Sweet: Celebrity chef Michael Moore pays $4.05 million for a Paddington landmark

The one-time sly-grog joint of the 1940s and ’50s on Caledonia Street looks to be the first Sydney residential purchase in the name of the British-born chef, who has been renting a Federation-era residence with tennis court and swimming pool in Wahroonga.

Moore, owner and chef of the O Bar & Dining on level 47 of Australia Square (formerly The Summit), is also a best-selling author having written the 2011 hit Blood Sugar after suffering a stroke.

The free-standing Paddington property with 11.5 metre frontage – but no off-street parking – has long been owned by retired stockbroker Christopher Buttery and his wife Barbara, who bought it in 1997 for $950,000 from fellow stockbroker Neville Gentle.

The Paddington sale, by The Agency’s Ben Collier, sits in the shade of the recent nearby sale of Woollahra’s landmark residence Corinth on behalf of arts patrons Dr Gene and Brian Sherman.

The Woollahra landmark Corinth sold prior to auction for more than $16 million. Photo: Supplied

The free-standing Victorian manor was sold by Collier ahead of this Saturday’s scheduled auction and even before guests arrived for the recent book launch of Sherman’s memoir, The Lives of Brian Sherman.

There is a doctor in the house

The Elan penthouse has a new owner in AMP senior executive Dr Jenny Fagg. Photo: Supplied

Jenny Fagg has made a triumphant return from North America and her senior executive role at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to set up home in The Elan penthouse in Darlinghurst.

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Dr Fagg returns to Sydney having been appointed chief risk officer of AMP earlier this year. Her purchase for more than $10 million was only revealed thanks to a caveat lodged on the title of the apartment of media veteran and cryptocurrency boss Steve Askew.

The apartment has gun barrel views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo: Supplied

The sale result was undisclosed by Adam Regan and Kevin Whelan, of Ourestates, whose only comment at the time of exchange was that it sold to a returning expat. Settlement will confirm the exact result.

Quick dispatch for Mortlock 

Stirling Mortlock has pocketed a tidy sum for his Pymble house. Photo: Mal Fairclough

Former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock and his wife Caroline have scored more than $3.8 million on their Pymble home in double-quick time.

Less than three weeks after the 1200-square-metre property was listed with Di Jones’ Tim Fraser a sold sticker went up, with the preliminary result billed at $3.8 million by Domain’s Price Finder. Settlement will confirm the exact result.

The residence sold less than three weeks after it was listed. Photo: Supplied

Mortlock bought the corner property with a tennis court and swimming pool for $2.4 million a decade ago, before he swapped the rugby field for the money-management game.

The Mortlocks are joining the throngs of Sydneysiders who are making a tree-change to the Southern Highlands.

The Mortlocks have parted with the property ahead of their move to the Southern Highlands. Photo: Supplied

Sale is the icing on the cake

When Alex Dower opted out of the chief executive gig at Sonoma Baking to become head of Food and Restaurants at Harrods in London two years ago, it left his designer Mosman property all but redundant.

Alex Dower has sold his Peter Willett-designed residence in Mosman. Photo: Supplied

Dower and his wife Sian-Louise had bought the architect Peter Willett-designed house in 2015 for $7.1 million but it was returned to the market more recently given their London move.

McGrath’s Michael Coombs wouldn’t comment on the price but it has sold for what local sources put at $7.5 million.

Vaucluse home is back in action

Warwick White is selling the Vaucluse home he bought last September. Photo: Ben Rushton

Former Coca-Cola boss Warwick White and his wife Karen were all set to become Vaucluse locals last September when they bought a two-storey house backing onto Parsley Bay Reserve for $6.175 million.

The four-bedroom home on 950 square metres and with an 18-metre frontage was a downsize of sorts from their Wahroonga historic estate, Berith Park, which they sold in late 2016 for $11 million.

The light-filled house has a price guide of $6 million. Photo: Supplied

However, White’s new job appointment in March, when he took up the gig as chief of Stone Advisory, has prompted the couple to put the property back up for grabs.

It will be a good test of the market when it sells this time. Michael Pallier, of Sotheby’s International, has a guide of $6 million.

The property last exchanged for $6.175 million. Photo: Supplied

Smile on the dial for Seven Mile

The South Coast’s most popular surf break of late is clearly Seven Mile Beach in Gerroa, given the bullish run of recent sales.

Since 2012 Gerroa’s best-known holiday home-owner has been Guy Sebastian and his wife Jules. 

Gerroa is home to the likes of surfing stars Sally Fitzgibbon and Tyler Wright (pictured). Photo: Rip Curl Media

They were joined in more recent years by professional surfer Sally Fitzgibbon two doors away, and fellow pro surfer Tyler Wright who bought around the corner in 2016 for $1.035 million.

And now the suits have discovered the protected stretch of sand. Setting a suburb high of $3.8 million recently is fund manager Greg Cooper, who heads up Schroders Investment.

Greg Cooper set a suburb high when he bought this waterfront digs for $3.8 million. Photo: Supplied

Cooper’s five-bedroom house is set on arguably the best position on the beach, perched at the northern-most end on beachfront reserve.

Records show it was owned by the Blackmore family for the past 20 years before it was listed and sold by Nick Dale, of Belle Property Berry.

The sale marks the end of 20 years of ownership for the previous vendor. Photo: Supplied

It tops the $2.12 million previous high set a year ago when QBE executive general manager Mark Woolfrey and Kim Kraszula bought their four-bedder on beachfront reserve.