‘Piece of history’: Home of Lost in Larrimah’s Paddy Moriarty sells at auction

Six years after Paddy Moriarty went missing in a town where every resident became a murder suspect there has been a twist in the tale

A piece of Aussie true crime history has been rekindled after the Larrimah home of Paddy Moriarty made it to auction six years after his disappearance.

Mr Moriarty’s Northern Territory home would usually be a tough sell; the abandoned lot has become overgrown and is more than 158km away from the nearest major town of Katherine.

At the time of Mr Moriarty’s disappearance, the population of Larrimah sat at 12. The ABC now estimates it to be closer to seven.

Paddy Moriarty lived in Larrimah for 11 years His disappearance was the subject of a documentary series, a book and a podcast. Picture: Helen Orr

But the “star power” of Mr Moriarty made Tuesday’s auction a spectacle. Larrimah has enjoyed a stronger flow in tourism since the case garnered major media attention in the podcast Lost in Larrimah, the Netflix series Last Stop Larrimah and the book Larrimah by Caroline Graham and Kylie Stevenson.

The 4200sq m Larrimah home was sold through Real Estate Central, which listed it as a one-bed, one-bath, three-car-space property.

It went for $32,000 at auction in a toss-up between seven bidders.

The Larrimah Hotel, which also sold at auction to Tennant Creek businessman Steve Baldwin. Former owner Barry Sharpe died from cancer in 2019.

A crowd of more than 100 onlookers came to see the auction, which was won by a mature South Australian couple, according to the realtors.

“Own a piece of history,” the online listing reads ”Seize this rare opportunity to own a piece of Larrimah’s rich history and shape its promising future.

“Conveniently located on the Stuart Highway, the Territory’s main artery to Darwin in the world-famous Larrimah. Spanning over 4200 square metres of easement-free land.

“It features the remnants of the iconic Top o’ The Town roadhouse, echoing its rich history and rustic charm.”

Former owner Mr Moriarty and his dog Kellie went missing late on December 16, 2017. A body has never been found.

In 2022, then Northern Territory coroner Greg Cavenagh determined that Mr Moriarty was killed in the “context of, and likely due, to the ongoing feud he had with his nearest neighbours”.

Mr Moriarty’s home sold for $32,000 on Tuesday, attracting a large crowd of onlookers at the auction. Picture: Jason Walls

Signs alerting the public there is a $250,000 reward for information that leads to finding Patrick 'Paddy' Moriarty have been put up at Larrimah. Picture: NT Police

Those neighbours have denied any responsibility, and no charges have been laid over Mr Moriarty’s disappearance.

In the past Larrimah residents have complained about the influence true crime tourism has on the town and the stereotype it places on them.

The NT Public Trustee administered Mr Moriarty’s estate in November 2022.

Originally published as ‘Piece of history’: Home of Lost in Larrimah’s Paddy Moriarty sells at auction