Former tourism boss Don Morris shows off green thumb at $4.5m Clareville home

The owner of the modernist residence Bushycroft at Clareville is a self-taught expert on landscaping tropical gardens, which would be impressive in itself, but is all the more so given the many other achievements of marketing and advertising legend Don Morris.

The co-founder of Mojo Australia advertising firm and former chairman of Tourism Australia and Tourism Queensland, among other organisations, bought the almost 3000-square-metre property with his wife Verity in 2008 for $2.35 million.

Renovated over the years with northerly views over Pittwater and complete with a 12.5 metre pool, it returns to the market given the couple’s downsizing plans.

Mark Griffin, of Belle Property Avalon, has a guide of $4.5 million and is taking expressions of interest until March 2.

Morris’ Clareville home has a 12.5 metre pool. Photo: Supplied

Whale Beach compound grows

Point Piper dental entrepreneur David Penn and his wife Linda, a director of her family’s Lowes menswear chain, have expanded their Whale Beach enclave by $3.365 million.

The oceanfront reserve purchase is next door to their nearly complete Michael Suttor-designed weekender and was sold to the Penns by United States President Donald Trump’s favourite Australian adviser Andrew Liveris and his wife Paula.

David and Linda Penn have purchased the oceanfront house next door at Whale Beach. Photo: Supplied

The 1970s house is expected to be knocked down according to a local source, and become larger grounds of the Penns’ weekender, which they bought pre-building work in 2012 for $3.075 million.

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The Liveris property is next to a vacant bush block, leaving the Penns with just one built neighbour along Whale Beach Road, corporate adviser Garren Cronin, who bought his house from the Penns in 2015 for $4.825 million.

A model in downsizing

Jane Weston’s Paddington terrace has a price guide of $2.3 million. Photo: Supplied

Chic Talent Management’s Jane Weston’s campaign to sell her Paddington terrace coincides with talk she plans to join Potts Point’s downsizer set.

The three-level Victorian terrace last traded in 2013 for $1.3 million and returns to the market with an approved DA.

McGrath’s Chris Volpatti has a guide of $2.3 million ahead of the March 10 auction.

Heading up to Point Piper

The Handlers have paid $7.5 million for a Point Piper apartment in this block next door to Aussie John Symond. Photo: Supplied

Meat wholesaler Charles Handler and his wife Claire are Aussie John Symond’s new neighbours, having paid $7.5 million for the Point Piper apartment of the late accountant Jacob Belfer.

The sale – through Ken Jacobs of Christie’s International – follows the Handler’s sale of their Bellevue Hill family home for $6 million 18 months ago to Daniel and Alexis Kennedy, of the Kennedy Health Care nursing home family.

Quick of the dead to snap up this Bellevue Hill digs

Romi Weinberg has withdrawn her Bellevue Hill home from the market. Photo: Supplied

Vogue Living referred to the Bellevue Hill home of interior designer Romi Weinberg early last year as a “classical French-style home” and “like a hidden oasis”. Early this week it was for sale to anyone who might have the $7 million to pay for it, but Tuesday a rethink had seen it already withdrawn from the market.

The daughter of Point Piper-based trophy home owner and rag trader Stephen Leibowitz bought the Mediterranean-style home in 2014 for $5.2 million from Oceana Fund’s David Lewis and his wife Dana.

The Mediterranean-style residence was withdrawn from the market on Tuesday. Photo: Supplied 

The Lewises owned it a year, having bought it for $4.65 million from Camilla and Marc fashion designer Camilla Freeman-Topper and her husband David.

Weinberg had hit go on the full sales campaign through Ray White Double Bay’s Ashley Bierman before she promptly changed her mind and pulled it from the market.

On to the next property act

The growing family of actor Matt Doran means his Paddington home is on the market. Photo: Supplied

Actor Matt Doran and his partner, textile designer Teri McPhillips, became parents to a baby girl last year, which might have made their Paddington one-bedder cramped.

Cue a February 24 auction for the 69-square-metre digs  amid plans by the new parents to up-grade to “something with a backyard, preferably in the east,” according to McPhillips.

Doran, best known for playing the role of Mouse on The Matrix, recently returned to Sydney from filming Trafficked, starring Ashley Judd.

The couple bought the Glenmore Road pad in 2012 for $565,000, and have since renovated. Susannah Anderson, yet another star recruit to The Agency, is asking $1 million.

Mansion move across the harbour

Fund manager Charles Genocchio is the new owner of this Mosman mansion. Photo: Supplied

Fund manager Charles Genocchio, of Vinva Investment Management, has traded up handsomely from his recently sold Birchgrove digs to emerge as the buyer of a close to $12 million Mosman waterfront mansion.

Genocchio, who pocketed $4.175 million for his inner west home last May, has bought the Shellbank Avenue home of racehorse owner and breeder Paul Fleming.

Genocchio purchased the property from racehorse owner and breeder Paul Fleming. Photo: Supplied

His purchase is yet to settle, leaving the rumoured sale price unconfirmed by selling agents Richard Simeon and Mark Manners, but it was last shopped around with a $12 million guide before it exchanged late last year.

The Balmain peninsula’s other upgrader is the youngest son of pokie machine billionaire Len Ainsworth, Christian, who has paid $3 million for a house in Hunters Hill’s Pulpit Point development.

Ainsworth has owned his Balmain home since 2014, paying $2.27 million, and a year later he bought a Palm Beach weekender for $3.425 million.

Northbridge revelation

The Northbridge home of hedge fund manager David Curtis is rumoured to have sold for about $15 million. Photo: Supplied

The buyers of the Northbridge home of hedge fund manager David Curtis and his wife Joan have emerged on a caveat lodged on title as locals DM Capital Management’s Declan McEvoy and his wife Cheryl.

There was no confirmation on the paperwork of the rumoured price of some $15 million.

McGrath’s Michael Coombs sold the Alex Popov-designed home of the Curtis family. Photo: Supplied

Sold by McGrath’s Michael Coombs, it comes six months after he sold the waterfront house in front for $21 million on behalf of the Salteri family to heiress Kristie Ward, daughter of former BRW Rich Lister John Hunt.

Gun closes deal

David and Clare Mulham’s Vaucluse home has sold to Alexander Phillips. Photo: Supplied

The Vaucluse home of David and Clare Mulham, of the Rich List Roche family, has found a buyer at some $11 million, with widespread talk pinning the purchase on Phillips Pantzer Donnelley sales gun Alexander Phillips.

James McCowan, of Sotheby’s International, declined to comment on the deal, but had double-digit expectations on the Coolong Road residence last year.

The Coolong Road property last traded in 2008 for $9.6 million. Photo: Supplied

The daughter of Bill and Imelda Roche bought the five-bedder in 2008 for $9.6 million from Ailsa and Patrick Crammond, managing director of Southern Cross Financial Advisers.

Before anyone approaches Phillips to list the Paddington terrace he bought in 2014 for $4.465 million from New York- based Macquarie director Paul Allen and his wife Liz Morgan, don’t bother. He’s going to rent it out.