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Sky Farm, the home of the late Australian polo legend Sinclair Hill and his wife, Wendy, near Nowra, has hit the market with a price guide of $11.5 million to $12.5 million.
Sinclair passed away in November, aged 91, and leaves behind an extraordinary polo legacy. He taught a young Prince Charles to play competitive polo, maintained close ties with the royal family, and introduced the sport to late media tycoon Kerry Packer.
Sky Farm in Meroo Meadow is one of the NSW South Coast’s most stunning elevated estates.
A sanctuary with uninterrupted views stretching from Coolangatta Mountain, Shoalhaven valley to the Pacific and south to Jervis Bay, it delivers a blend of beauty, scale and seclusion, just minutes from Berry and the region’s finest beaches.
Records show the Hills purchased the property on about 64 hectares for $1.6 million in 2003. The following year, they built a designer homestead with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and formal and informal living zones.
A porte cochere lies behind a sweeping driveway and interiors are inspired by French and Argentinian influences, with cathedral ceilings, tiled floors and dual open fireplaces.
Leisure offerings include an infinity pool and one-hole golf green surrounded by jacaranda trees.
Sinclair was the son of grazier Leslie Hill and Jean Arnott of the Arnott family biscuit dynasty. In 1980, he was appointed an Officer of the British Empire in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to polo, and in 2008 was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
Chris Meares of Meares & Associates and Ken Jacobs of Forbes Global Properties hold the listing.
TV stars sell stylish residences
Samantha Armytage, host of Nine’s The Golden Bachelor, who listed her Hyams Beach home with a price guide of $2.95 million to $3.1 million, has sold the property, and this masthead can exclusively reveal that the sale price was $2.75 million. Nine owns this masthead.
Bradley Cocks of Drew Lindsay Sotheby’s International Realty, who sold the property alongside Samuel Lindsay, said: “Through strategic buyer advocacy and strong campaign engagement, we achieved an exceptional result in a challenging market, identifying the pocket of liquidity at $2.75 million after just 33 days on the market.”
Records show the three-bedroom, two-bathroom abode was transferred by a family member into her name without monetary consideration in 2021. It previously traded for $1,765,000 in 2018.
In 2018, interiors included pale blue walls, polished floorboards in main living zones and a country-style kitchen. It now features a coastal all-white palette including the floors.
The house is directly across from the shores of Hyams Beach, which won the title of world’s whitest sand in the Guinness World Records 2018.
Meanwhile, Neale Whitaker, and his partner, David Novak-Piper, have proven that a keen eye for style can pay off in the property world, having more than doubled their money.
Whitaker, a former judge on Nine’s The Block, a judge on Seven’s My Reno Rules and a co-host on Foxtel’s Love it or List it Australia, met Novak-Piper at a Sydney charity event where he was performing and Novak-Piper was backstage doing hair.
Records show the couple bought a property in Bundewallah, northwest of Berry, for $1,837,500 in 2018, before renovating the original three-bedroom cottage and adding a guest house. Whitaker revealed to this masthead that the property sold for $4.4 million.
“We did a soft renovation of the main residence over seven years, updating the kitchen, adding two new bathrooms and making cosmetic updates,” Whitaker said.
The guest house is a black barn-inspired cottage with hanging pendant lights, beamed ceilings, an island breakfast bar and sheer drapes.
Whitaker revealed they have bought a Federation weatherboard cottage in Berry and will do a major renovation.
The Bundewallah property was sold by Carrie and Connor Bond of Bond Lifestyle Properties.
Showbiz couple to sell home
Gone are the days when you could purchase a home in Sydney for $250,000. Australian film and TV producer couple Catherine and Steve Knapman did exactly that back in 1987.
The Knapmans are now selling the four-bedroom Victorian terrace in Paddington, which they enhanced with a sleek marble kitchen and dining banquette, while preserving the period details. Agents are guiding $4 million and an auction is scheduled for Saturday, April 11.
Catherine’s credits include Moulin Rouge!, Australia, The Great Gatsby and Faraway Downs, all produced alongside Baz Luhrmann. Steve’s 40-year career includes TV dramas such as The Leaving of Liverpool, Wildside and East West 101.
Interiors for the abode feature polished floors, high ceilings, library walls and a neutral palette. There is a terracotta courtyard for entertaining.
BresicWhitney East’s Jack Taylor, who holds the listing alongside Finn Ruwald, said, “A home that has been in one family for 39 years tells you something – it means it was worth staying in.
“The quality of the original detail here is exceptional, and the renovation is thoughtful – in a suburb like Paddington, that’s the perfect recipe to a highly competitive campaign.”
