While its name may have obscure origins,
For a start, on the harbour side, the peninsula boasts sweeping dress-circle views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then, because the area is also mainly residential, it’s peaceful and quiet. And, for shiny, large-scale retail, nearby Bondi Junction and Double Bay willingly oblige.
For a start, on the harbour side, the peninsula boasts sweeping dress-circle views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then, because the area is also mainly residential, it’s peaceful and quiet. And, for shiny, large-scale retail, nearby Bondi Junction and Double Bay willingly oblige.
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Property prices here reflect its blue-chip credentials. According to the latest Domain House Price Report, the median house price in Vaucluse is $9.5 million, up nearly 60 per cent over the previous five years.
Adding to the suburb’s allure, Sydney’s waterside bounties lie on its doorstep. Attractions on the harbour side of the peninsula include Nielsen Park and the Hermitage Foreshore Track from below Kincoppal-Rose Bay School, which takes in Queens, Hermit, Milk and Shark beaches. Beyond lie the equally appealing Parsley Bay, Kutti, and Gibsons beaches.
Adding to the suburb’s allure, Sydney’s waterside bounties lie on its doorstep. Attractions on the harbour side of the peninsula include Nielsen Park and the Hermitage Foreshore Track from below Kincoppal-Rose Bay School, which takes in Queens, Hermit, Milk and Shark beaches. Beyond lie the equally appealing Parsley Bay, Kutti, and Gibsons beaches.
On the ocean side, Diamond Bay Reserve and a lofty clifftop walk look out over the Tasman Sea.
On the ocean side, Diamond Bay Reserve and a lofty clifftop walk look out over the Tasman Sea.
Vaucluse owes its name, and its flair for drama, to Vaucluse House. Its original master, Sir Henry Browne Hayes, arrived in 1802 in disgrace for abducting an heiress, but with deep enough pockets to snap up the prime coastal estate, naming it in homage to Petrarch’s poetic ode to the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse commune in France.
In 1827, NSW luminary William Charles Wentworth took the keys. Over the next quarter-century, the polymath statesman overhauled the footprint into a romantic Gothic revival showpiece, complete with 15 bedrooms languishing in 11 hectares of grounds.
In 1827, NSW luminary William Charles Wentworth took the keys. Over the next quarter-century, the polymath statesman overhauled the footprint into a romantic Gothic revival showpiece, complete with 15 bedrooms languishing in 11 hectares of grounds.
Two centuries on, it remains an enduring architectural landmark, flanked by the stately Carrara (better known as Strickland House) and the ocean-facing sentinel of Macquarie Lighthouse.
Two centuries on, it remains an enduring architectural landmark, flanked by the stately Carrara (better known as Strickland House) and the ocean-facing sentinel of Macquarie Lighthouse.
Vaucluse boasts a compact commercial
The Grumpy Baker, with its renowned fig-and-walnut and garlic-and-olive sourdoughs, has a shop here, while down by the water, banquettes and bifold doors sum up the refurbished The Nielsen kiosk at Nielsen Park.
The Grumpy Baker, with its renowned fig-and-walnut and garlic-and-olive sourdoughs, has a shop here, while down by the water, banquettes and bifold doors sum up the refurbished The Nielsen kiosk at Nielsen Park.
For white-tablecloth dining, The Botanica Vaucluse up the hill is all light and air in lilac pinks and sages with trailing plants.
For white-tablecloth dining, The Botanica Vaucluse up the hill is all light and air in lilac pinks and sages with trailing plants.
Then there’s Estate Vaucluse House, yes, at Vaucluse House, a favourite among Sydneysiders and visitors for long, lingering lunches and traditional English high teas. It has greenery on all sides, framed by pink stained-glass windows and a kitchen garden. (“The season writes the menu” is its motto.)
Also in the shopping strip, in a case of back-to-the-future, the nifty little Fontaine de Vaucluse homewares store pays homage to the suburb’s roots, both in its name and Provence-inspired offerings.
Also in the shopping strip, in a case of back-to-the-future, the nifty little Fontaine de Vaucluse homewares store pays homage to the suburb’s roots, both in its name and Provence-inspired offerings.
Also drawing inspiration from the source is Fontaine, a six-
For the interiors, Miriam Fanning of Mim Design says she drew inspiration from that luminous French spring that beguiled Sir Henry all those years ago.
For the interiors, Miriam Fanning of Mim Design says she drew inspiration from that luminous French spring that beguiled Sir Henry all those years ago.
31 Vaucluse Road, Vaucluse NSW 2030
With D’Leanne Lewis of Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Who’s looking in Vaucluse and what’s on their wish lists?
“Many are local buyers, but there are expats, too, and most are families. They are looking for more space and larger land parcels, multiple bedrooms and, above all, iconic views. These, taking in the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Sydney Tower, are surely among the best in the world. Some are doing knockdown-rebuilds to make better use of the generous land sizes, and they’re even consolidating several properties into one. Views, space, multiple car parks and privacy are priorities.”
Inside the colourful transformation of artist Charles Blackman’s former Woollahra house
Designer Nicholas Kaiko transformed the former home and studio of artist Charles Blackman into an abode where colour takes centre stage.
Havaianas queen eyes $30 million for five-level Double Bay mansion
Amelia Aspden is selling her home after five years as she prepares for a beach move.
Double Bay: The tightly held harbourside suburb with a taste for the finer things
Once a humble fishing enclave, Double Bay has evolved into a suburb of high-end dining, shopping and prestigious harbourside living.
The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.
