Lawyer Amanda Banton revealed as Steven Burcher's mystery $23.5m buyer

High-profile corporate lawyer Amanda Banton has made an impressive upgrade in the eastern suburbs paying more than $23.5 million for the Rose Bay home of property baron Stephen Burcher and his wife Melissa.

The big-ticket purchase comes less than a year after the Squire Patton Boggs law firm partner offloaded her Paddington terrace for $7.4 million to Quadrant Private Equity partner Alex Eady and his wife Jodie.

Sources say Banton has been slumming it in Centennial Park in the intervening months since she sold, leasing the parkside mansion of Wesfarmers’ senior executive Ed Bostock and his wife Emma following their move to Perth.

However, following Bostock’s off-market sale of his Sydney home in an off-market deal for more than $13 million earlier this month, Banton has likewise had to find new digs.

It’s been a big 12 months for Banton, and not only on the real estate front. Last August she was implicated in an unfortunate incident at an exclusive party for hundreds of her fellow litigators hosted by Banco Chambers at which Banton is alleged to have assaulted fellow legal eagle Elizabeth Pickthall.

Fingers crossed, such awkwardness should be put behind her on April 15 after police issued her with a court attendance notice for that date at the Downing Centre Local Court.

Until now mystery has surrounded the “local buyer” of the Burcherfamily’s designer property since it sold after three days of intense post-auction negotiations. Despite a strict refusal to comment by The Agency’s Ben Collier, multiple sources still managed to pin the purchase on Banton. The price, however, will await settlement.

Collier has been quite proactive – if not protective – on behalf of Banton, having not only sold her into the Burcher home but also sold her Paddington terrace and the Centennial Park residence she was leasing from the Bostocks.

As regular readers know, the Burchers are off to Woollahra where they have paid more than $15 million for the mansion of Kaos Holdings’ Tim Hordern and his wife Victoria.

Fashionable farewell to Vaucluse pad

Fashion designer Kit Willow is gearing up to farewell her Vaucluse home, given early guide expectations of $5.8 million.

The creative brains behind the KITX designer fashion brand and property developer Mark Podgornik have called the four-bedroom house perched on the hillside above Vaucluse House home since 2010 when it was bought in Podgornik’s name for $2.1 million.

Set on 885 square metres and renovated through with a separate au pair suite and study, it is set to hit the market in May with 1st City’s Rod Fox and Sean Jacobson.

Gowing sees the flip side of Wahroonga

Bridal dress designer Lisa Gowing is upping her interest in the home renovation and interiors business, flipping her Wahroonga home after a major redesign.

Gowing and her husband, Ocean Group Consulting director David Bird, bought the 2200-square-metre battle-axe property two years ago for $3.02 million having recently sold their former Wahroonga home for $2.97 million after her first major home renovation.

The two-storey property still has the north-facing swimming pool and porte-cochere entry, but Gowing has given the interiors a Hamptons-meets-French provincial makeover, adding high-end finishes throughout and a parterre landscaped gardens.

Lynette Malcolm, of Chadwick Real Estate, is taking expressions of interest until April 21 with a $4.5 million to $4.95 million guide.

Cremorne local moves on Mosman mansion

The reason why retired Macquarie executive John Rendle and his wife Carolyn are selling their Cremorne waterfront home, listed for $14.5 million to $15.5 million last month,  has become much clearer.

The Rendles were the secret $10.5 million buyers of the Mosman home of Potts Point-bound Hardie Grant chairman John Gerahty and his wife Patricia.

The Gerahty’s bought their home overlooking Chinamans Beach in 2010 for $6.6 million but renovated it extensively before off-loading it on the quiet late last year through Richardson & Wrench Mosman’s Stephen Patrick.

The Rendles have been Cremorne locals since 2007 when they bought their waterfront home for $9.55 million from Bluestone Mortgages co-founder Craig Mullan.

The Rendles have listed their Cremorne home with Michael Coombs, of LJ Hooker Avnu.

Mosman’s other big deal

Also on the Mosman trophy shelf is the Federation residence Emberton owned by welding supplies wholesaler Chris Neville and his wife Amanda for $12 million to $13 million.

The 1905-built residence on 1300 square metres with a pool and two-bedroom cottage at the rear has scored a major renovation since the Neville’s bought it in 2006 for $6.6 million, including Peter Fudge gardens and Cameron Kimber interiors.

It is listed with LJ Hooker Avnu’s Michael Coombs, who sold the neighbouring mansion Glasslyn last year for $15.8 million to Francesca Duncan, the daughter-in-law of mining magnate Travers Duncan.