Southern Highlands record expected as Linden Hall hits the market

Linden Hall, the grand Southern Highlands trophy home of former restaurateurs and eastern suburbs developers David Graham and David Kunde, is set to stake its place on the district’s record books when it hits the market in coming weeks.

Linden Hall, in Robertson, is expected to set a record sale price for the Southern Highlands.

This is the majestic residence in Robertson, designed by architect Richard Rowe, that was modelled on Point Piper’s original trophy home Henrietta Villa which was regarded as the colony’s unrivalled residence of Captain John Piper before being demolished in 1850.

Linden Hall’s conservatory is one of a handful of formal and informal living rooms.

Linden Hall, however, is not a historic home. It was built 20 years ago, and the Davids purchased it for $5.5 million in late 2007 at the start of the global financial crisis. The Davids quickly set to work renovating, extending and finishing the seven-bedroom mansion with immaculately landscaped gardens, beautifully furnished interiors and museum-scale grand hall.

Ken Jacobs, of Forbes Global Properties, has a guide of $25 million to $27.5 million, topping the more than $20 million high Gretel Ainsworth secured for her property Braesyde earlier this year.

Whale Beach’s record hopes

Venture capitalist John Grant has set his sights on a Whale Beach house price record by selling his Malo Road getaway.

The Malo Road house was previously owned by TV presenter Jana Wendt.

The oceanfront reserve house – set behind the long-held weekender of filmmaker George Miller – was previously owned by TV presenter Jana Wendt and her husband, former cameraman Brendan Ward, until they sold in 2005 for $5.9 million.

LJ Hooker’s David Edwards and BJ Edwards have a $14 million guide, which at that level will top the $13.1 million high set when billionaire climate change activist Geoff Cousins sold on the beachfront in 2012.