Oatlands: Ellis St, Lind Ave among suburb’s richest streets

It’s where one-upmanship thrives and new money fuels Ferraris and palatial ‘neo-Phoenician’ piles. Take a look at this exclusive enclave in Sydney’s west.

Business owners, members of the horse racing community, multi-generational Lebanese families and the drawcard of private schools make Oatlands streets the richest in the Parramatta property scene where luxury homes are fetching more than $7 million.

Ellis St, Garden Vale Rd and Lind, Wyoming and Gowan Brae avenues make up Oatlands’ wealthiest, most desirable streets thanks to their big blocks, mix of architectural styles and proximity to the golf course, and King’s School and Tara Anglican School for Girls.

“Oatlands has big blocks, wide frontages and quality homes — it’s a good mix,’’

Ray White Parramatta director Broderick Wright said.

19 York St, Oatlands sold for more than $5 million.

“In Ellis St, there’s brand new luxury, bespoke mansions and you’ve got old-school luxury mansions where there are big, sprawling, single-level houses with pools built in the ‘60s and ‘70s when it was quite rare to own a pool.’’

Mr Wright said Oatlands blocks ranged between 2000 and 3000sq m, while “anything on Lind Ave is 1000sq m”.

The suburb’s properties command $3000 per square metre.

“I think it’s worth noting these people have more than enough money to buy in other suburbs but they choose not to,’’ Mr Wright said.

“They say they have a budget of $5 million but ‘I could either get a home at Mosman and Vaucluse and it would be OK on a family block where as I could buy a seven-bedroom in Oatlands and it’s also a little bit more private’.’’

In June, McGrath Parramatta agent Sandra Aquilina sold 19 York St for $5.05 million while the previous month 19 Wyoming Ave sold for $3.8 million.

At 105 Bettington Rd, a six-bedroom mansion that set the suburb record of $5.65 million in 2016 is on the market again and three parties have expressed offers “well over” $7 million.

Sotheby’s Double Bay has enlisted the opulent abode which contains three bathrooms, a swimming pool tennis court on a rambling yard near Oatlands Golf Club.

105 Bettington Rd is expected to sell for $8 million.

It’s a safe bet that similar abodes would be worth an average of $5 million.

The Head family, including horse trainer Gai Waterhouse’s chief farrier, lives in York St and is part of the horse racing community who relish being a quick hoof away from Rosehill Racecourse and living in more affordable abodes than traditional racing communities of Dural and Galston.

Former Parramatta Eels skipper Tim Mannah calls Oatlands home while comedian Rob Shehadie grew up there when it was known as Dundas.

Several of Ms Aquilina’s clients are lured to Oatlands for proximity to one of Australia’s most prestigious schools, the King’s, after growing tired of commuting from suburbs further afield such as Dural.

“Generally they’re families that want to be close to the schools and have businesses in Parramatta CBD so the proximity to Parramatta and schools is what it’s all about,’’ she said.

Knockdown and rebuilds are common but houses often remain in the same family for several years.

Former Parramatta captain Tim Mannah calls Oatlands home.

The name Oatlands is only a couple of decades old. Previously, you lived in Dundas or North Parramatta but prices drop once you’re in North Parramatta, even in the blue-ribbon Sutherland Rd and Bellevue St.

When Sutherland Shire-raised builder and former The Living Room renovations project manager Dylan Falecki started dating his now wife Rachel in the early 2000s, Oatlands wasn’t even in the Gregory’s directory. It was Dundas.

Parramatta comedian Rob Shehadie grew up in Oatlands when it was known as Dundas. Picture: Monique Harmer

As newlyweds they lived in Pyrmont but decided to return to Oatlands to raise their two children 12 years ago, following a pattern to move to Rachel’s childhood suburb.

“I’m not Lebanese but my wife is. I think the reason the suburb is popular is the multi-generation connection … everyone wanted to be near their parents and siblings,’’ Mr Falecki said.

“We came with the first wave 12 years ago before it started to really go crazy.

“Back then it was a normal suburb in Parramatta with a golf course but I think now it’s definitely a status thing and you can see it’s reflected in the architecture in the area (see factbox).

Like many Oatlands occupants, Dylan and Rachel Falecki are small business owners. Picture: Monique Harmer

“Not only in Oatlands but in society generally, you have a new aristocracy forming, which is the influences of Instagram and people want to emulate the lifestyles they see, whether it be the brand of T-shirt or the car they’re driving.

“It’s happening everywhere but in Oatlands it’s on steroids because there’s a lot of new money going around.

“There’s more Lamborghinis and Ferraris in Oatlands than all of western Sydney.’’

The couple, who will soon open a micro distillery at North Rocks in late October, say tall poppy syndrome isn’t bubbling in Oatlands but competition exists.

“I’m sure all these businesses work extremely hard … but at the end of the day, they’re not like a lot of other cultures where you want to chop everyone down,’’ he said.

Dylan Falecki at his Oatlands house, which is one of the suburb’s more modest dwellings.

“There’s definitely a bit of one-upmanship going on, who’s got the biggest house and the lowest FSR (floor-to-space ratio).’’

He even coined the term neo-Phoenician, for those with a penchant for details such as faux columns typically linked with aspirational homeowners from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern stock.

“I think everyone in Oatlands is very proud to be there,’’ Mr Falecki said.

“Me too — I’m very proud of our community.’’

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