The official residence of the Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor in Mosman has been sold for $6.6 million, nearly 30 years after it became a university property.
The mansion on Kirkoswald Ave used to be the home of Professor Greg Craven and his family but he retired from his job after 13 years.
The university’s chief operating officer, Dr Stephen Weller, said they decided to put the ACU mansion up for sale to address the priorities of the university’s overall budget, which means that the new vice-chancellor, Professor Zlatko Skrbis, will no longer be able to move into the executive residence.
Built in 1904 in the suburb’s Golden Triangle with rows of expensive houses and just a few metres away from the Balmoral Beach Club, the house was expanded to become a five-bedroom dwelling with several living areas, a study, and a pool. The ACU mansion stood next to the residences of environmentalist Rob Purves and philanthropist Neil Balnaves.
Bernard Ryan and Geoff Smith from Ray White Lower North Shore Group said that five investors had their eye on the property. Mr Ryan said that the availability of quality residences in a good location is rare.
In 1992, then vice-chancellor Professor Peter Drake was the first to live in the Mosman mansion after the ACU acquired the site for $885,000.
Meanwhile, Prof Skrbis joined ACU in 2018 after working for Monash University and the University of Queensland. An accomplished sociologist, Prof Skrbis is the fourth vice-chancellor of the Mosman university. He said he will ensure that ACU remains a globally recognised Catholic institution.
“As we move forward, we will create impact by adhering to our Catholic mission and remaining committed to the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person, and the common good,” Prof Skrbis said as he released his strategic plan under the university’s new leadership.
“We will continue to offer our students an inclusive, ethics-based education, and we will search for solutions to local and global challenges through mission-aligned research. We will also support the broader community and advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves.”