Ex-rugby player Steve Bowden (pictured, right) exchanging punches at a 1981 game with Mark Broadhurst (left), is selling 90 Esplanade, Brighton.
Former rugby star Steve Bowden is selling his Brighton mansion, where a memento showcasing one of his famous brawls takes pride of place, with a $22.8m-$25m asking range.
Bowden, who became a hotel magnate following his sporting career, played for Sydney’s Newtown Jets from 1978-1982.
He was selected for the 1981 State of Origin’s NSW team but was sin-binned after a fight which sidelined Queensland’s Rod Morris.
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That same year, Bowden missed the NSW Rugby League grand final after a semi-final punch-up in which he headbutted and hit Manly’s Mark Broadhurst.
Bowden – who described the brawl as “an infamous fight” and “the longest fight in the history of rugby league” – was sent off the field and missed several games afterwards including a grand final.
A 2020 Foxsports.com article labelled the incident as “the most barbaric act in SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) history” and online videos of the scrimmage run for longer than two minutes.
Bowden, who also worked security for boxing champion Danny Green, sold two Sydney hotels for a combined $90m, in 2017.
Steve Bowden in the dressing room after a game against Canterbury in 1982. Picture: Phil Merchant.
The house is located near Brighton’s famous bathing boxes.
The upper terrace and living area, plus the main bedroom, are the perfect spot to enjoy a view across the bay.
Four years ago, he purchased the four-bedroom house at 90 Esplanade for $16.5m that he has since extensively updated.
Bowden, now aged 70, said the 1387sq m home featuring a resort-style heated pool and spa, pavilion with an outdoor kitchen, mod-grass tennis court, three-level lift and six-car garage had initially appealed to him as a retirement prospect.
The “spectacular” views of Port Phillip Bay on the doorstep of the beach near Brighton’s bathing boxes was another major drawcard.
Bowden said he had loved hosting family birthdays and Christmases at the residence but he was now planning to downsize, potentially to Byron Bay or for awhile to London where his son and young grandson live.
But the ex-rugby player said he might not sell up if he found love with a Victorian woman.
“If I do find someone here in Melbourne for partnership, then I may not sell, but that’s a big
question,” Bowden added.
The kitchen is fitted with Miele and Gaggenau appliances with a terrace for outdoor dining.
Steve Bowden at the The Ritz Hotel in Sydney, which he sold for $52m in 2007 before reacquiring it and then selling it again as part of a two-hotel deal for $90m, in 2017.
Bowden added the waterfall feature onto the pool.
A large black-and-white photograph of his and Broadhurst’s brawl is on display in the abode’s study.
“Even though it was the longest fight in the history of rugby league, my notoriety
preceded me – because of that event, I missed out on playing in the grand final due to suspension,” Bowden recalled.
“I’m told by the late Jack Gibson and John Singleton that had I played, the other prop for Parramatta would have been very quiet, we may have won the game,”
The late Gibson was an Australian rugby league coach, player, and commentator, while advertising guru Mr Singleton is a long-time Newtown Jets supporter.
“It’s not just a memory, it’s entrenched in folklore of rugby league followers, synonymous with not giving in and not giving up,” Bowden said of the fight.
The study, where you can see a photo of Mark Broadhurst and Steve Bowden fighting at a Sydney game in 1981 …
… and a close-up of Mark Broadhurst (left) and Steve Bowden (right) coming to blows during the brawl.
A circular staircase leads through two levels, or you could take the lift instead.
Visitors to his home are welcomed by a marble foyer lined in American oak and a 6.6m-long curving staircase.
The formal dining room can host more than 20 guests, while the kitchen is fitted with Miele and Gaggenau appliances and a terrace.
The entertainers’ area in the garden is bordered by tall hedges, enhancing privacy for the poolside bathroom and outdoor shower.
Motorised gates, zoned slab heating, a wine cellar, and an intercom entry complete the package.
Bowden said he had spent the past four years improving the residence
“Everything is tweaked to the ninth degree, the upstairs deck is looking so much better, all the irrigation is in place and there’s a water feature in the pool,” he said.
The mansion features reverse-cycle heating and cooling, CCTV and an intercom entry.
Keep your liquor collection in the wine cellar.
“There’s nothing more I could do to this place as a good guardian, make it any better than this – there’s not a light globe that’s missing.”
The previous owners had even inspected the property and said it looked much better than when they lived there, he added.
RT Edgar’s Will Maxted, who is managing the sales campaign along with colleague Rina Ma, said he had received inquiries about the mansion from London-based buyers.
And a Sydney buyer is flying down to inspect next week.
The property has a total of five bathrooms.
“It’s incredibly rare to find a home of this calibre directly on the Esplanade with such commanding, elevated bay views,” Mr Maxted said.
“The property last traded quietly off-market, and this is the first time it’s ever been available publicly – opportunities like this simply don’t come up again.”
Expressions of interest close at 5pm on December 9.
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