Sydney Billionaire Heiress Lists $19 Million Warehouse Home

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Sydney’s high-end property market is buzzing with a series of multi-million-dollar listings and sales, led by billionaire heiress Beau Neilson’s decision to sell her striking Chippendale residence for $19 million.

Neilson, daughter of prominent arts philanthropist Judith Neilson and fund manager Kerr Neilson, purchased the then-dilapidated warehouse in 2012 for $3.1 million, financing it through her parents. The property, known as The Pigeon Shed, has since undergone a complete transformation under MCK Architects. Spread across three levels on a 324-square-metre block, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home features gallery spaces, a studio, an indoor pool, and an internal copper-clad lift, alongside energy-efficient solar and hydronic systems.

Neilson, who owns The Vanguard in Newtown and formerly served as creative director of Sydney’s Phoenix Central Park, is also a board member of MusicNSW and a trustee of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The property is being sold via an expressions-of-interest campaign through Shannan Whitney of BresicWhitney.

In Bellevue Hill, legal power couple Matthew Darke SC and Felicity McMahon have listed their six-bedroom, five-bathroom home with a $19 million guide. Purchased for $8.6 million in 2018, the property was redesigned in a classic Nantucket style by Amy Spargo of Maine House Interiors. It is set to go under the hammer on September 9 through Ashley Bierman of Ray White Double Bay.

Byron Bay also saw a high-profile sale, with Parkway Drive drummer Ben Gordon offloading his four-bedroom Mediterranean-inspired home for about $10 million. Bought for $2.45 million in 2019, the property offers panoramic ocean and national park views, a basement gym, and a home office. The sale was handled by Will Phillips of Sotheby’s International Realty, Byron Bay.

In Bronte, former Macquarie Group treasurer Mark Johnston and his wife, actuary Noeline Woof, sold their circa 1910 home for around $11 million. Known as Mt Eden, the property boasts a wine cellar, cocktail bar, and outdoor kitchen, along with sweeping views of Bronte Beach.

Nearby, long-time Bronte residents Richard and Marie Persson sold their ocean-view property for $10 million. The couple, both former senior public servants, purchased the block in 2008 for $2.8 million and later built the three-level home featuring a solar-heated pool and landscaped garden.

These sales and listings underline continued strength in Australia’s premium property sector, with notable public figures, industry leaders, and creatives driving high-value transactions in sought-after coastal and city suburbs.