The Sell: Has Jennifer Hawkins bought Dame Joan Sutherland’s former Whale Beach home?
Following their $24.5 million house sale this week, Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall are rumoured to be looking at another renovation project on the northern beaches. Could it be the former home of late soprano Dame Joan Sutherland?
NSW
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Having pocketed a stellar $24.5 million from the sale of their Newport waterfront home, Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall could have bought anything they fancied on the Central Coast.
But rather than head closer to family, as initially touted, the glamorous couple appear set to remain for the time being on Sydney’s northern beaches, where they have always done so well — both on the ocean and Pittwater.
The unconfirmed whisper is they found an amazing opportunity at Whale Beach. Maybe the restoration of Rocca Bella, a 1950s time warp?
The three storey house is set on 3300sqm, the peninsula’s largest oceanfront estate.
The estate was sold last month for $6.95 million, two weeks after Hawkins’ and Wall’s own sale of Casa Paloma to Mike and Annie Cannon-Brookes through Christie’s International agent Ken Jacobs.
Rocca Bella, best known when owned by the late soprano Dame Joan Sutherland, was listed in 2018 by the Tarabay family with $8 million hopes, then returned to the market with reduced expectations earlier this year through LJ Hooker agent David Edwards.
CARNEY OFFLOADS WAVERLEY UNIT
Former NRL star Todd Carney has sold his Waverley investment apartment.
Carney bought the one-bedroom, one-bathroom property for $607,000 in 2011.
It was snappily sold with no disclosed price by Albert Sassoon at McGrath, but buyers were being told $900,000.
It had been a $695-a-week rental in late-2019, having first yielded $550 a week on its purchase.
Located on Birrell St, the apartment offers a modern kitchen, open-plan living and dining, and a private courtyard.
The sale comes shortly after the disposal of his Sans Souci investment property at $600,500 in June.
Carney is also set to auction off a Coogee two-bedroom apartment that he bought in 2010 for $880,000.
Carney, who has been dating the former Married At First Sight star Susie Bradley, recently opened a new tattoo studio, Island of the Gods Ink, in Bali. He participated in dry July.
There is a $563,500 median price for Waverley’s one-bedders, according to realestate.com.au.
RUMOUR HAS NADIA IN HISTORIC TERRACE
Financier Michael Wayne and his fashionista fiancee Nadia Fairfax could soon be living in the $4 million Paddington terrace Cawdor. No confirmation to her 188,000 followers, however.
But the Paddington grapevine suggests Wayne, the managing director at financial services firm Medallion Financial Group, and Fairfax secured the 1880s terrace before its scheduled auction.
Cawdor was sold by the abstract painter Michael Johnson and his wife Margot, who had paid $2,235,000 in 2012.
Fairfax keeps most of their private life off her social media, with little known about Wayne, who offers private wealth advisory services, with a focus on the equity and fixed income markets, both locally and internationally.
He stepped down from his directorship at the Sydney Jewish Museum last year.
RETIRED SWAN JACK LISTS AT RANDWICK
Retired AFL Sydney Swans captain Kieren Jack has listed a Randwick investment apartment for sale.
Jack, who retired last year and is now the Swans’ business development manager, paid $570,000 for the apartment in 2009, two years into his playing time at Moore Park.
The two-bedroom apartment, near the new light rail, sits on the top level of a 1960s block of nine.
Jack, who briefly called the apartment home, is now based in Paddington with his wife Charlotte.
Carl Wilson, from Home Estate Agents, has the Mulwarree Ave unit listed for September 19 auction, with 11 groups at yesterday’s first open for inspection.
They were advised the price guide was $925,000 to $975,000.
Randwick has a $1 million median for its two-bedrooms units, which typically rent for $600 a week. Based on five years of sales, Randwick has seen a compound 5.6 per cent price growth for units, according to realestate.com.au.
FIZZ FOR BELROSE MARKET
The long-held Belrose estate of former Coca-Cola Amatil chief executive Dean Wills has been sold to the daughter of a South African rich-lister.
The grand three-level trophy home fetched $8 million when bought by Luciana Ravazzotti and her husband Pierre Langenhoven.
Her father, Giovanni Ravazzotti, the founder of tiler and bathware retailer Italtile, is ranked as one of South Africa’s richest. The family has expansive investments in Australian cattle farms. The couple have listed their home in Seaforth.
The six-bedroom mansion, complete with a pool, tennis court, and 12-car showroom-style garage as befitted Wills’ eclectic car collection, was offered through Sydney Country Living agent Brian McMillan. There was also the art studio of his late wife, Margaret.
The grand residence on 9490sqm last traded in 1994 for $2.55 million.
Wills’ 46-year business career began in 1933, when he earned 37 shillings and sixpence a week at the SA Gas Company.
SPRING SALE FOR GU’S MANSION
No signs yet of its listing, but agents will soon get the chance to take the Mosman home Michael Gu, the founder of the collapsed property group iProsperity, to a spring sale.
Gu paid $10 million for the mansion back in 2017, but has recently quit Sydney after gaining an overseas travel exemption, despite allegedly owing investors $350 million.
IProsperity’s liquidator, Cor Cordis, is understood to have sold Gu’s Rolls Royce Wraith for $502,000 with just 1039km on the clock.
The luxury Mosman market is strong.
There was a $20m-plus midweek sale of the Alex Popov-designed home of childcare mogul Brendan McAssey and his wife Elizabeth, who are off to Luggie Bank at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands.
The four-bedroom home, reportedly rented by international superstars David and Victoria Beckham when they came to Sydney in 2018 for the Invictus Games, traded at $17,349,691 in 2016 when bought from Donna Doyle.
JOCKEY AFTER RAILS RUN AT AMARAMA
Veteran Sydney jockey Glyn Schofield has listed his investment apartment in Tamarama.
It goes to September 26 auction through Riki Tawhara at Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty with $2.5 million hopes.
Schofield paid $2.3 million in 2017 for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.
With a large balcony, just 200m from the beach, he initially sought a $1500-a-week tenant, reflecting a 3.4 per cent yield.
His most recent asking rent was $1450.
Spanning 120sqm, the apartment, with a Scandinavian influence, is set in the Pertama complex, which comprises two apartments per floor, designed by Marchese Architects.
Schofield, who had three rides at Rosehill yesterday, has secured over $55 million in prizemoney for his owners over his illustrious two decade career.