A magnificent bluestone villa has established a new price benchmark for Gilberton, smashing the previous suburb record set by the home next door by a whopping $1.8m.
Coonabar, a sprawling five-bedroom mansion at 7 Edwin Tce, sold last month for an eye-watering $8.8m, Land Services SA data reveals.
The sale eclipses the previous suburb record of $7m, set by 9 Edwin Tce, which held the title for South Australia’s most expensive property at the time it last sold in 2015.
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Coonabar selling agent Sally Cameron, of Toop and Toop Real Estate, said she had hoped the property would fetch more but conceded it had sold for a “good price’’.
She said the location had proved a huge drawcard.
“It’s on the best street in Adelaide,’’ Ms Cameron said.
“It’s close to high-end schools, it’s got the tennis court and swimming pool…it ticks lots and lots of boxes.’’
Set on 2134 sqm of parklike grounds, Coonabar was built in the 1880s and is believed to be
the oldest house on Edwin Tce.
Featuring a unique combination of Italianate and Victorian architecture, with a prominent entrance tower and bay and circular headed windows, the grand residence was originally home to leading 19th century SA architect William McMinn.
Several prominent and successful Adelaide families have subsequently called Coonabar home, including early department store owner John Thomas Fitch, stock agent Hugh Davis, solicitor Arnold Moulden and Miller Andersons managing director Colin Verco.
Vendors Kendall and Andrew Seaton paid $2.36n for the home in 2005 but, with their three children now having moved away from the family home, decided to downsize.
The home includes two grand entrances, formal lounge and dining rooms, an entertaining foyer and a large study hidden behind a secret door.
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A contemporary extension houses an impressive kitchen that overlooks the heated lap pool and a tennis court which was once played on by Sir Donald Bradman.
There’s also a sumptuous master bedroom with a designer ensuite and generous dressing room, while four other king-sized bedrooms are spread over the home’s two levels.
Ms Cameron said the sale was a once-in-a-generation opportunity that had attracted the interest of mostly local buyers.
“Gilberton is very small, it’s very tightly held and, in total, I think there’s only 40 properties over 1800sqm,’’ she said.
“The average holding is 18 to 20 years so you only have to do the math to realise how rare these (larger) properties come up.’’
SA’s most expensive home is currently 70 Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide, which sold
off-market for $13.5 million in 2021.
The state’s highest on-market transaction was recorded earlier this year, with the sale of 4 Victoria Ave, Unley Park for more than $12.5 million.