Ex-Melbourne Rebels Rugby Club Owner Puts 19th-Century Mansion Back up for Sale
The Italianate Victorian-era home, with six bedrooms and renovated interiors, is now asking A$13.5 million to A$14.3 million
3 min
Former Melbourne Rebels rugby club owner Andrew Cox has put his notable 19th-century house in the Australian city’s Brighton suburb back on the market with a multimillion-dollar price cut.
The grand dame, a rare Italianate mansion called Narellan, was last on the market in April 2021—amid Melbourne’s on again off again series of strict pandemic-induced lockdowns. At the time, the 1880s residence had an ambitious asking price of A$18 million to A$19 million (US$11.88 million to US$12.54 million) but failed to sell. Now, with new listing agents, Gowan Stubbings and Will Maxted of Kay & Burton Stonnington, the house has a revised price guide of A$13.5 million to A$14.3 million.
Stubbings said the expansive six-bedroom house on 1,389 square meters on Moule Avenue, just streets from Brighton Beach, is priced to sell.
Courtesy Kay & Burton Stonnington
“It’s certainly in very good company in the caliber of A$10 million up to A$50 million homes,” Stubbings said. “Brighton, like many of Melbourne’s elite suburbs, has seen several of its historic homes modernised and changed over the years, but Narellan is an icon for the area,”.
The home’s white Italianate Victorian facade is eye-catching, Stubbings said.
“It has such a majestic nature. You can see it being one of the original Brighton landmark homes,” he said. “When I walk up to the top of the turret and take in the views over Port Phillip Bay, it takes me back to another time and I can imagine the ships coming back towards the city.”
Cox, the former Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby club owner ,paid A$5.71 million for the estate in 2006, according to CoreLogic records.
New Zealand-born Cox now runs private equity fund Imperium Capital Group, a diversified investment company that acquires small and medium enterprises mainly in the tourism, hospitality and sports management sectors.
The house also belonged at one point to powerhouse employment website seek.com.au’s co-founder Andrew Bassat.
Cox declined to comment on the sale of the property, but it is understood that during his ownership the vast two-story house has been completely updated.“It’s been very sympathetically redone for its era,” Stubbings said. “People love the big ceiling heights, the large rooms and the natural light, but it’s the kitchens and bathrooms that give it a more modern feel. It all works incredibly well together, especially when you’ve got bathrooms spilling out onto the upstairs terrace, it’s just like a luxury hotel.”
“This home has been designed so that someone can just move in and enjoy it. There’s nothing more to do. They’ve modernised it beautifully to the way we live today. I just think they’ve nailed it,” Stubbings added.
The home features a long list of ground floor entertainment spaces including an elegant entry porch and foyer leading to a large study or library, a sitting room, formal dining room, an elaborate billiard room with bar, a combined living area and a contemporary kitchen. There is also a sunroom, gym, sauna and self-contained two-bedroom guest wing with a commercial-grade kitchen.
Upstairs are six spacious bedrooms, including a main suite with bay window, private balcony, walk-in wardrobe and ensuite plus access to the unique turret with sweeping views of Port Phillip Bay and city skyline. The upper floor also houses two additional living rooms and two more balconies.
Outdoors, the home is surrounded by landscaped grounds with manicured hedges, rose bushes, level lawns, an alfresco barbecue terrace with fireplace as well as a pool house with a bathroom and kitchen and pool.
The period home is a short walk from the beach with sought-after schools, popular boutiques and eateries nearby.
Copyright 2020, Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. LEARN MORE
As tariffs bite, Sydney’s MAISON de SABRÉ is pushing deeper into the US, holding firm on pricing and proving that resilience in luxury means more than survival.
Early indications from several big regional real-estate boards suggest March was overall another down month.
$30 Million Nashville-Area Estate Quietly Looks for a Buyer.
2 min
A 120-acre property 35 miles outside of Nashville, Tennessee, is selling off market for $30 million, making it the second-most-expensive home for sale in the state.
Located in Franklin, about 20 minutes from downtown, Cortina Farms is both a private residence and an event venue, which charges up to $56,000 to rent for the day, according to Compass, which is marketing the pocket listing. Erin Krueger holds the listing.
The only residence on the open market with a higher price in Tennessee is another Franklin property, which spans 749 acres and is asking $37.5 million.
Cortina Farms takes design inspiration from the Italian countryside, with stonework heavily featured around the verdant grounds.
The main house, with a stone exterior and a shingled roof, has approximately 2,500 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Outside, there’s a covered back porch, an outdoor grill, a pool and a hot tub. There are also two guest apartments off the main house, each with a bedroom and a full bathroom.
In addition to its event business opportunities, the property is also designed for an equestrian, with two barns featuring a total of 12 stalls. Near the stables are four large fenced pastures that equal about 10 acres.
Other amenities include a wellness center, a party barn with a catering kitchen, an amphitheater, two lakes stocked with bass and catfish, and a helipad. Scenic trails for walking, running or ATV riding meander throughout the property past creeks, mature trees and waterfalls, according to information provided by Compass.
The property last traded hands in 2021 for $9 million, records on PropertyShark show. The owners weren’t available for comment.
The Nashville metro area has become a luxury real estate hot spot over the past few years, largely attracting people from Los Angeles as well as other out-of-state buyers looking for properties with a large amount of acreage.
The Mayfair home, listed for £8.25 million, once belonged to the Earls of Lindsay.
The motor sport famed for its fast cars, glamorous lifestyle and Champagne finishes is trying to halve its emissions by 2030.
