Tennis ace John Alexander lists Southern Highlands estate
John Alexander hopes his Southern Highlands spread Iona Park will fetch up to $11m as he moves to downsize within the bucolic area south of Sydney.
Former federal politician and tennis ace John Alexander has listed his stately Southern Highlands spread Iona Park, with $10m to $11m hopes, as he moves to downsize within the bucolic area south of Sydney.
At age of 72, Alexander stresses that he has not lost his taste for farming life, whether that involves chainsawing trees that are endangering fence lines, painting stable blocks, or mowing and mulching.
His elegant 40ha property in Moss Vale rents out for just over $2000 a night on weekends (minimum of two nights). Its graceful homestead, which reminds guests of properties in the south of France, can sleep up to 20.
The sprawling 40-ha estate presently carries 20 head of cattle and 15 horses on agistment, along with two clay tennis courts and a pool.
But Alexander would like to reduce his workload by relocating to a similar but smaller property of around five acres so that he can spend more time with friends and family, playing more golf and of course, tennis.
He purchased the six-bedroom, five- bathroom Iona Park in 2017 for $4.8m, and notes that a similar property neighbouring his recently sold for about $10.8m.
Alexander, who is also smitten by the Southern Highlands’ four distinct seasons, has upgraded Iona Park’s stabling to accommodate 14 horses, a horse-riding arena and indoor round, and has been mulching 36ha of the property on his John Deere tractor in preparation for spring.
“My brother-in-law, who is a farmer, said I was an excellent student,” he told Mansion. “I really enjoyed operating it. I also have a ride-on mower [but] that’s a tricky number to operate.
“We love the lifestyle but we want something a little more in keeping with our time of life. You can’t turn on the TV without hearing about people downsizing.
“We want rural, we want to spend more time playing tennis and playing golf and having our friends over, and not having a list of jobs to do.”
Alexander adds that when he first bought the property a management couple occupied the manager’s cottage on site. These days staff still help out – but Alexander appears to be doing the bulk of the work.
So he is on the lookout for a Southern Highlands property of about 2ha with a swimming pool and a tennis court, or room for him to build a clay tennis court.
“We love Moss Vale,” he says. “We are members of the Golf Club, we develop friendships; it’s a friendly community. There are beautiful restaurants such as Mount Ashby Estate and the Tap House.”
Bradley Cocks, residential & rural agent with Di Jones Southern Highlandsand husband of international designer Collette Dinnigan, is marketing the property along with Kate McCullagh, Di Jones residential & rural sales regional partner.
Cocks says Iona Park’s clay courts are a real selling point for the exclusive estate, which is being marketed via private treaty.
“Clay courts are super rare in the Southern Highlands but they are so much better to play on,” he says. “When we were living in Italy, all the tennis courts were clay – they are so much easier on the body.”
Meanwhile, McCullagh is keen to discuss Iona Park’s interiors. She says the bathrooms are stunning and are all marble, and the kitchen is beautiful. She notes also that the fully upgraded caretaker’s cottage, which has been converted into a guest cottage, overlooks the pool.
Cocks says that Iona Park will appeal to local families wanting to upgrade as it’s located right behind Tudor House, which has just converted to a co-ed school.
“It’s a no-brainer for families wanting equestrian, pool, tennis courts, and it’s quick to school, or for someone who wants a larger rural multi-generational home.
“It’s absolute country without being too remote. It’s close to Bowral and Robertson, it’s country, north-facing – it’s divine, really.”
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