One of Sydney’s oldest and most luxurious homes has just come on the market for upwards of A$37 million (US$28.4 million).
Located on Elizabeth Bay, "Berthong" is a five-bedroom, five-and-half-bathroom, three-car garage villa with a guest house.
"It was the first home built in that street in the late Victorian Era, and one of the last ones standing of the grand homes on that street," said Ken Jacobs, of Christie’s International Real Estate, the broker for the home.
The home at 36 Billyard Ave. has been modernized and offers breathtaking views while still being in walking distance of shops and restaurants and close to the central business district.
A Little Bit of History
Berthong was built on a tract of land granted by Gov. Ralph Darling to Colonel Secretary Alexander Macleay in 1832, a fulfillment of a promise made to Macleay in 1826. According to a historical study of the house, there’s evidence that Darling, who was famous for both his expansion of Sydney and his tyrannical manner, had originally planned to use the desirable land for a government house.
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Macleay set about trying to reconcile an English garden idyll with the Australian flora. The land then passed to Macleay’s son, who divided the tract into subdivisions. Upon his death, further subdivision created the current street Berthong stands on, Billyard Lane, according to the historical study of property.
The villa itself is thought to have been built in 1886 as a women’s college, and is believed to have been designed by Benjamin Brooks, an early owner of the property.
In 1900, the school became a private residence. In 1909, the property acquired a new name, Beauregard, although that was changed to the current name, Berthong, in 1912, when it was purchased by David Forester of Berthong near Wallendbeen, in New South Wales, Australia. He adapted the rural name for his new city property.
The property sits overlooking almost half an acre of Elizabeth Bay.
"It’s a beautiful sheltered, level, north-facing waterfront," said Mr. Jacobs. (In the Southern Hemisphere, a north-facing waterfront is the equivalent of a south-facing waterfront view to an American sun lover.)
Today, Bethong stands next to one of the only other remaining historical homes, Boomerang House, which was built in 1926 and is one of the most iconic and expensive homes in Sydney.
After Being Modernized, Berthong Attracts Australia’s Elite
One exciting change made to Berthong during the beginning of the 20th Century was the construction of Australia’s first known parking garage, to keep up with the new form of transportation sweeping Sydney. That structure now contains the guest quarters.
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Berthong changed quite a bit throughout its history. In the early 1980s, the house became truly modern with additions and renovations, including alterations to the garage, a swimming pool, an extension, and an enclosure of a balcony to create a new kitchen.
In1995, the Murdoch family acquired the property for A$6,850,000. (The patriarch, Rupert Murdoch is executive chairman of News Corp., which owns Dow Jones, publisher of Mansion Global.). The family oversaw renovations by Melbourne decorator Leslie Walford, one of Australia’s most famous designers, known for soft lighting, elegant patterns, and the use of the color pink. In 2001, Australian actor Russell Crowe acquired the property from the Murdochs, according to the report on the property’s history. Varietyreported that it sold for A$9,200,000.
In 2004, the property underwent an enormous renovation by the Sydney-based Corben Architects, who received an award for their work from the Master Builders Association. Corben changed the stairs, kitchen, and added a butler’s pantry. They provided five en-suite bathrooms, a private guest room and a freestanding stone bath in the master suite, an attic with a media room for children.
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"It was a sympathetic renovation to the period but also what a contemporary family would want in terms of livability and modern convenience," Mr. Jacobs said.
The property also has many palm trees, as well as fig trees, that are over 100 years old. The landscaping allows for a balance between views and privacy.
"This property has beautiful established trees that actually filter the green against the view and makes it actually more beautiful than just an open view," Mr. Jacobs said. "If you look at the past owners, they loved the privacy that it offered them."
Despite its old fashioned roots, the neighborhood is record-breaking in one way: sales prices. "The house next door, Boomerang, was the first house to break a million dollars [Australian] in 1978 and the first house to break 20 million in 2002," Mr. Jacobs said.
The sale of Berthong "will set a new suburb record," he added.