For years, the Northern Beaches prestige market has been fixated on a singular architectural yardstick: the colossal clifftop compound developed by Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall.
Sold off-market for a reported $30 million prior to its completion, the sprawling, modern build became the definitive measure of the area’s ambition. The home is nearing completion after a more-than four year construction period.
The $30m mansion has its own private, oceanfront golf course. Picture: realestate.com.au
But just down the road, a fully completed luxury home has surfaced to challenge that benchmark, hitting the market with a matching price guide and a vastly different pedigree.
Soak up these $30m views from your bathtub. Picture: realestate.com.au
Taking the crown as Australia's most-viewed home on realestate.com.au over the past week, 143-145 Whale Beach Road is - according to listing agent BJ Edwards of LJ Hooker Palm Beach - signalling a new, eye-watering price bracket for the affluent suburb.
“The Jennifer Hawkins sale highlighted what Whale Beach is capable of achieving,” Mr Edwards told realestate.com.au. “This home sits in the same prestige bracket, but offers a different proposition—an established, architectural estate ready for immediate inhabitation.”
Jennifer Hawkins and husband Jake Wall sold their $30m mega mansion which is still being constructed by their company J Group Projects. Picture: Instagram
The soon-to-be completed compound is just a few doors up from the other $30m Whale Beach mansion. Picture: realestate.com.au
Featuring a private, oceanfront golf course, gardens designed by celebrity landscaper Paul Bangay, multiple terraces with uninterrupted coastal views, a heated infinity plunge pool, gym, sauna, and advanced smart home integration, the French Provincial masterpiece provides a tangible, inspectable point of comparison for the entire region’s trophy assets.
“This is one of the few true, top-tier beachfront estates in Whale Beach,” Mr Edwards said.
A private golf course occupies more land than most Sydney homes. Picture: realestate.com.au
“The design imbues it with a level of craftsmanship and gravitas that’s incredibly rare on the coastline. And the golf course — designed in conjunction with a specialist from St Andrews in Scotland — has 18 variations. It’s a genuine showstopper.
The vast estate overlooks sparkling Whale Beach and Dolphin Bay. Picture: realestate.com.au
“For buyers demanding turnkey luxury with proven architectural pedigree, this could easily be viewed as the stronger value proposition. Homes of this calibre decisively reset the benchmark for the area.”
The making of the ‘mega-mansion’
The narrative of this new Whale Beach price bracket began when the former Miss Universe and her property developer husband secured the prized double block at 24-26 Rayner Road for $6.95 million in 2020.
The land—a rare 3,200 square metres of clifftop oceanfront—was the former 1950s estate known as Rocca Bella, once owned by opera legend Dame Joan Sutherland.
Before: The double site purchased by Jen Hawkins and Jake Wall in 2020. Picture: realestate.com.au/sold
Before: This image shows the demolition from four years earlier. Picture: David Swift
Mr Edwards, whose team handled the initial land sale, recalled the initial complexity: “When we first sold the site, it was clear the land offered extraordinary potential... but the sheer scale did scare many buyers. What’s unfolded since has certainly maximised that potential.”
Despite neighbour resistance and a lengthy approval process, the massive compound was sold for a reported $30 million in late 2021 to a mystery buyer, even as construction began.
The site expanded further in March 2023 with the acquisition of the neighbouring block at 30 Rayner Road for a further $7 million.
The since demolished neighbouring house at 30 Rayner Rd (bottom right) has become part of the expanded site. Picture: realestate.com.au
This second sale, also managed by Mr Edwards's team, was integrated to create a colossal new wing, and work is now entering its final phase.
“These kinds of landmark builds raise the bar for future development,” Mr Edwards said. “We’re now seeing a shift toward buyers, both local and international, who value design integrity and privacy as much as location."
Jake Wall and Jennifer Hawkins. Picture: Getty
“Much of Sydney has been re-zoned, with high-density developments springing up and changing the coastal landscape. The upper Northern Beaches remains a sanctuary, no train lines, no major shopping centres, no urban congestion, and that isolation is its greatest long-term advantage.”
The $10m beach shack
The increasing profile of luxury compounds in the area is creating a recalibration effect on surrounding prestige listings, Mr Edwards said.
This includes the an absolute beachfront opportunity at 243 Whale Beach Road which is on the market for the first time in 100 years.
The humble abode sits on a pricey plot of land. Picture: realestate.com.au
“It’s incredibly rare. A century of single ownership on absolute beachfront—you almost never see that,” Mr Edwards said.
Squint and you'll see the Rayner Rd clifftop mega mansion being built by Jen Hawkins and Jake Walls' development company. Picture: realestate.com.au
“The land alone is extraordinary, but buyers also value the existing residence. It’s a classic coastal home with a footprint that can be evolved, not necessarily replaced. Most serious buyers are looking to enhance rather than completely overhaul.”
The agent confirmed that enquiry has been very strong for the generational asset, noting, “Given the calibre of interest, we expect competition well above the guide.”
The area is attracting wealthy international buyers. Picture: realestate.com.au
“We’re seeing Sydney families, returning expats, and international buyers who value privacy, nature and authenticity above all else. It’s a highly qualified and sophisticated pool.”
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