Beach Is Ball For Knights Star

Newcastle Herald

Saturday February 12, 2005

SALLY CROXTON

HAVING sold in Somerset Park, Newcastle Knights captain Andrew Johns is cementing his Merewether ties.

He is understood to have paid $750,000 for a smart Tod Blatchford-developed freestanding town house on the corner of Berner and Frederick streets as a pad while he builds his new architect-designed home opposite Merewether Beach.

Newcastle City Council has displayed the plans but is yet to grant approval for the three-level house with a swimming pool and gym.

It is to go on 1 Berner Street, the property which Johns had the foresight to buy in 1997 for $480,000.

He is seeking approval also to demolish the old two-level house to make way for the new.

Meanwhile, former Knights teammate Robbie O'Davis has moved from Dowling Hamilton to join the Dowling team at Shortland.

Jockey riding high

CHAMPION jockey Allan Robinson is on track for some recreation after Saturday's neck-and-neck sale of two blocks in Hamilton.

He said this week he intended to enjoy the combined $805,000 proceeds, using it towards the family's penthouse holiday home he bought in Port Macquarie for $1.15 million and his new $350,000 Mustang cruiser moored on Lake Macquarie.

About 70 people watched as Channel Seven's Hot Property team covered Saturday's lively auction of the adjacent properties at 118 and 120 Dumaresq Street, one a vacant 500-square-metre lot and the other the same size block but with an old house on it.

Robinson had intended to develop the combined 1000-square-metre site and had won approval for three luxury town houses with lap pools.

Spirited bidding by four of the six registered bidders saw the blocks sell for $400,000 and $405,000 to media personality and director of John Church Advertising, John Church.

Marketing and selling agent Anthony Merlo of Robinson Property said Robinson had initially set a higher reserve but had listened to the market response on the day.

In any event our records show the site scored well from its pre-development approval price, with No 118 selling to Robbor Pty Ltd (Allan Robinson's family company) in 2002 for $287,500 and No 120 selling the following year for $300,000.

High rise sales

THERE has been a spate of top-end sales, a reflection of the brisker market.

Jimmy Flannery's house at 10 Charlotte Street, Merewether, sold on Friday for $1.5 million on the eve of its debut auction advertisement.

The buyers, an Englishman and his Merewether-born wife, are moving back from the UK.

Selling agent Michael McKenna of Robinson Property said the well-built house had sensational ocean views and a 977-square-metre block.

Down on the flat in Merewether a 1970s-1980s-style double-storey brick house at 13 Ridge Street sold quickly for $1,030,000 (it was close to the $1,150,000 asking price).

Add a rendered finish and replace the dated Mediterranean-style pillars to the front balcony and the five-bedroom house on a 700-square-metre block seems like good buying considering the De Silva family's stylish apartment at 5 Ridge Street sold for more than $1 million in December.

Rebecca and Warren Hartley, who bought 13 Ridge Street through Michael Flook of Robinson Property, sold through him their smartly rendered 17 Ashford Parade, Merewether Heights, home for $630,000.

Historic Kurri home

IT'S one of Kurri Kurri's most prominent properties and has attracted strong interest in advance of next Saturday's noon auction.

Bidding from $300,000 is expected for the circa-1904 house named Rydalmere after the ship that brought one of the original owners, Edwin Bickmore, to Australia.

The Federation house on 1200 square metres at 86 Lang Street has many original features and will be auctioned through Murphy Real Estate.

Waterfront snapped upOUR Belmont waterfront House of the Week on January 15 has sold pre-auction for $955,000.

The 1970s-built four-bedroom house at 14 Bellevue Road had fabulous views and a steep block leading down to the lake.

Selling agent Josh O'Doherty of LJ Hooker Belmont said he had thought the 756-square-metre property would fetch more but the vendors, retirees Elizabeth and Les Tocque, had bought elsewhere, were motivated to sell and had decided to take the best offer.

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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