Cinematographer Peter James puts Tamarama home up for sale for $9 million

When cinematographer Peter James bought his Tamarama property in 1981 for $250,000, he had recently returned to Sydney from Italy and said, “it reminded me of the sun-drenched houses on the Amalfi Coast looking out over the ocean”.

Much has changed in the 38 years since: Sydney’s median has soared from $78,900 to more than $1 million; James’ career has followed the same trajectory to become one of the most celebrated cinematographers working in Hollywood, and the beachside property has been redesigned by architect Peter Stronach.

In the intervening years James has worked on practically every Bruce Beresford-directed movie since Driving Miss Daisy, including Paradise Road, Mao’s Last Dancer and most recently Ladies in Black.

“I love sitting on the lounge on the veranda looking out over the ocean. I never tire of that amazing view,” he told Title Deeds.

That view has forced his fellow Thompson Street neighbours to dig deep to buy on the prized, north-facing street, such as the $10.5 million paid in 2008 for the house of Peppers Hotels founders Mike and Suzi O’Connor, and $11 million by builder Marco Rossi when he bought a few doors away before he then demolished the house.

James’ two-level residence returns to the market this week to buyers with a budget of more than $9 million ahead of a September 21 auction.

It is listed exclusively with Ray White Double Bay’s Thomas Popple, Adam Reichman and Ashley Bierman.

Meanwhile, Hollywood film editor Richard Francis-Bruce and his wife Susan look like they’ve returned to Sydney from California having bought a four-bedroom semi in Birchgrove for $3.2 million.

Records show it was an off-market deal on the home of Sydney Swans head medico Tom Cross, the son of orthopaedic surgeon guru and former rugby league footballer Merv Cross.

Francis-Bruce, whose film credits include The Witches of Eastwick, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone and the The Shawshank Redemption, was made an Order of Australia in 2017 for his significant service to the film industry.

Ex-publisher sells up in Kurraba Point

Marcia Raheb, a former magazine publisher, has put her Kurraba Point trophy home up for sale for $20 million.

The Federation mansion with tennis court, pool, jetty and boatshed on 1567 square metres of waterfront has been owned by Raheb and her businessman husband Michael O’Sullivan since 2006 when it was sold for $9.4 million by equities trader Richard Jenkins and his wife Sue.

Raheb’s home is on offer with The Agency’s Scott Thornton and Knight Frank’s Adam Ross amid expectations the $20 million guide will smash the Kurraba Point high of $16.5 million set when the non-waterfront house of Business Council of Australia president Grant King and his wife Jenny sold in 2016.

It is the third of only 35 homes on the exclusive Kurraba Point waterfront on offer to buyers. Former Woolworths boss Ken Wavish and his wife Vonnie  are asking $27.5 million for their designer residence on the point through Ray White Mosman’s Geoff Smith, and the modernist residence next door owned by widow Dorothy Ryan is offered for $23 million through Julia Conlon, of Conlon & Co, with Sotheby’s International’s Michael Pallier.

A buyer very close to home

Silvana Marshall, wife of lawyer Richard Marshall, former head of legal for miner Glencore Xstrata, has farewelled Mosman in typically high-end style, pocketing $6,225,000 for her Beauty Point home from the next-door neighbour.

Despite no comment by Mark Manners, of Simeon Manners, records show the three-storey house was bought by Tim Edwards and Ali Levitch, who have owned the Iain Halliday-designed residence next door since 2014 when it was sold by rugby union great Jason Little and his wife Bridget for $5.6 million.

Given the substantial scale of both residences – purchased for a total of $11.8 million and taking the holding to 1200 square metres – a knock-down rebuild seems unlikely.

The Marshalls have meanwhile taken to Palm Beach where they bought the hillside Karala residence in 2017 for $12 million.

Darling Point purchase sewn up

Clearly it’s not all doom and gloom in the fashion retail stakes. Bespoke menswear maker Nigel Lincoln, with his partner Glenn Carter, has bought the Darling Point home of retired restaurateur Elie Griplas for $7 million.

The purchase is a trade-up for the couple from their nearby Darling Point apartment in the President Towers building, which they sold in July for $5.25 million to antique enthusiast Lilian Rollason, wife of retired lawyer John Rollason, through Sotheby’s Daphne Sauvage.

Griplas had hoped to pocket $10 million for his long-held home when it was listed at that sum a year ago with Michael Pallier, of Sotheby’s International, and Michael Dunn, of Richardson & Wrench Double Bay, but dropped the asking price earlier this year.

Long-distance buy for O’Donnell

Chris O’Donnell, a leading property executive in Dubai, looks like he’s planning to return to Sydney having snapped up a Balmoral Slopes residence for about $9 million after he saw it online through Sotheby’s Lulu and Michael Pallier.

O’Donnell was chief of Nakheel property giant until 2011 when he took over as head of Dubai’s Al Futtaim Real Estate Group but then joined Emaar Development two years ago.

It was by local accounts a good buy on behalf of O’Donnell, but a loss for Duo Lie, from China, who bought it for $9.68 million in 2016 from tax guru Don Green and his wife Vanessa.

Bondi Beach’s 20-year return

PR supremo Grant Vandenberg, known as Sydney’s Mr Fix-It, and his wife Lisa have off-loaded one of their Bondi Beach investment apartments 20 years after they bought it.

The Centennial Park-based couple paid $332,000 for the one-bedder in 1999, and returned it to the market earlier this month with The Agency’s Bethwyn Richards, who sold it 10 days later for $865,000.

Adman cashes in on Palmy

Adman Lionel Hunt and his wife Judy have off-loaded their Palm Beach home for more than $8 million.

This is the double block waterfront property on Pittwater the couple bought in 2003 for $5.1 million from fashion designer Trent Nathan when they moved to Sydney from the Southern Highlands.

It was listed last year by LJ Hooker Palm Beach’s Peter Robinson for $8.75 million. Robinson declined to comment on the price, but confirmed it had sold.

Downsizing to Woollahra

Medlab Clinical chairman Michael Hall and his wife Elizabeth Jones, of Arida Clothing boutique, have bought the Woollahra apartment of Jack Solomon for $5.5 million after a sales campaign by 1st City Double Bay’s Julian Hasemer.

The couple have been on somewhat of a house hunting expedition since they sold their Point Piper home for $12 million earlier this year to next-door neighbour Mike Cannon-Brookes, buying this downsizer pad as well as a Macmasters Beach house for $3.55 million.