Elizabeth Bay trophy home Berthong looks to have found a new owner

Has the Elizabeth Bay trophy residence Berthong, once home to Russell Crowe and the Murdoch family, found a new owner? That’s the claim according to well-placed sources.

This is the historic waterfront villa that was listed four years ago by lawyer Peter Ziegler and his wife Andrea with a $35 million guide that has remained largely unchanged throughout the campaign by Ken Jacobs, of Christie’s International.

Despite no indication of the result, it is expected to score top place as this year’s highest sale once records confirm the deal.

Multiple sources say the property sold earlier this year with prestige agent Alison Coopes having a hand in the negotiations, however when approached she denied any involvement, and Mr Jacobs gave his standard “no comment” to enquiries.

The property was removed from property portals last year.

Set on dress circle Billyard Avenue, it was known as Macleay House when built in 1886 and acquired by the wealthy music publisher Frank Albert in 1936, who built the residence Boomerang next door – now owned by the family of billionaire trucking magnate Lindsay Fox.

The Murdoch family bought it in 1995 for $6.85 million from the late ad man Michael Ball, with the upstairs used as the Sydney home of Rupert Murdoch, and downstairs left to son Lachlan and his wife Sarah.

Crowe was flush with the Oscar-winning success of Gladiator when he bought it from the Murdochs in 2001 for $9.2 million, but only owned it for two years before he secured $11.5 million from the Zieglers.

Crowe took his money to Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf the following year when he bought his $14.35 million pad.

Berthong was restored as a single residence by Corben Architects after the Zieglers bought it, with the result winning a Master Builders Association award in 2005.

Of the few trophy deals transacted this year the highest recorded result is $24 million for the Palm Beach weekender that was sold by Caroline Jumpertz, daughter of the late media legend Sam Chisholm.