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High-profile Macquarie Investment Management executive Brett Lewthwaite will face a long drive to his Martin Place offices after purchasing comedian and entertainer Rove McManus’s ÂAvalon Beach house in Sydney’s northern beaches. Lewthwaite, regional head of Macquarie Investment Management, and his partner, Lisa Jane Lewthwaite, paid $2.955 million for the five-bedroom mansion at 36 Watkins Road, Avalon Beach. The selling agent was James Baker of Raine & Horne, who declined to comment. McManus and wife Tasma Walton have purchased closer to town, forking out about $6m for a mansion in Bronte’s prestigious St Thomas Street. The two-level 1920s house on 740sq m has undergone major Âarchitectural work, including a guest retreat and home office.
Offer on the table
A local buyer has already offered Aussie John Symond $100m for his Wingadal Place, Point Piper, mansion on Sydney Harbour, so the harbourfront property is set to sell for considerably more through Christie’s International boss Ken Jacobs and LJ Hooker Double Bay agent Bill Malouf. High-placed sources say SymÂond’s mansion has better views and street address than the four adjoining houses internet investor Leon Kamenev purchased recently in Vaucluse for $80m.
Banker pockets $13m
Veteran Singapore investment banker and part-time property developer Ronald Ooi and his wife, Erica Han, pocketed more than $13m from the private treaty sale of their renovated eastern suburbs heritage residence fronting 115 Queen Street, Woollahra, near the historic St Kevin’s mansion of former prime minister Paul Keating. Locals swear tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes was the buyer of the four-bedroom and six-bathroom property, given he reportedly inspected the landmark property on several occasions. Sources close to the negotiators, Ballard agents Clint Ballard and Mark Lowe, swear the techie was not the buyer. The Ballard team refused to comment on the sale.
Auctions running hot
Ray White Double Bay director Craig Pontey reports multiple bidders at his auction rooms last Thursday with a record 12 out of the 13 houses and apartments selling under the hammer for a total of more than $45m. The auction highlight was the $6.5m paid for the five-bedroom 8 Greenoaks Avenue, Darling Point, property that was sold by local medicos, the Papadakis family, to another local family through Ray White agent Michael Finger. Eastern Suburbs apartments are also performing well with 10/4 Marathon Road, also in Darling Point, selling for $3.39m, up on the $2.2m the Ryan family paid for it in 2004.