family home in 2021, and were planning to split their time between Noosa and Anglesea, on the Great Ocean Road.
Glenn Sterling
High flying Brisbane doctors Glenn and Nicole Sterling are the people behind perhaps Witta Circle’s biggest backyard, after they bought a neighbouring property and demolished the house to give their children more room to play.
Property data does not reveal when the Sterlings bought the Witta Circle properties, nor how much for.
He and his wife, also Dr Sterling, told the Sunday Mail in 2015 they had bought the property neighbouring theirs and knocked it down to create a backyard for their children.
“The kids need somewhere to run around. So we turned it into somewhere we could pop up a trampoline and build a cubby house until the kids are older,” Mrs Sterling said at the time.
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