Russell Crowe’s Former Estate Hits the Market for Aus$37m

Sydney, NSW, Australia – The former home of Academy Award winner Russell Crowe and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Berthong, is located on Elizabeth Bay, an exclusive harbourside suburb in Sydney. The luxurious residence is now being offered for sale at AUS$37m by Christie's International Real Estate — the world's leading luxury real estate network — and Sydney-based affiliate, Ken Jacobs.

Built in 1886 as a ladies’ college, this historic estate occupies a premier 1,662sqm waterfront plot. The revived late Victorian villa comprises five bedrooms including a master bedroom suite with its own bespoke dressing room and marble ensuite, as well as a private guest wing. The home showcases fine details such as soaring ceilings, ornate cornices and a colonnade of arched windows which enhance the sense of grandeur. In 2005, award-winning Corben Architects were called upon to extensively restore and revive the two-storey residence, skillfully breathing new life into it and seamlessly combining classic and contemporary features.

Ken Jacobs, Managing Director, Ken Jacobs affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate comments: “Properties of this stature and historical significance rarely come to the market, making Berthong a unique opportunity. With its rich history, modern amenities and unprecedented location in one of Sydney’s most prestigious residential enclaves, Berthong is a prime family residence.”

The home is set within extensive mature grounds. A sandstone terrace leads down to an expanse of level lawn and an impressive swimming pool at the water’s edge, capturing breathtaking harbour views. The gardens are laced with romantic vine-covered archways, soothing water features, towering palms and a heritage black bean tree dating back to the property’s origins. The former chauffeur’s quarters have been converted into a quaint self-contained two-storey guesthouse and a double garage, accessed directly from the street is one of the area’s earliest examples of garaging after the horse and carriage era.

The exclusive and historic suburb of Elizabeth Bay has always been a sanctuary amid the hustle and bustle of inner city life. Picturesque parks such as Beare Park and Arthur McElhone Reserve provide leisurely spaces in which to relax. For those looking for more vibrancy the cosmopolitan dining scenes of Potts Point and Woolloomooloo are conveniently located just a short walk away, as is the world-famous Sydney Opera House which is a mere 8-minute drive (3.5km). Berthong is ideally located for international residents only a 15-minute drive (11.3km) from Sydney Airport.

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About Christie’s International Real Estate
Christie’s International Real Estate is an invitation-only Affiliate network composed of the world’s most proven and qualified real estate specialists in the luxury residential sector. The company has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, Moscow, and Palm Beach, and more than 135 Affiliated brokerages with 32,000 agents in 47 countries. For additional information about Christie’s International Real Estate, please visit www.christiesrealestate.com.

About Ken Jacobs
Ken Jacobs is one of the foremost figures in Australian real estate, and has been responsible for many of nation's largest and most important property transactions. For more than three decades Ken and his team have been entrusted with the sale of some of the most significant homes and estates in Australia and, in return, have achieved numerous Australian price records for his vendors. In 2014, Ken continued this extraordinary run of success by delivering the country's top three residential sales and in 2015 set a new Australian residential record at $70m (reported), followed by the second highest sale of the year.

In 2010, Christie’s International Real Estate named Ken Jacobs as an Affiliate of the Year, recognizing him not just for his success in the sales arena but also his ability to craft and execute some of the world's finest and most exciting property campaigns.