Toorak penthouse snapped up

Longtime Pentana Solutions finance director Rod Dux has spent $5.6 million to buy the Monticello penthouse in Toorak.

The view from Ryan Stokes’s balcony.

Longtime Pentana Solutions director Rod Dux has spent $5.6 million to buy the Monticello penthouse in Toorak from the Smorgon family. Accessed by private lift, the Orrong Road apartment has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and wraparound balcony. It had been a $2200-a-week rental before the recent sale. The Marshall White agency secured the sale after just seven days on the market. The Palladian Development project was completed in 2003. It first sold for $2.85m in 2004 after being designed by Demaine Partnership. The 11-apartment complex was named after former US president Thomas Jefferson’s home.

A view to the Games

Seven Group boss Ryan Stokes has bought a Gold Coast apartment in the prized Silverpoint block. He paid $1.2m for a 14th-level apartment in the tightly held 1980s beachfront complex where Harry Triguboff retains the penthouse. Comprising two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a spacious kitchen, the 225sq m Main Beach apartment has large balconies. It was sold by LJ Hooker agent Tony Trpeski. It last sold in 1989 for $730,000, so needs modernisation. Stokes’s fiancee, Claire Campbell, hails from Queensland where the family have the Maryon’s shoe emporium. No doubt Ryan and Claire will use the apartment for entertaining Commonwealth Games clients before the 2018 event as Seven is the host broadcaster. The Silverpoint complex has always been popular with Sydneysiders, with the present owners including mortgage broker James Symond and retired estate agent David Glasgow. The 51-unit Main Beach block has two apartments per floor, with a tennis court, pool and gym. No holiday lettings are permitted, which has ensured its exclusivity.

Another round for Davis

Former Australian Open golf champion Rodger Davis is having yet another go at selling his Burleigh Heads home. This time round it comes with price hopes of more than $2.1m, a jump from its last listing a few years back at $1.95m. Andrew Ramsey at Black Label Property is the listing agent. Set on 1144sq m with views to Surfers Paradise, the four-bedroom, Mediterranean-inspired home includes a gourmet kitchen, wine cellar and pool. Davis had a long career in professional golf and featured at The Masters, US Open and British Open, where he finished runner-up in 1987. The former world top-10 golfer is still playing, having taken out the Australian PGA Senior championship last year.

Canberran auction of the week

The longtime Hohnen family home at Forrest in Canberra was the capital’s top auction result last weekend when it sold for $2.1m. It was built in the early 1950s for Ross Hohnen, a pioneer ANU administrator in the late 1940s and the first Canberran of the Year in 1977. He founded the Industrial Design Council of Australia in 1957. The classic red brick heritage home sits back on its 2614 sq m Empire Circuit corner block with two entrances. It sold through Peter Blackshaw Real Estate Manuka agent Mario Sanfrancesco.