'Grand Designs on steroids': High-tech heritage estate Wavertree poised for sale
A rare slice of South Australian history, where colonial-era grandeur meets cutting-edge innovation, is on the brink of a landmark sale, with the $15 million-plus Wavertree estate in Kent Town expected to change hands within weeks.
Once home to former South Australian premier Sir Frederick Holder and later transformed into a state-of-the-art business hub by tech entrepreneur Simon Hackett, the meticulously restored c1865 mansion is attracting interest from across the wellness, tech and hospitality sectors.
Selling agent Stephanie Williams, of Williams Luxury, says she has been working with six parties on the sale, one for about five months, following its initial listing late last year.
“We’ve had a significant offer, and are nearing closure in coming weeks,” she says.
“The inquiries have been endless, we’ve been very encouraged with the level of interest, and the feedback has been so genuine and very complimentary.”
The property, at 64 North Terrace, in tightly held Kent Town on the prestigious North Terrace, underwent a complete restoration and renovation by Sarah Constructions and architecture firm Williams Burton Leopardi. It features solid iron doors, oak flooring and modern amenities.
Williams describes the property, situated just 10 minutes north-east of the CBD, as having a home-work life balance and feeling like a six-star boutique hotel.
“It has had lots of corporates looking for their head offices for South Australia, because the environment’s so appealing to so many affluent sectors of the marketplace,” she says.
“I’ve had a lot of wellness and health interest, but also some from the hospitality and wine industry interested in a presence in the urban corridor of North Terrace.
“Rather than going to McLaren Vale or the Barossa, you could have something in the urban corridor of South Australia leading into the CBD.”
The sale of historic Wavertree will cement the end of an era for its owner-occupiers, who set about restoring it more than a decade ago, and are moving on to Tasmania, to tend to vineyards in California, and to address philanthropic work through their Hackett Foundation.
Tech entrepreneur Hackett acquired the property with his wife Anna in 2012. It has been serving as the headquarters for Base 64 – which manages the Hackett family business interests – and hosts a diverse mix of commercial sub-tenants.
Hackett says the mansion’s transformation was like “Grand Designs on steroids”.
“Wavertree is such a beautiful property that has been extended progressively over the years,” he says. “Our goal was to ensure it remains a South Australian landmark for the next 100 years.”
The pair set about restoring the property’s original splendour while transforming it into a state-of-the-art landmark with dual use, as a future-proofed work and lifestyle destination.
The redeveloped estate comprises four interconnected buildings, each echoing a distinct chapter of its storied past.
The original mansion has been reimagined as an executive office suite, while the 1930s building houses commercial offices and function rooms. A 1980s addition provides flexible corporate workspaces linked by a premium, industrial-grade kitchen, creating a dynamic, multi-use environment.
“Simon’s thing was to make it sustainable – battery energy, solar energy – so that you really had a sustainable space that just ticked along, and you didn’t have a heart attack when will came in,” Williams says. “But Anna’s really had a huge input in the amazing aesthetics and the complete design and fit out, which are just phenomenal.”
Perched grandly on a 2777-square-metre estate, the iconic two-storey mansion was constructed from bluestone and sandstone.
“The mansion is renowned for its exquisite architectural details, including a profiled brick facade, scalloped barges, and a cantilevered balcony that invites you to step back in time,” the listing details.
“Over the decades, the estate has been expanded with adjacent buildings in the 1930s and 1980s, which now converge around a tranquil terrace with established designer gardens that unifies the property’s diverse elements.”
The property has a rich and varied history. It was once home to a theological college, later the base for iconic Adelaide TV production company Pepper Studios, and more recently a hub for global gaming innovation through Imagination Gaming.
It spans nearly 2000 square metres over two wings, and offers 30 on-site carparks.
The property is perched opposite the prestigious St Peter’s College, a prep to year 12 boys’ boarding school.
“It feels like you’re in Oxford [England] when you drive in the gates at Wavertree; it’s like something out of Harry Potter,” Williams says. “It’s the grandeur and the history, but also just the integrity of the build.”
Williams says the property boasts sustainable features including about 350 solar panels outputting 100 kilowatts, 200-kilowatt battery storage, and a 50,000-litre rainwater tank, repurposed from a disused outdoor pool. However, it does not come with any Green Star credentials.
Embracing its 21st-century rebirth, the property is equipped with cutting-edge comforts and technologies, including thermal and acoustic insulation, Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi, and multi-gigabit fibre access. These features make the estate not only energy-efficient but also resilient to power outages.
Holder spent time at the estate during his tenure as the Speaker of the first Australian Parliament.
