NY Bloger

A Sydney property nugget has been snatched from the bidding hands of Russell Crowe by one of the Murdoch dynasty.

Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert, outbid competitors for a superb harbour hilltop mansion owned for decades by the French government with a cool AUD $23 million. Nicole Kidman was also reported to have expressed interest in Le Manoir.

The six-bedroom mansion, built on one acre in 1926, was owned by the French since 1956 and snapped up in person by Murdoch in a 10-minute auction held at 6pm. The French in their purchase paid 26,000 Australian pounds for the property, which has only ever had two owners, said auctioneer Damien Cooley.

Agent Michael Pallier of Raine & Horne Double Bay said: “There weren’t any signs of a global financial crisis at the auction last night with 10 registered bidders going hammer-and-tongs at it. It was one of a handful of Sydney’s eastern suburbs trophy homes, and they rarely become available.”

Lachlan, 38, left his official role at News Corp. in New York, a few years ago, at the same time that his wife, the television personality Sarah Murdoch, was said to be motivating the family’s move back to Sydney and a simpler life.

The Australian Financial Review newspaper reported that Crowe monitored the record-setting sale of the former French consulate on the internet. Crowe was very recently reported to be back in Sydney with his family after filming in the US.