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A $9.5m mansion that ‘shocked the flock’ of Exclusive Brethren back up for sale
By Lucy Macken
A Dural mansion that “shocked the flock” when bought two years ago for $9.5 million by the leading family behind the fundamentalist Exclusive Brethren church was put back up for sale this week.
The resort-style estate was a cash purchase by Gareth Hales, son of the church’s global leader Bruce D. Hales, and head of global medical supply company Sante Group.
The resort-style estate of Gareth Hales returned to the market this week, two years after he bought it for $9.5 million.Credit: Domain
The gated estate comes with an impressive catalogue of opulent add-ons, such as a home theatre, billiard room with a wet bar, flood-lit tennis court, heated pool, a grand marble foyer and is set on more than two hectares.
A mini golf driving range is visible in the latest marketing campaign.
Manor Real Estate’s William Brush is yet to set a price guide but is no doubt hoping the 9 per cent rise in local median house values in the past year will recoup the bullish purchase price, if not the almost $600,000 in stamp duty.
Gareth Hales heads up the global medical supply company Sante Group.Credit:
“The purchase of these holiday mansions has shocked the flock,” said Craig Stewart, who was excommunicated from the sect, and now runs a Facebook page called, Exclusive Brethren/PBCC the truth about Bruce D. Hales.
“John Hales, the former leader and Bruce’s late father, had espoused a simple, Christian life. His mantra was, ‘nothing to hide and nothing to parade’. These mansions are the opposite of that.”
Gareth’s penchant for fine real estate extends beyond his Dural acreage and an Eastwood mansion that is his home. There’s also a $5.5 million Kurrajong estate and $5.5 million designer digs in West Pennant Hills – neither of which carry a mortgage.
The 2.1 hectare estate includes a championship tennis court, swimming pool, billiard room and mini golf range.Credit: Domain
Such spending didn’t just attract the attention of the sect’s “saints”. The Australian Tax Office has also taken a keen interest in the Brethren-linked company Universal Business Team, conducting an “access without prior notice” raid on the offices in March.
Sellers galore
The Point Piper trophy home Wingadal was designed by Alec Tzannes, took eight years to build and was completed in 2006.
Prestige agents wasted no time launching their best properties this week following the school holidays and given the clear run from now until the European summer vacay distracts high-end shoppers. Chief among them, the Point Piper home of “Aussie” John Symond.
For those who missed the headlines, the Aussie Home Loans founder has enlisted Ken Jacobs and Brad Pillinger to sell his landmark home amid expectations it would be the first Australian residence to break into the $200 million range.
For years visitors to Symond’s many charity functions have jostled for a glimpse inside the Alec Tzannes-designed residence, if only to see what makes it so lauded or at least spy some of his art, as documented in the aptly titled book of 2013, Wingadal: The John Symond Collection.
Art collector John Symond inside his Point Piper home office.Credit: Louie Douvis
For those among us without the finances to qualify for an inspection, think four-bedroom residence on 98 metres of top-shelf harbour front, complete with a home cinema, undercover parking for 20 cars, separate apartment, two commercial kitchens, pool and, as of a few weeks ago, approval for a 30-metre private jetty (the latter yet to be built).
Or, for half the price, there’s also Symond’s London apartment in Knightsbridge on offer for £50 million ($95.4 million).
The Darling Point duplex owned by Julia Cooney hit the market this week for more than $13 million.Credit: Domain
For those with a budget more akin to Wingadal’s stamp duty (that’ll be $13.9 million to state coffers) Highland’s Bill Malouf has a duplex in Darling Point owned by yachtie Julia Cooney in the $13 million range.
Yachties Jim and Julia Cooney, on the Brindabella maxi yacht.Credit: Dallas Kilponen
Cooney was just 20 in 2018 when she bought her first property for $8.67 million, a year after she became the youngest female to win Sydney to Hobart line honours on the super maxi Comanche skippered by her father multimillionaire, renewable energy boss, Jim Cooney.
In Woollahra, a house built for the late Clyde Packer is for sale for the first time in more than 30 years with a $12.5 million guide through BresicWhitney’s Shannan Whitney, and his TRG co-agent Mark Lowe.
Historic records show Packer bought the property in 1970 for $74,000, the same year he was made joint managing director of the Nine Network (now owner of this masthead) alongside his father Sir Frank Packer.
Architect Guilford Bell was commissioned to design what is now a four-bedroom house, but after Packer famously fell out with his father in 1972 he sold the house four years later and moved to the United States. He died there in 2001, aged 65.
The Woollahra residence was designed by architect Guilford Bell on behalf of Clyde Packer.Credit: Domain
Prominent eye surgeon John Elder and Susan Elder paid $145,000 for it in 1976, and it last traded in 1991 for $950,000 to retired judge Kenneth Raphael and Deborah Raphael.
Clyde Packer famously fell out with his father Sir Frank Packer in the early 1970s, prompting him to move to the United States.
In the Inner West, the Strathfield home of Tony Tartak, patriarch of the Rich List Bingo Industries family, is for sale through McGrath’s Tarun Sethi.
The seven-bedroom residence is owned by Tartak’s wife Mary, with a 1 per cent share held by son Nathan, and has been wholly rebuilt since they purchased it in 2009 for $1.7 million.
The listing comes just months after son Daniel, the former Bingo boss, was sentenced to 400 hours of community service, fined $100,000 and disqualified from running companies for five years after he pleaded guilty to price-fixing in waste services.
The Tartak family own half a dozen properties in the Strathfield area, although Daniel sold his nearby home in October for $8.8 million to BigCommerce co-founder Eddie Machaalani.
Kaftan queen sells out
Kaftan queen Camilla Franks sold her Woollahra home, Villa Camilla, late Friday, scoring $7.65 million.
Villa Camilla sold late on Friday for $7.65 million, doubling the purchase price of 2016.Credit: Domain
The result is almost double the $3.868 million Franks paid for the freestanding Victorian house with a pool in 2016, but has been renovated throughout since in her distinctive style to include a rooftop terrace, fire pit, sauna and outdoor shower and bath.
Fashion designer Camilla Franks is swapping Woollahra for Bondi.Credit: Louise Kennerley
PPD’s Alexander Phillips had listed the property in March, most recently with a $7.2 million guide down from $8 million, after he sold Franks a landmark Federation house in Bondi for about $12.5 million.
The Bondi house, Gnal Loa, was sold by Pensiri and Ben Scott, the latter of whom is a partner at Barrenjoey Capital and chair of the Australian Rugby Foundation.
Franks’ high-end house purchase comes just months after billionaires Andrew and Nicola Forrest announced a minority shareholding in the global fashion powerhouse, Camilla, through their shared investment vehicle Tattarang.