A HERITAGE-listed house at The Hill has reportedly smashed the record for the highest price paid for a residential property in the Newcastle region.
The historic home, Woodlands, at 51 Church Street sold for a record-breaking $12 million in an off-market sale facilitated by Maitland-based Michael Maffey of Maffey Property Services.
Mr Maffey could not be reached for comment, however, a post on the commercial real estate agent's social media channels confirmed the record sale.
"Maffey Property Services are proud to advise that they have facilitated a record breaking purchase off-market in Newcastle," the post read.
"This awesome property located at The Hill has just sold for $12m."
The six-bedroom, three-bathroom Victorian Italianate-style residence spans three levels and occupies a 1185 square metre block on an elevated position at The Hill.
The result tops the previous $11.05 million record set in July 2023 following Salt Property listing agent Lyndall Allan's sale of a luxury beach house at 8 Berner Street in Merewether.
According to CoreLogic records, Woodlands was most recently listed for rent in 2017 at a cost of $1,300 per week.
Robinson Property's Ben Robinson, who previously sold Woodlands, was unaware of the recent $12 million sale but remarked it "seems like a big amount of money for that site".
Over the years the property's original landholding has been sold off in parts, but the building has remained and been steadily restored by a series of private owners including prominent Novocastrians Phil and Pam Fogg who paid $1.51 million for the property in 1998.
The couple undertook renovations to the home before selling up in 2002 for a record $2.25 million to medico Jas Chahl and his family.
According to CoreLogic records, Woodlands was last sold in 2011 for $3.7 million.
The Chahl family initially planned to convert the house into a function centre in 2004, but this was abandoned after public opposition.
It was later approved to operate as a boutique bed and breakfast guest house in 2006.
The house has six double sized bedrooms including two master bedrooms, with ornate ceilings and six fireplaces.
There is a formal sitting room, a formal dining room and a ballroom, as well as a full size billiard room.
A viewing platform on top of the building has 360-degree views of the city.
Woodlands was designed by James Henderson and built around 1877 for Joseph Wood, operator of the Castlemaine Brewery.
The prestige property was later turned into a convalescent hospital, Iluka, for World War I soldiers and was renamed Centaur Hospital during World War II.
It later became a boarding house before it was a private hospital run by Dr William Bowmore for 24 years until 1979.
The median house price at The Hill is $2.14 million, according to CoreLogic.
The rise of Newcastle's prestige property market
The $12 million sale follows the recent listing of a 428-square metre beachfront apartment in Newcastle, which is also chasing an eight figure sum.
The four-bedroom, five-bathroom property at 1207/75 Shortland Esplanade listed with Anthony Di Nardo alongside Jackson Morgan at Belle Property is understood to have an asking price of around $10 million.
In addition to Salt Property's $11.05 million sale last year, another Merewether property at 32 John Parade once held the title at the most expensive in Newcastle after it sold for $10.25 million in May 2022.
In 2021, the landmark Barrymore house at 44 Kilgour Avenue in Merewether sold for $8.7 million.
In November, Colliers Residential selling agent Anthony Merlo oversaw the $8.5 million sale of a penthouse in the Royal apartments overlooking Newcastle Beach.
Prior to that, another penthouse nearby at 801/1 Scott Street in Newcastle East sold with Movable for $8.3 million in an off-market sale in September 2022.
Last year, a house at 3 Berner Street in Merewether sold for an undisclosed sum understood to be in excess of $8 million with Natalie Tonks of Presence Real Estate.
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