— Editorial —
Hawkesbury River home originally built by late stockbroker Rene Rivkin for sale with $12m guide
A spectacular oasis built by late stockbroker Rene Rivkin on the northern banks of Sydney’s Hawkesbury River has come up for sale.
The property sits on 4ha of land shared with Sentry Rock, the landmark believed to have been used by Captain Arthur Phillip as he explored the Hawkesbury in the 1780s.
Mr Rivkin built the ‘Appalachian-style’ cabin more than 20 years ago using Australian Cypress logs and it was sold a few months after his death in 2005, before reselling a further two times including in 2017 for $4.5m.
The seller is Louise Cordina of Cordina Farms, who has made substantial improvements and renovations to the Spencer property throughout her ownership. Today it has seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a cinema room, wine cellar and a manager’s quarters.
“The attention to detail and the improvements the owners have made to an already great property are flawless,” Harris Iverson’s Trent Iverson said.
Mr Iverson is offering the property with Cullen Royle’s Deborah Cullen via an expressions of interest campaign. The pair have set a guide of $12m.
Mr Iverson said the property is rather unique in that it is one of a few properties in the area that easily be accessed by both boat and car.
“It is truly rare to get something like this on the river that has so few neighbours,” he said.
The downstairs living area has a massive fireplace, a wine cellar with a lodge room and a spiral staircase carved into the rock that leads to a jacuzzi and sauna.
The gardens include a lily pond, the famed Sentry Rock, sprawling lawns and a 20m man-made waterfall. There is also a World War II munitions barge used for mooring river boats.
In total, there are seven buildings on the 4ha property including a workshop, manager’s quarters, entertainment pavilion and a toilet complex.
Other features include a helicopter landing pad, two waterfalls, a pizza oven, firepit and a boat ramp alongside the 30m marina berth.
The area is encircled by noteworthy national parks abounding in Aboriginal and European history including the convict-built Old Great North Road that once connected Sydney and Newcastle.
The majority of possible buyers are expected to have a high net worth after a private estate that is within reach of Sydney.
“We’ve seen a shift in buyers who would have once been after a weekender now want something they permanently live in,” Mr Iverson said.
“It is only 90 minutes by car or 20 minute trip by helicopter to the centre of Sydney.”
Expressions of interest close on the Spencer property on December 11.
Matt Bell – The Sydney Telegraph – 16 Nov 2020
