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Trophy Sydney Home ‘Rona’ Hits the Market

Built in 1883, the mansion boasts 180-degree harbor views

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A Victorian, gothic revival-style mansion, which has a storied past and a resplendent status in Sydney’s real estate world, has just hit the market.

Dubbed "Rona," the mansion was built in 1883 for Edward Knox, a well-known Australian politician and sugar refiner. Mr. Knox’s granddaughter, Helen Rutledge, wrote a book titled "My Grandfather's House" in 1986 about the mansion and the generations who lived there.

The sandstone property has a long history of other high-profile owners, including businessman John Schaeffer and most recently, property developer Terry Agnew, who has listed the home for the first time in 12 years.

Interested buyers have until Nov. 23 to tour the home and make a bid, according to listing agents, but no price guide has been released. Public records show that the property last changed hands for A$20.5 million (about US$15.6 million) in 2004.

Located at 2 Ginahgulla Road in Bellevue Hill, an affluent suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Rona is considered one of Australia’s finest estates with outstanding 180-degree views of the iconic Sydney harbor.

"Its sheer grandeur is of an international standard that compares with the truly great homes of the world while being in close proximity to the harbor foreshore, premium schools and the charming lifestyle scene of Double Bay," said Ben Collier, co-listing agent from McGrath Estate.

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The 5,700-square-meter (about 1.4 acre) property features a swimming pool, outdoor entertainment terraces, a tennis court and a three-bedroom guesthouse that was once the home’s stables.

The main residence, a Victorian, gothic revival-style home, boasts a vast double-height entrance hall, five bedrooms and six bathrooms, plus formal and informal living and dining areas. At the basement level are a temperature-controlled wine cellar, a built-in bar, a plant room and a five-car garage.

There is also a 3-bedroom sandstone guesthouse converted from the original stables on the property.

Another trophy Sydney home on the market is Mr. John Symond’s Point Piper mansion. Mr. Symond, founder and executive chairman of Aussie Home Loans, put it on the market last month and it’s expected to sell above A$100 million.  

Write to Fang Block at fang.block@dowjones.com