Bronte Stunner With Ocean Views and $24m Price Tag

Architect Richard Cole and builder Jeff Towler joined forces to create a Bronte beach house that would turn heads. The brief was successfully met with Panorama House on Yanko Ave, taking home the 2019 NSW HIA-CSR House of the Year gong and the Waverley Design Award.

Local anaesthetist Dr Erin Cook bought the existing house on the 841sq m site in 2010, paying $5.85 million for essentially just the land.

Fast-forward almost 15 years, and the eastern suburbs medico has listed his contemporary four-bedroom residence with Sotheby’s International Realty Sydney agents James Ball and Alexander Phillips from PPD Real Estate. It’s going to auction on May 3, and it’s expected to sell near its guide price of $24 million.

If the amount is achieved, Panorama House could become one of Bronte’s most expensive properties, but it will still fall short of the current $29.25 million Bronte record set at 3 Tipper Ave in 2023.

While the modern design and luxury finishes are plenty to talk about, the property has earned its name thanks to the panoramic ocean and beach views over the escarpment.

Cole created a house using a sophisticated palette of natural materials, including timber, stone, brick, zinc, and concrete.

The home has been designed to open up to the elements or close down to the environment to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce the use of artificial air conditioners. As an added bonus, solar panels feed into a 10kW solar battery to supply electricity to the house.

Sitting high on a private north-facing battle-axe block on the sandstone escarpment above Bronte Beach, Panorama House has been built to thrive in its coastal environment. 

Its cobblestone driveway and sculptural curved facade make a dramatic first impression, and inside, the grand double-height void enhances the uninterrupted water outlook. 

The three-storey home features a central living zone on the ground floor, which houses a lounge room with built-in seating, a two-way sandstone Escea fireplace, and a choice of dining spaces inside and out, including a cocktail bar with Vintec fridges.

The sleek kitchen has a Calacatta Oro island and a butler’s pantry.

Big, bold glass doors reveal a heated saltwater pool and spa almost hovering above the ocean, an all-weather entertainer’s pavilion, a fire pit, and an expansive lawn offering plenty of room for children and pets to explore.

In addition to the two bedrooms and shared bathroom on the main level, two more bedrooms can be found on the first floor and feature an even more elevated outlook. The primary bedroom has a palatial ensuite with a tub framed by ocean views, a walk or wardrobes, and a neighbouring home office that could easily moonlight as an enviable dressing room. 

This upper level also houses a second living room, a sitting area with fireplace and balcony access, and another bedroom with an ensuite and balcony.

Bonus inclusions at the Bronte Beach house include a lower ground-floor gym or potential home cinema, a cloakroom, powder room, laundry with side access, an outdoor shower, a David Trubridge Navicula pendant light in the entryway, solid Blackbutt floorboards, hydronic heating, Haiku fans, and a double garage with an EV charger.

Panorama House is listed with Sotheby’s International Realty Sydney’s James Ball and Alexander Phillips of PPD Real Estate, who have scheduled an on-site auction for May 3.

Australia’s castles are few and far between, and the opportunity to buy one rarely pops up. There is, however, now a bona fide 35-room chateau for sale in suburban Melbourne.

Listed for the first time in half a century, Overnewton Castle in Keilor, north west of the city, has launched to market through Sean Cussell of Christie’s International Real Estate with a $6 million to $6.6 million price guide.

The 176-year-old Scottish Baronial-style property has been home to the Norton family for the past 50 years, but was originally built for Scottish settler, grazier and former Mayor of Keilor, William James Taylor.

On a sprawling 2.25ha estate surrounded by rolling grounds filled with sculpted gardens and 170-year-old elm trees, the ivy-clad seven-bedroom three-bathroom residence is layered with a blend of Scottish, French and English influences.

Inside the heritage-listed mansion, there is a grand ballroom seating up to 150 guests, a lavish dining room, and a private chapel that was converted from the original billiards room.

Gastroenterologist Dr LJ Norton and his family have invested five decades in Overnewton Castle, partly preserving its period features while also updating the house for the 21st Century. After a devastating fire in 1979, the Nortons upgraded the infrastructure, installed mains water and access roads, and created a 100-vehicle car park.

Many of the 1849 estate’s original features, including drystone walls, period fireplaces and the dramatic western turret – accessed via a 40-step spiral staircase with a mahogany handrail – have been meticulously maintained. Even the turret’s slate “fish scale” roof tiling and ornate wind vane are straight out of the 19th century.

“Overnewton Castle is not just a property; it is our home and a piece of local history that we have cherished for 50 years,” says Norton family member and managing director of Overnewton Castle, Emma Stott.

“Living here, respectfully updating the facilities and operating our business has been a labour of love. As a family, we have created so many fond memories here, as well as played an important role in countless weddings and other events hosted on our grounds.”

In addition to hosting weddings at Overnewton Castle, the Norton and Stott families also run historical tours and high teas on the property.

Cussell says the unique listing represents an opportunity of historical significance. “Overnewton Castle is one of the finest examples of Scottish Baronial architecture in the Southern Hemisphere and an ideal setting for a private residence, luxury retreat, education facility or event venue,” he explains.

“It represents a rare convergence of architectural grandeur, cultural heritage and enduring family legacy. The listing truly is an extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of Australian history.”

Overnewton’s cultural footprint reaches beyond local tourism, with the castle making its mark in Australian cinema. It played a role as the fictional Monclare mansion in the 1982 cult horror film Next of Kin.

Earlier this year, the period Victoria Racing Club nominated property to display the Melbourne Cup during its prestigious Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, and in 2024, the site was also a finalist in the Victorian Tourism Awards.

Beyond the grand residence, there are several restored outbuildings suitable for entertaining or accommodation, including The Stables for up ten guests, The Loft which sleeps eight, The Cottage that accommodates six, and The Cabin with space for four people.

The stately address is soon to become even better connected with the forthcoming Suburban Rail Loop and Sunshine Superhub infrastructure projects, improving access to the city. Overnewton is about 20kms from Melbourne’s CBD and 8kms from Melbourne Airport.

Overnewton Castle is listed with Sean Cussell of Christie’s International Real Estate with a price guide of $6 million to $6.6 million. The expressions of interest campaign closes on November 21 at 3 pm.

Bronte Stunner With Ocean Views and $24m Price Tag

An award-winning Sydney beach house comes to market with $24 million price expectations.

Australia’s castles are rare, but this one is real. Built in 1849 and held by the same family for 50 years, Overnewton Castle in Melbourne is now seeking its next custodian.