The Hemsworths’ Property Journey in Byron Bay
Complete with a skateboard ramp, infinity rooftop swimming pool, unique wall mural and hundreds of solar panels, every addition to the contentious development has found its way into the global spotlight over the past five years.
Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky are all set to move into their Byron Bay mansion. Picture: Getty
The former Home and Away star, 36, and his wife Elsa Pataky, 43, purchased the 4.2ha property in Broken Head, 12km from Byron Bay, in 2014 before finalising plans to redevelop the site, which overlooks Seven Mile Beach.
The couple demolished the existing eight-bedroom, Balinese-style resort home, which they purchased for $7 million, submitting a development application to Byron Shire Council in 2016 to construct the monolithic mansion. It was approved in March 2017.
But the development has not been without controversy, with locals upset at the scale of the home, likening it to a “shopping centre” and a “concrete palace”.
The sprawling estate features six bedrooms, a gymnasium, steam room, media room, games room, expansive play areas and a 50m rooftop infinity pool.
In July, Hemsworth shared the addition of a huge mural painted on an internal wall of the house by local Indigenous artist, Otis Hope Carey.
“Had a big empty wall that needed some love and was beyond thankful to have one of my favourite artists @otishopecarey help out!” Hemsworth posted to his 38.7 million Instagram followers.
The piece, called Darrundang Gaagal (“thanking the ocean”), uses black ripple lines to represent the ceremonial dancing of the Gumbaynggirr people, overlayed with blue circular lines to represent the healing powers of the ocean.
In October, Hemsworth and Pataky decked out the property with hundreds of eco-friendly solar panels, and the following month drone photography showed a skateboard ramp had been constructed at the remarkable residence.
Hemsworth and Pataky married in 2010 after meeting through a dialect coach in Hollywood and moved back to Australia from Los Angeles with their daughter and twin sons four years ago, reportedly to escape the paparazzi.
Earlier this year, realestate.com.au Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee said there was no denying that Hemsworth’s new mansion and the presence of other high-profile celebrities had driven up property prices in Byron Bay.
Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth have called Byron Bay home since 2014. Picture: Instagram.
The median house price in Byron Bay is now $1.315 million, according to realestate.com.au data.
Originally from Melbourne, Hemsworth is one of the highest-paid actors in the world and is estimated to have earned $US76.4 million in 2019 from his roles in the Avengers finale and Men In Black: International.
SOURCE: Realestate.com.au
POSTED: December 24, 2019
AUTHOR: Nicole Cox
@Luxury Estates – experts on visionary marketing of Australia’s most luxurious real estate for sale
