Annette Sharp: John Laws sells his spare Woolloomooloo apartment and furniture

John Laws has sold his second Woolloomooloo apartment, and now his fans have the chance to buy a piece of his lifestyle, with a collection of the radio great’s furniture and chattels up for auction, writes Annette Sharp.

Radio personality John Laws has sold one of his Finger Wharf apartments in Woolloomooloo.

Radio legend John Laws will continue to call Sydney’s iconic Finger Wharf home after finding a buyer for one of his two formerly adjoined waterfront apartments.

Laws listed the downstairs level of his two-level apartment for a private off-market sale after recently deciding to downsize.

The 88-year-old wasn’t keen to discuss the recent sale when we asked him for comment on Saturday.

“Look, I wasn’t using it,” he said, refusing to offer further detail.

With the property yet to settle, it’s unclear what price Laws has achieved for the pad, one of just nine units at the Harbour end of the 400m long wharf.

Radio great John Laws at his Finger Wharf apartment in Woolloomooloo.

Laws and his late wife Caroline purchased the bottom-floor apartment in 2001, a year after the development opened, for $3m. The couple previously lived at Woollahra.

In 2005 they added the apartment above, for which the Laws reportedly paid $15m, giving the couple five bedrooms, five bathrooms, parking for six cars and closer proximity to neighbour Russell Crowe.

Bidding has kicked off for these two chairs.

For sale is an empty Jack Daniels swing bottle and corkscrew

Late last week, news of the sale leaked after an anonymous vendor listed a collection of furniture and chattels on auction site Lawsons.

The catalogue for “Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf Home Contents” provided a few clues as to the vendor — in particular the signature Harbour views from the apartment and a large, and empty, Jack Daniels swing bottle with bench-mount corkscrew. (He must be keeping the Wild Turkey magnum upstairs.)

Also up for grabs is some of the furniture collected by Laws and Caroline during their long marriage, the “Princess’s” taste for Eastern design and Asian antiquities unmistakeable.

By Saturday around half of the 162 proffered lots had attracted an opening bid.

Most popular at publication time were a pair of Chinese black horseshoe armchairs, estimated value $300 to $500, bidding for which was at $70.

The Jack Daniels bottle and bench-mount corkscrew (thrown in with a couple of large table lighters) were yet to draw a bid, while bidding on several collections from the Laws’ treasured library had just opened.

Bidders eager to pick up a memento of the Golden Tonsils have until June 4 when the auction closes.

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