Delvene Delaney and John 'Strop' Cornell sub-dividing off their Byron beachfront compound: Title Tattle
It was John 'Strop' Cornell and his model wife, Delvene Delaney, who were Paul Hogan's sidekicks in their comedic heyday.
They all took a fancy to property around Byron Bay, and after almost three decade ownership the couple are putting some of their remarkable holdings on the market.
It's headlined by three building blocks within their large compound estate at Belongil.
They've been described as the three best beachfront blocks in Byron Bay, so each of the Border Street blocks is expected to fetch $2 million plus.
They are sizable holdings ranging between 2,022 square metres and 4,575 square metres.
The couple are keeping two Border Street blocks for their continued use.
The couple are also set to sell 41 housing sites at nearby Ewingsdale, which comes with frontage onto Parkway Drive, McGettigans Lane and St Helena Road.
"I'm 72 and I'm clearing the decks for my wife and girls to make everything easier," said Cornell in an accompanying statement through his selling agent Glen Irwin from LJ Hooker Byron Bay.
"The land for sale at Fig Tree Fields (Ewingsdale) was a subdivision which I bought 25 years ago, so if you want a large block where wallabies drop by and Mother Nature lives next door, get in quick.
"My wife is selling part of her beachfront holding at Belongil to realise her long-term investment, as long-term has arrived.
"Instead of 26 Paddington-size blocks, they've been amalgamated into five. Three are for sale.
"They are the best beach-front blocks in Byron Bay, according to the state government which charged $150,000 a year land tax."
Glen Irwin expects the blocks to be worth at least $2 million each.
The lots were bought in the early 1980s for around $325,000 from the then local abattoir. Title Tattle once calculated the entire holding totalled 18,000 square metres or so.
Delvene Delaney was a Sale of the Century television hostess and appeared with Paul Hogan and the John Cornell-devised character, the dopey Strop in Channel 9 comedy shows.Cornell and Hogan went onto make the Crocodile Dundee movies, which earned both of them a fortune. Cornell also developed a close relationship with Kerry Packer, taking the World Series Cricket idea to Australia's richest person.
Much of their money went into buying extensive property around Byron Bay.
Paul Hogan had the most obvious of holdings, Cedar Springs at Possum Creek in the Byron Bay hinterland estate.
Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski sold it in 2006 to Duncan and Sally Mount.
The house had been built with a dash of Hollywood splendour as the Australian base for the California-based actors who met on the set of the 1986 international box office success Crocodile Dundee.
Built in the late 1980s, the vast home was completed in time for their 1990 wedding.
The Mounts sold it last October through Nicollette van Wijngaarden of Unique Estates , who was telling buyers that $6.5 million would secure the property pre-auction. It fetched $6.8 million.
It was bought through a nominee holding company with its occupants yet to become known. The holding company is based in a Perth accountancy office in Subiaco, Barringtons, suggesting the buyer to have been a Perth-based millionaire.
Back on Border Street at Belongil, the strip's last sale was in December when a lesser landholding with little privacy was offloaded by receivers. It was the retreat of the former milk magnate Ken Laceyand his wife, Madeleine, which fetched for $1.25 million.
It was in 2008 when the retired Potts Point stockbroker Chris Trumbull and his wife, Paddy, sold the Border Street, Belongil Beach, retreat for $3.6 million to the Lacey couple.
The Trumbulls had paid $3 million in 2005 for the 683-square-metre beachfront holding.
The marketing ads by Ray White agent Lloyd Lawton suggested the beach house may be subject to an upgrading or demolition order, i.e. land value.
Of course the year's biggest sale was the Rae's property around at Wategos Beach.
It's sold in the hour before its scheduled auction on October 26. No official sale price or buyer details have been released, other than to say the accepted offer was consistent with the $20 million vendor expectations.
Property Observer gathers it was snapped up by interests associated by an offshore non-expatriate buyer, little-known London financier William Morris, although no official settlement has yet been registered with NSW Land Titles.
The London-based trader's LinkedIn website described himself as having "excellent relationships with some of the largest financial institutions around the world, from hedge funds, foundations, banks to top security houses."
It was on the market for the first time in 20 years, having been listed by the entrepreneur Vincent Rae.
Located on a prized 1,049-square-metre beachfront Marine Parade block, the property was set for auction through Ray White Hotels agents Tony Bargwanna and Andrew Jolliffe in conjunction with Gerald Delany of Kay & Burton in Melbourne.
