When most folks think of Sydney’s best properties, their minds turn to clifftop mansions overlooking the harbour, or stately manors tucked away behind the privacy of imposing gates. However, close to an hour and a half north of Sydney is where you’ll find 35 Ocean Road, Palm Beach, which exudes the same calm power that is so closely associated with timeless elegance, situated on one of New South Wales’s most desirable streets.
The property was purchased as an empty lot two decades ago by its current owners, the veteran property developers Bob and Margaret Rose, who bought the property from the Forsyth family of Dymocks fame. The land had been in the Forsyth family since 1918, and for much of the last century was the site of the Californian bungalow called Willeroon, before it was demolished in 2001 when the family was looking to replace it with a large mansion with an eight-car garage.
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However, as is the case with tucked-away blue-chip streets, the local community was unimpressed with the development plans. Neighbours Kerry Packer and Channel Nine boss Sam Chisholm both vehemently opposed the proposed construction, which eventually saw the beachfront property sold to the Rose family in 2002.
With 35 Ocean Road, Palm Beach, joining the portfolio of Bob and Margaret Rose, the couple wasted no time in drawing up plans for the 7,000-square-foot residence you see today, which was heavily influenced by the Hamptons in its architectural style. The pair worked closely with their friend and architect Drew Barnyak, who created a design that emphasised liveability and elegance in order to express Margaret Rose’s ethos that surroundings dictate behaviour.
“After we built it and the interiors were completed, I swore to God that I wouldn’t change it,” said Margaret Rose.
“And it is still up to date. People still walk into it and say, ‘Isn’t this divine?’ I always wanted it to be a house that would grow old gracefully.”
Two decades might be a little soon to describe the stately home as old, however, its timeless style is so carefully suited to its beachside surroundings that it remains as beautiful as the day it was completed. The home covers two levels and contains seven bedrooms, servant’s quarters with a separate entrance, expansive living rooms and a kitchen with tastefully exposed timber beams.
“I always wanted to design homes that women could just go in, hang their clothes, sit down and open a bottle of champagne,” she said.
“And that’s exactly what we did.”
Described by the agent as “Australia’s most beautiful beach house,” 35 Ocean Road, Palm Beach, is quite simply one of the finest family homes in the country, presenting as the ideal setting to build lifelong family memories across generations.
The estate is currently represented by Forbes Global Properties with a publicly stated price guide of $40 million and is currently accepting expressions of interest.
