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A Rose Bay waterfront estate at 14 Tivoli Avenue has sold for $82.5 million, marking Sydney’s highest house sale of 2025 and setting a new suburb record.

Record Sale in Rose Bay

A luxury property owned by Orazio and Yolanda Camuglia has achieved the top residential sale of the year, finalised on 22 October 2025. The result exceeded Rose Bay’s previous record of $54.6 million from February and topped all Sydney house sales for the year.

Situated on a 1,138-square-metre waterfront parcel, the home comprises three self-contained residences with eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, and four-car garaging. The sale was managed by Forbes Global Properties agents Ken Jacobs and Hui Xu.

*Photo Credit: Forbes Global Properties*

Waterfront Luxury and Design

Stretching from Tivoli Avenue to the harbour’s edge, the home offers sweeping views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and Sydney skyline. Interiors feature Carrara marble, marine-grade fittings, and expansive glass detailing. The estate also includes a pool, gym, sauna, landscaped gardens, and a boathouse.

Rose Bay property — *Photo Credit: Forbes Global Properties*

Market Standing and Comparisons

The $82.5 million sale surpasses the previous suburb record and the recent $60 million transaction at Vaucluse’s Coolong Road. Experts describe the sale as one of Sydney’s five highest residential property deals on record, underscoring continued strength in the city’s prestige market.

History and Renovations

The Camuglias first acquired part of the Tivoli Avenue site in 2004 and spent years expanding and modernising the residence. A 2018 development approval under architect Renato D’Ettore included major extensions and upgrades.

The couple are also known for commissioning D’Ettore for other projects, including Coogee Castle and Italianate House in Surry Hills.

Rose Bay record sale — *Photo Credit: Forbes Global Properties*

Shifting Property Landscape

Property valuer Simon Feilich noted that Rose Bay’s market reflects both high-end individual sales and collective redevelopment trends. Long-held family properties are increasingly being amalgamated for aged-care and medium-density projects, signalling ongoing transformation in the suburb’s housing landscape.

Published 3-Nov-2025

The Rose Bay property market has a new headline-grabbing listing, with Sicilian-born Orazio Camuglia and his wife Yolanda placing their waterfront compound on the market for an eye-watering $85 million.

The sleek three-residence family compound sits on 1138 square meters of absolute waterfront land on Tivoli Avenue and boasts uninterrupted 180-degree views across Sydney Harbour, featuring seaplanes, regattas, and ocean liners as a constantly changing panorama.

According to Camuglia, the view was so captivating when they first moved in that the family hardly watched television for about six months, preferring instead to observe the daily activities on the harbour from their balcony.

From Coogee Castle to Rose Bay Haven

Camuglia, who arrived in Australia as a seven-year-old from the Sicilian hilltop town of Castiglione di Sicilia, is no stranger to creating architectural landmarks. He previously built the famous “Coogee Castle,” a striking concrete mansion with ocean views designed by his brother-in-law, architect Renato D’Ettorre.

After selling that property to advertising mogul John Singleton in 2003 for $8.2 million (later purchased by crypto entrepreneur Fred Schebesta for $16.85 million in 2021), the Camuglias moved to Rose Bay with a vision for multigenerational living.

A Family Compound by the Harbour

What began as a duplex in 2004 has been transformed into an interconnected three-residence compound where Camuglia’s two sons and their families have lived alongside the couple, each with their own private space.

The property now features eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, parking for four cars, and is equipped with marine-grade materials chosen specifically to withstand the harbour’s salty conditions.

Mediterranean Touches in Rose Bay

Perhaps most remarkable is how Camuglia has created a slice of Sicily on Sydney Harbour. The grounds include a hillside orchard garden with olives, grapes, lemons, figs, blood oranges, and even prickly pear.

Camuglia explains that he designed the garden to reflect his father’s efforts in Sicily, where he had terraced a garden on the side of a mountain. This Mediterranean touch allows the family to enjoy homegrown produce, with Camuglia noting that the prickly pears can be made into marmalade and liqueur.

Record-Breaking Potential

If the $85 million asking price is achieved, it would shatter the Rose Bay record of $55 million set in February for a Dumaresq Road property. The record was previously held by recycled shopping bag businessman Frank Qiang Geng.

The Tivoli Avenue strip is one of the area’s most exclusive, with neighbouring Villa Florida (once owned by Barry Humphries) selling for $45 million in 2021 to insurance broker founder Jim Angelis, who is currently rebuilding the property.

Forbes Global Properties agents Hui Xu and Ken Jacobs are managing the sale, with Jacobs recently noting that top-end homes are well-positioned to weather market uncertainties following US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime.The Camuglias are planning to split their time between Sydney and Italy, saying their harbour-front home has become “too big to lock up and leave” as they enter a new chapter of their lives.

Published 16-April-2025

Tag: Forbes Global Properties

Rose Bay Waterfront Home Sells for $82.5 Million, Setting New Record