Sydney's narrowest harbourfront fetches $6.34 million

Sydney's narrowest harbourfront fetches $6.34 million
Jonathan ChancellorDecember 7, 2020

Sydney's skinniest harbourfront home has been sold for $6.34 to businesswoman Fiona Brown, the Dicker Data co-founder.

It's a four level home on a postage stamp-sized block just six metres wide at Darling Point.

Once a Sydney Harbour right-of-way slipway for nearby flat owners, the Darling Point house (pictured above) dates to the early 1980s when built by the veteran property developer Bill Shipton.

Set on a small sandy beach between historic Carthona and Neidpath, the Carthona Avenue was listed by the Melbourne-based landscaper Jack Merlo.

The waterfront property which came with $7.5 million plus hopes mid-last year was relisted earlier this year through Pillinger Real Estate, inconjuction with Sothebys International.

It is just 207 square metres. It is best known as the former home of Lady Susan Renouf, who sold it in 1997 for $2.9 million to Melbourne socialite Dianne Allen through the Double Bay agents Marcia Resch and Jane Ashton.

Merlo paid $6.15 million in 2009.

Before the Melbourne trio took hold of the the four-level property with a pool, there were some colouful Sydney characters as past owners. 

In the late 1980s it lay dormant when owned by absentee investor, and nearby The Swifts' resident, Carl Spies - other than its use by skylarking rich squatters for weekend raves.

The waterfront was then lavishly restored by stylist Barry Byrne under the patronage of landlady Dorothy Spry, who paid $2.4 million in 1989. 

What is probably Sydney Harbour's second narrowest home remains listed for sale.

The house on the slither of land from the subdivided Paradis sur Mer estate is back for sale. 

The 260-square-metre parcel of land - the second smallest vacant block among Sydney Harbour's 2,400 waterfront sites - is about eight metres wide and about 34 metres deep.

It was last sold by the speculative property developers Gerald and Monica Symonds for $1.44 million in 1994 and bought by the neighbours who owned the hi-tech Bang & Olufsen house, anxious that no further building take place on the site.

They built the narrow house that is currently up for sale through Sotheby's International agent James McCowan (pictured below). It's listed with $15 million hopes. It was initially listed in 2010 with $13 million plus hopes by the Taechaubol family.

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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