The 10 Most Expensive Houses in Australia

Not even a decent Lotto win would go half way to cover the cost of most of these homes!

Aside from shopping, nothing excites any woman more than owning a house. We love to flip through mags that flaunt wealthy people’s extravagant spending on their designer homes – and they don’t bother selling it after.

We love you so much here in Stay at Home Mum that we are giving you the 10 most expensive houses in Australia. We’d like to tell you these palatial pads belong to the rich and famous, but we have no idea who some of these people are.

1. La Mer, Vaucluse, NSW

First stop! James Packer had the most expensive mansion priced at $70 million. It is located in Vaucluse to the east of Sydney. It was a lavish abode that the casino tycoon and his ex-wife Erika Baxter designed back in 2013.

This estate was later sold to a Chinese billionaire and businessman named Chau Chak Wing. This sets a new record of the most expensive house in the world. Among the stunning features of this mansion are a fully equipped gym, a standard garage that can house up to 20 cars and a 20-seater cinema. Also, it houses domestic houses situated at the lap pool and the rooftop lawn.

Aside from the fact that he has the most upscale house, the new owner, Dr Chau is well-known for his philanthropic work by donating $20 million in building a landmark at the University of Technology in Sydney. He is predominantly based in his home country, China, but is now a resident of Australia. He is actively involved in Australian political donations where he donated about $2 million in the last two decades. His daughter runs the Australian newspaper, New Express Daily published in the Chinese language.

The Mansion is six storeys and took three years of construction to build. It has a six bedroom main residence, vast entertainment areas and two self-contained staff quarters under the rooftop lawn. It was intended to be Packer’s marital home, however, his wife (now ex-wife) Erica Baxter was not a fan of the house, saying that it was ‘like living in a shopping centre’.

2. The Ellison Mansion, Mosman Park, WA

The second most expensive mansion in Australia is the Ellison mansion in Saunders Street, Mosman Park. The mansion is owned by Chris Ellison, who is the head of a resources mining company. This a private firm that specialises in mining services of which Mr Ellison has a stake of $300 million in the firm. The mansion covers 7,567 square meters including an in-house cinema, a private jetty, three buildings and a tennis court.

In addition to this stunning mansion, Chris and his wife also own a four-bathroom, five-bedroom mansion in Applecross. The couple bought the mansion from their mining rewards.

The new house has the best river views from its spectacular balconies. It features a big garage, able to fit four cars and a workshop space that can fit another car. The mansion is also equipped with a swimming pool, a gym and a theatre room. The house is surrounded with luscious vegetation coupled with a peaceful environment that any top business person could retreat into.

The mansion is located right on the Swan River. It has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and three self-contained buildings. It is also surrounded by high-security walls, making it a very secure compound.

3. Villa Veneto, Point Piper NSW

David Penn, a Sydney dentist bought his home in Point Piper for a net worth of $53 million and ranks third as the most expensive house in Australia. However, some real estate agents have questioned the eligibility of the transfer of property since documents revealed that it was transferred at a price of $44 million.

The house was previously owned by entrepreneur Andrew Banks and his wife Andrea. Three years later, the land was sold to David and his wife Linda, who is a Manhattan heiress. The house drops sharply to the beach with an impressive view of the mansion itself and the Harbor Bridge. The site was exhumed by cutting deep into the stone in order to obtain a level platform and provide a good base for the colossal residence and the garage can be constructed on a street level.

The home, known as ‘Villa Veneto’, has a fast speed lift drops into a two flat gallery and a beautiful courtyard where the main entry to the mansion is located. The main bedrooms have an entrance that leads to all other rooms in the house. The exceptional architectural features include an Australian-designed stone columns balustrades which were made in Europe. It took more than four years before the final draft is done with more than 600 blueprints wasted. With a well-planned road network, this superb mansion looks exquisitely expensive outside.

4. Altona, Point Piper, NSW

Another fabulous mansion also located at Point Piper. Known as ‘Altona’, it is the fourth most expensive house having a net worth of about $52 million. It is owned by a Chinese property developer, Wang Zhijun and his wife Eve, who is a famous swimwear designer known for her bikinis. It is alleged that Mr Zhijun concealed his investment to evade foreign investment laws. Sources revealed that he purchased it at a price of $52 million through an intricate holding structure of holding trusts and shelf companies. This Altona mansion was sold for $52 million back in 2013. It is located near the sea shore with a huge swimming pool that lets your eyes rest while viewing the stretch of the ocean.

Altona is an eight-bedroom harbourside mansion located on Wunulla Road. It is believed that the ‘front block’ has recently been subdivided off the property and sold for a whopping $19 million dollars.

The home has its own private slipway into the Sydney Harbour, each of the eight bedrooms has its own ensuite. The master bedroom has a double ensuite and dressing room. The kitchen is commercial grade with top of the range stainless steel appliances and its own butler’s pantry. There are also five marble fireplaces and a separate granny flat.

 

5. Coolong, Vaucluse NSW

Ivan Ritossa, Barclay’s capital expatriate global head, and his wife Marina own the  $45 million glorious mansion located in Altona, Sydney. It has eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The house has a spectacular harbour bridge view, and beautifully designed grounds that have been used for lavish parties. It even has its own private beach!

In 2007, it was known as the “shopping centre scion”. Following this, David Lowy and his wife offered $55 million to purchase it but they were turned down. Fortunately, the mansion resides in a good area, making it one of the most sought-after houses in Australia. This is one gorgeous five star home!

6. Mandalay, Point Piper, NSW

Phillip Dong Fang Lee and his wife Shi Xiaobeiare are the recent owners of this Point Piper house. Mr Lee has been an ecoresort and a road developer in Australia for 15 years. This house was previously owned by Bill Web, a former tobacco executive. Located at Mandalay in Wolseley Road, this house features a champion-sized swimming pool and car park.

The house is arrayed with state-of-the-art interiors and beautifully decorated rooms. The villa seats on 1,891 square metres of land and has a fully equipped gym, wine cellars, sauna, and spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House.

The home is three storeys with views of the harbour from nearly every room in the house. There are six bedrooms, a heated swimming pool and huge basement garage that fits five vehicles. It also has a separate self-contained servants’ quarters.

The mansion known as ‘Mandalay’ was built in 1954 and was commissioned by General Motors dealer Bill Stack.  It was refurbished in 2004 by architect Michael Suttor.

7. Villa Del Mare, Point Piper

Ms Lola Wang Li bought the Point Piper mansion ‘Villa del Mare’. However, very little is known about Ms Wang except that she is an Australian citizen. The mansion located at 63 – 67 Wolseley Road was formerly owned by disgraced businessman Ron Medich and his estranged wife Oddette.

This luxurious Mediterranean mansion also made it to the list of the most expensive houses in Australia. It was previously owned by Julia Ross, a recruitment industry head, who sold it in 2014. This estate has a net worth of about $37 million.

The luxurious mansion has five bedrooms with striking balconies that offer perfect views of the beach. What’s best about this house is that it also has a magical view of the harbour.

It has six bedrooms and four bathrooms and an incredible infinity edged pool. It also has an amazing remote controlled billiards table.

The home was designed by architect Chris Tsioulos in the late 1990’s and was completed in 2000. The palatial limestone palazzo was once owned by Professor Leslie Wilkinson.

8. Andrew Roberts’ Mansion, Double Bay

Priced at $38 million, this mansion located at Double Bay was owned by Andrew Roberts, a former Multiplex head. Together with his wife, they sold the waterfront home in early 2015 before they moved to Bondi.

The house was sold to Malaysian-born billionaire and tycoon Huang Lee Seng and his wife, Yeoh Pei Chee. Mr Seng is the Executive Chairman of the lifestyle and tourism property group, Mulpha Australia.

The house was formerly traded for $7.29 million back in 1989 when it was bought by Robert Hampshire. He had planned to combine it with Gladswood House, but failed in his plan after a financial struggle with Alan Bond.

The home has an incredible 55 metres of waterfront. Located in the northern area of Double Bay, this house includes six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a heated pool, a jetty, mooring and a large garage, able to accommodate four cars. It was once a part of the famous Gladswood House before it was divided in the year 1950 for about 10,000 pounds.

9. Gladswood Gardens, Double Bay, NSW

This mansion located in Gladsworth Gardens Double Bay is comprised of six bedrooms, a champion-sized swimming pool, twenty-seater dining room, eight bathrooms, staff quarters, boat house and a jetty.

It has a peaceful environment with the best road network that provides a good place to house business conferences.

The owner is well known for his philanthropic activities focusing on how to care for people who are disadvantaged by government-funded programs. Currently, the owner is involved in providing food and clothes for the homeless people in Sydney in conjunction with a charitable organisation in Sydney.

10. Bang & Olufsen, Point Piper, NSW

Yes, this is ANOTHER property located at the infamous Wolseley Crescent, Point Piper. Former owners Bruce McWilliam (commercial director of the Seven Network) and wife Nicky sold this expensive and unique ‘Bang and Olufsen home’ in 2013 for $33 million. Wolseley Crescent provides a perfect picturesque view of the ocean and spacious elegant rooms. The mansion was sold to Jerry Qiu Yafu who is the owner of a Chinese textile company, Shandong Ruyi Science and Technology.  Mr Yafu is also the owner of Cubby Station located in Queensland.

The mansion located in Point Piper is known as the ‘Bang & Olufsen House’ due to its distinctive tinted glass design that is apparently reminiscent of an old hi-fi system when viewed from the Sydney Harbour. Elton John once expressed interest in buying this iconic mansion.

The home spans three levels and was constructed over a thirty month period during the 1980’s.

What does your dream house look like?