Vaucluse
Is one of Sydney’s most desirable pockets of real estate, known for palatial 19th century estates with sprawling harbourside gardens and multi-million dollar apartments overlooking the ocean.
Rich in heritage as well as money, this exclusive bastion of the well heeled is home to some precious examples of early Australian architecture. Macquarie Lighthouse has been keeping a constant vigil since 1818, with a navigational aid at Lighthouse Reserve on Old South Head Road since 1791.
The famous convict architect, Francis Greenway, was emancipated by Governor Macquarie for doing such a sterling job on the original lighthouse, which was Australia’s first. Built in 1803 by Sir Henry Hayes, Vaucluse House is a much-revered example of colonial grandeur and survives as one of Sydney's only 19th century harbourside estates with house, kitchen wing, stables and outbuildings all still intact. After being transported for life for abducting an heiress, Hayes was granted 475 acres upon which he built the gothic-style mansion, named after the village Vaucluse in France, where he had taken refuge while on the run from the authorities.
William Charles Wentworth, the famous explorer who drafted our constitution and the colony’s first native-born politician, rebuilt the home after purchasing the property for himself and his family in 1827.
Vaucluse residents are only about 9 kms from the CBD, with many of Sydney’s more exclusive private schools close at hand, as is Royal Sydney Golf Course and the fabulous boutiques of Double Bay. Major retailers can be found a few minutes away in Bondi Junction’s shopping precinct, as can the eastern suburbs bus and rail interchange for quick trips into the heart of the CBD.
