Billionaire neighbour spat ends in mega sell-out

One of Australia’s wealthiest families has offloaded their beachfront pile after losing a battle to stop their neighbour building a mega mansion.

The Smorgon family collected $12.3m from the sale of their luxury villa on Mermaid Beach’s blue-chip Hedges Ave.

Records show it had been owned since 2010 by Eurogold Developments Pty Ltd, directed by Graham Smorgon and wife, Annette, with their children. The family paid $5.5m for the two-storey home with a rooftop pool and entertaining terrace.

Mr Smorgon belongs to the Smorgon Steel dynasty, once the nation’s largest private family company with an estimated total wealth of more than $2.7b. He also served a controversial 12-month stint as president of the Carlton Football Club.

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The Melbourne-based high roller last year filed an appeal in the Planning and Environment Court, taking aim at Highgrove Bathrooms founder Lindsay Sinclair’s plans to build a four-storey mega-mansion two doors down on the corner of Hedges Ave and Alfred St.

Mr Sinclair paid $4.6m for the 405 sqm parcel in 2017 and finally gained council approval for the towering house in 2024, after being knocked back four years earlier. The site is next door to a property purchased by Clive Palmer for $28m last year.

Mr Sinclair founded Highgrove Bathrooms on the Gold Coast in 2005, growing the company to a national retailer with more than 50 showrooms and his son, James Sinclair, at the helm.

With the 13.5m high Sinclair behemoth currently under construction, the Smorgons took their holiday home to market, cashing in on limited supply and a big appetite for beachfront.

The six-bedroom, five-bathroom villa at 2/51-53 Hedges had recently been renovated and included a master suite with private balcony, walk-in robe and ensuite, along with three other ensuited bedrooms and a home office and media room.

“This Mediterranean-inspired villa boasts a rare double absolute beachfront position on Hedges Ave, delivering front-row access to the sand and sweeping coastal views in one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious enclaves,” the property listing by Kollosche stated.

Mr Sinclair’s home plans include four ensuited bedrooms, a man cave, wine cellar, rooftop terrace, basement and lift connecting all levels.

The court’s decision on the appeal has not been published.

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