Suburb Profiles
Overview
Point Piper is a small, affluent harbour-side eastern suburb 6 kilometres east of the Sydney CBD. Point Piper is generally regarded as the most exclusive residential suburb in Australia.
Now a prestige living area, it was part of a 190 acre grant to Captain John Piper in 1820 who was Naval Officer of the Colony at the time. After a review of Piper’s performance as head of the Customs Department showed that he had mismanaged funds (although he was not actually accused of being corrupt), Piper attempted to drown himself in Sydney Harbour. He subsequently sold his holdings at Point Piper.
Today Point Piper is home to some of the most expensive and exclusive homes in Australia. There are only eleven streets in the suburb; the main road is Wolseley Road. The price per square meter of real estate in Point Piper is one of the most expensive in the world. Wolseley Road is currently ranked the 9th most expensive street in the world. In combination with Darling Point, Edgecliff and Rushcutters Bay, Point Piper was named as the wealthiest area in Australia according to information with the Australian Tax Office.
John Symond’s mansion on Wingadal Place, reportedly cost over $70M to build (excluding land), easily making it Australia’s most expensive privately owned residential home. In 2007, “Altona”, located in Wunulla Road, was listed for more than A$50 million. It was sold in 2013 for a price thought to be more than $50 million, which was a Sydney record.
Craig-y-Mor is a non-waterfront house on Wolseley Road which was sold in 2008 for $32.4 million to Chinese buyers.
Along with the exclusive real estate, Point Piper is also home to some exclusive beaches and reserves, such as Duff Reserve, Lady Martin’s Beach, Seven Shillings Beach and Redleaf Pool.
Point Piper is/was home to many prominent Australians including: Malcolm Turnbull, Frank Lowy, John Symond , Julia Ross, James Haydon Leslie Arnott, Rene Rivkin and Lachlan Murdoch.