Telenet CEO pays $12.1m ‘record price’ for house with no parking

The CEO of a Belgium-based telco who once ran Austar has paid a $12.1m record price for a house with no parking in Woollahra.

155 Queen St, Woollahra, which has no off-street parking, sold for $12.1m recently to an overseas-based buyer.

The boss of a Belgium-based telco who once ran Austar has paid a $12.1m record price for a house with no parking in Woollahra.

John Porter, CEO of Antwerp-based Telenet, and his wife Susan Mougey appear on settlement records for 155 Queen St, Woollahra, which achieved the mega result off-market recently via Maclay Longhurst of Sotheby’s.

Prior to joining Telenet, Porter was the CEO of Australian digital satellite subscription TV provider Austar, which was bought by Foxtel in 2012.

His Linked In profile says he is a “global citizen with American-Australian dual nationality” who has four children, presumably some of them based in Sydney.

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Former Austar CEO John Porter at the company's office in Sydney in 2010.

The house has a modern addition — but there’s not potential for off-street parking as it backs onto a public park.

Longhurst didn’t want to discuss the purchasers, saying only that the owners were based overseas.

“It was only on the market for a week, but these buyers loved the location because it’s walking distance from Woollahra village,” he said.

“It’s definitely the highest price ever for a house without parking in Paddington/Woollahra and probably Australia.”

There’s no doubting the charm and beauty of the incredible home, which records show was owned by hedge fund manager David Curtis and his wife Joan, who bought it for $5.65m in 2017.

Woollahra Council approved their $450k reno in 2020, which merges the classical Victorian front of the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a contemporary addition.

Mirvac managing director Campbell Hanan sold in Moore Park Rd, Paddington for $9.75m. Picture: Nikki Short

The result was a street record — one of nine achieved by Longhurst this year.

There was no possibility for off-street parking at the 291sqm block — it backs onto a public park.

Longhurst’s had a string of big sales recently, including the $12.4m deal for Dr Andrew Goy’s Bourke St, Surry Hills warehouse (the old Labor club) which was a new suburb record for Surry Hills.

He’s also recently broken a range of street records — nine this year he advises — including 49 Glenview St, Paddington which records show is owned by Joseph McGlennon, creative director at Doctor V Energy Drinks, and his wife Janet for $9.3m; and 302 Moore Park Rd, for $9.75m owned by Mirvac CEO and managing director Campbell Hanan.

The purchaser was Declan Boylan, founder of Seven Consulting.

Originally published as Telenet CEO pays $12.1m ‘record price’ for house with no parking