Brisbane’s $5 million mansion stuns at auction while Fremantle’s historic butcher shop brings home the bacon

In Brisbane, an iconic Spanish mission home, in Holland Park, south of the city, sold under the hammer on Saturday for an extraordinary $5 million.

Known as the Mather’s house, it was built in 1937 for the renowned Queensland shoe retailer William Mathers and his family, who lived in the home until 1960 when they sold it to a local doctor.

Brisbane auction a shoe in

It has had several owners since and was last sold in 2011 for $2.65 million.

Chief auctioneer Peter Burgin from Place Estate Agents said more than 200 people attended the auction in person and a further 150 watched the live stream online.

Bidding for the extraordinary home, which occupies a commanding hilltop location with panoramic views of the city, began at $3.6 million, with seven registered bidders vying for the heritage home.

The stunning five-bedroom, three-bathroom home with multiple living spaces, outdoor terraces and a swimming pool was one of 152 properties that went to auction in Brisbane last week, compared to 154 the previous week and only slightly more than the 135 auctions held at the same time last year, according to CoreLogic.

“Seven registered bidders for a property of this price range really is a great testament to the strength in the market, particularly at the higher end,” he said.

Brisbane’s preliminary clearance rate rose to 61 per cent, up from last week’s preliminary clearance rate of 55 per cent, which was revised down to 51.9 per cent once finalised. This time last year the auction clearance rate in Brisbane was 65.2 per cent.

Bringing home the bacon in Freo

In Fremantle, southwest of Perth, bidding for a charming, former butcher shop started at $980,000 before four out of eight registered bidders pushed the final selling price to $1.21 million.

The property at 87 Marmion Street, which was originally built in 1902, served as a butcher shop for several decades after a brick-and-mortar shopfront was added to the original weatherboard home in 1916.

Listing agent Veljko Lazovic from Acton/Belle Property Fremantle & Guildford said the unique property was popular among buyers drawn to the history of the building and happy to take on a renovation project.

“It was a really strong result and I think it boiled down to the fact it has a boatload of history and is very sentimental to the local community,” he said.

“Throughout the campaign, we had a very even mix of people from over east moving back into the state and local couples,” he said.

“The successful bidder was a local, who lives just around the corner, and this will be a bit of a restoration project for them,” he said.

Perth held 10 auctions with 85.7 per cent returning a successful result so far, according to CoreLogic.

Mr Lazovic said he had 150 groups inspect the home prior to Saturday’s auction and this was indicative of the strong buyer demand that continues to drive the Perth property market.

“It’s a bit like the wild, wild west at the moment. We don’t have enough quality supply to satisfy demand,” he said.

In Adelaide’s north, a spacious family home at 11 Brion Drive, Paralowie, attracted 18 registered bidders, with six of them getting involved in Saturday’s auction.

Listing agent Baldeep Dang from Ray White Hillcrest said the home, which features four bedrooms and multiple living areas, was popular among families looking for a big house on a large block of land.

“This house was the perfect match. Usually, if you get a big house, it’s on a small block but not with this house,” he said.

The home sold in front of a crowd of 60 onlookers, and the sellers, who bought the home in 2017 for $390,000, were happy with the result, according to Mr Dang.

“This was their investment property. They used to live in it, but rented it out two years ago,” he said.

“The new buyers are a local family, who love this local community,” he added.