Charles and Kate Fairfax, members of the famed publishing family, have emerged as the buyers of a resort-style designer home in Sydney’s exclusive Vaucluse.
The Olola Avenue property traded days out from Christmas for $22 million, however the identity of the high-profile buyers remained a mystery until settlement last Friday.
Charles and Kate Fairfax have emerged as the buyers of this $22 million home in Sydney’s Vaucluse.  
Charles, the youngest son of the late socialite Lady Mary Fairfax, and his wife Kate, bought the six-bedroom property from Vaucluse local Barbara Miller. Ms Miller paid $9.45 million when she took the keys from Peter Polovin, managing director of Sceats Eyewear, in 2009.
The X.pace architect-designed home sits on a 1025 square metre block and is built around a large courtyard complete with a resort-style pool and lush tropical gardens, a five-car garage and an in-home cinema featuring a three-metre screen.
The Olola Avenue property was designed by X.pace architects around an internal courtyard with lush gardens.  
The property is located across the road from the sprawling grounds of historic Vaucluse House, and about a 10-minute drive from Charles’ famous childhood home Fairwater in Point Piper.
The Fairfax family held Fairwater from 1901 until it was sold as part of Lady Fairfax’s estate to Atlassian’s Mike Cannon-Brookes for a then-national house price record of $100 million in 2018.
The home features an eight-seat cinema and five-car basement garage with EV charging station.  
The Vaucluse purchase comes about six months after the couple sold a Spanish Mission-style property on nearby Coolong Avenue for $18 million – about $3 million more than the $14.95 million they bought it for in 2021.
The Olola Avenue property was sold by Sotheby’s Michael Pallier, while prestige buyers’ agent Cohen Handler’s Simon Cohen represented the Fairfax family. Both parties declined to comment on the sale.
Fund manager Doug Tynan has sold his Woollahra home for $12.25 million to prominent Sydney silk Sera Mirzabegian – about double the $6.15 million he and wife Charlene paid when they purchased the 1860-built home from ex-Commonwealth Bank wealth boss Annabel Spring and Macquarie executive Peter Stokes in 2015.
The settlement comes almost a year after the Tynans bought Centennial Park mansion Lactura for $20.5 million from Industrie clothing co-founder Nick Kelly and partner and TV producer Maddy Kennard in April last year.
Doug and Charlene Tynan’s Woollahra home has sold for $12.25 million – almost double their 2015 purchase price.  
The property upgrade broadly times with Mr Tynan’s latest venture founding GCQ Flagship Fund – which has gained attention lately.
The Agency’s Ben Collier was the selling agent for both Lactura and the Tynan’s recently settled Ocean Street property.
The home, built in 1860, was once owned by former NSW Premier Nick Greiner.  
The move also signals a suburb upgrade for incoming Eleven Wentworth barrister Ms Mirzabegian, after she offloaded her nearby Wallaroy Road abode for $6.5 million last November.
Recently updated property documents reveal Ms Mirzabegian has finally taken the keys to the five-bedroom home, known locally as the “gingerbread house” because of its detailed fretwork and high-pitched roofs.
The grand home, located a short stroll from the trendy Queen Street village, sits on a 628 square metre block. It was once the home of former NSW premier Nick Greiner for about a decade until he sold it for $3 million in 2002.
Although leafy Lane Cove on Sydney’s north shore seems an unlikely breeding ground for rock and roll royalty, a recently listed Howell Avenue home was once the childhood playground of late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence.
This Howell Avenue block in Lane Cove is where INXS frontman Michael Hutchence spent his early years.  
While the original English-style cottage – built by Hutchence’s grandparents in 1926 – has since been demolished, the 638-square-metre block is where the world famous musician spent his early years with dad Kell Hutchence and mum Patricia Glassop.
The couple moved to the Lane Cove home after their 1959 nuptials, before later moving to Hong Kong when Michael was aged four and his brother, Rhett, was aged two.
While the Hutchence’s original cottage has been demolished, the landholding now comes with a five-bedroom house and pool.  
The landholding’s latest home has hit the market with a $4.35 million guide, as current owner Michelle Vanzella, director of flexible ride share service Carly, and her family look to downsize.
The Vanzellas replaced the original cottage with a contemporary five-bedroom, four-bathroom family abode in 2011 which features alfresco living along with a solar heated pool complete with cabana.
The property is listed with Belle Property Lane Cove principal Simon Harrison and is scheduled for auction on April 1.
Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.
Fetching latest articles
The Daily Habit of Successful People

source