Price is right! TV pioneers’ swank Southern Highlands Inn for sale

Reg Grundy was a pioneering television producer and Joy Chambers-Grundy was a Logie Award-winning actress and bestselling author.

Together, the couple built one of the largest independent production companies in the world, with game shows such as Blankety Blank, The Price is Right and Jeopardy.

The two-storey 1832 Georgian sandstone White Horse Inn at 3 Market Place, Berrima, was bought by the couple in 2012 for $1.44 million. Similar properties in the area, such as a Federation retreat at Willow Vale, have been listed for about $1.8 million.

Dating back to 1834, the property sits on 1.4 acres, or 5583 square metres, and was restored by the Grundys. It has dual frontage to Market Place and the Wingecarribee River.

The venue has operated for more than 80 years as a licensed restaurant with accommodation. It is fully equipped and can accommodate up to 216 guests across six dining rooms.

It has multiple living and dining areas, an underground cellar, a formal dining room, and a broad verandah. The site’s mixed-use zoning allows uses including as a grand private home, a boutique hospitality venue, a luxury accommodation retreat, a gallery or a retail destination.

Liam Griffiths from Inglis Rural Property and Angus Campbell-Jones from Campbell-Jones Property are agents on the sale.

Mentmore House

Mentmore House, a historic building in inner Sydney, is coming up for sale with $20 million price expectations by a private investor.

The 3241.5 sq m office and warehouse was originally on a site at 93-95 Pitt Street in Sydney where it was built as an investment by Charles Newton in 1859-1860. From there, the building was demolished in 1916, with the façade rebuilt and reconfigured stone by stone on Mentmore Avenue as part of the Rosebery Estate.

The original building occupied the corner of Pitt and Little George streets, now Curtin Place, and the site of the Australia Square Plaza building.

Leased to UNSW Global, the property is returning a net income of $1,226,994 a year, with vacant possession in the short term given a June 2025 expiry.

Being within Sydney’s revitalised inner precinct, the property can be used with the current improvements as is, or converted back to a mixture of high-clearance warehousing at the rear and open-plan office fronting Mentmore Avenue.

Colliers’ Michael Crombie, Trent Gallagher and Jeremy Green, in conjunction with Daniel O’Brien from X Commercial, are advising on the sale.

Union Hotel

The Good Beer Group has finalised its exit from North Sydney by successfully selling the Union Hotel in an off-market transaction for about $21 million.

The pub was bought by Watering Hole Hotels led by publican Ashton Waugh, taking its portfolio to 15 venues spread throughout NSW.

Long considered a North Sydney landmark, the Union Hotel at 271 Pacific Highway occupies a prominent 784 sq m site, with two floors offering more than 1200 sq m of trading. The business generates $5.6 million in annual revenue and has a midnight alcohol licence and 26 gaming machines.

John Azar’s Good Beer Group maintains a stable of CBD-focused pubs, including the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Coronation Hotel and the KB Hotel in Surry Hills. The group also owns the Harold Park Hotel, which is on the market through HTL Property.

HTL Property’s Dan Dragicevich, Andrew Jolliffe and Sam Handy handled the Union’s sale.

EY stays

In a positive sign for Sydney city’s leasing, EY, the anchor tenant at 200 George Street since 2016, has re-committed to its 25,850 sq m office space until December 2036.

Co-owned by Mirvac and M&G Real Estate, the EY Centre 200 George Street office precinct was completed by Mirvac in 2016. EY played a role in the design process, including choosing the architects and finalising the fit-out details.

The EY Centre was one of the first of a new breed of “smart buildings” in Australia. It employed a world-first timber-and-glass closed-cavity facade system giving it a unique appearance – an instantly recognisable structure defined by its shimmering “golden-hued curves”.

The tower has a 6-Star Green Star Office Design and As Built rating.

Contact carolynannecummins@gmail.com.