Kamahl sells a lifetime of memories

Letters from Sir Donald Bradman are among 400 personal items collected over 50 years up for sale from singer and entertainer Kamahl.

Kamahl outside his former Warrawee home. Picture: John Appleyard

Malaysian-born Australian singer and entertainer Kamahl is selling around 400 of his personal items, including original letters from Sir Donald Bradman, cufflinks, a kaftan, Versace shirts and a Pro Hart painting after offloading his Warrawee spread on Sydney’s upper north shore recently.

The house on 1214sq m sold before auction for around $3m, according to neighbourhood sources. It included four bedrooms, two bathrooms and was sold through Ray White Upper North Shore agent Matt Bolin, who declined to comment. Kamahl says he is on the hunt for another property on the north shore. He says the size of his Warrawee property required a lot of upkeep. He has previously lived in nearby St Ives and Turramarra.

“I thought it was time to declutter,” Kamahl told The Weekend Australian, adding that he has been collecting the items for more than 50 years.

The online auction through Lawsons will continue until December 20 with Lawsons business manager Shauna Farren-Price commenting that some of the pieces on offer are ‘‘amazing’’. Farren-Price says the Bradman letters give a beautiful insight into the long term correspondence between these two legends. Kamahl is expecting from $20,000 to $30,000 for the letters.

Liquid assets

Personal injury lawyer Robert Bryden and his wife Suzi have relisted their Sydney waterfront terrace on the harbour a year after it first hit the market, asking $4.95m via private treaty. Positioned in exclusive Walsh Bay, the luxury terrace, which has been tenanted since May, has water views and features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. This time around Richard Shalhoub of McGrath is marketing the 2003-built double-storey apartment in Hicksons Road. The Brydens paid $3.32m for the terrace in 2015, CoreLogic records reveal.

Last year’s asking price through rival agency BradfieldCleary was $5.9m to $6.3m.

Suzi Bryden told The Weekend Australian the couple are selling because they have purchased at Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches where they can have their car collection on site. Due to COVID-19 they have discovered they have no need to travel to the Sydney CBD every day.

“Like many people in this crisis we have a stronger appreciation of spending time together, work/life balance and the importance of being close to family (both of our extended families are on the beaches),” Mrs Bryden said.