Bellevue Hill sees city's third-highest auction price 23 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill, has reportedly sold for more than $15 million at auction. Sydney recorded its third highest auction sale price on Wednesday night when the former home of Sir Peter Abeles sold for $15,501,000. There was much secrecy surrounding the private auction and agents refused to divulge details about attendees. However, among the last to leave was the chancellor of Bond University, Dr Helen Nugent, AO, who is also president of the Cranbrook School next door, fuelling speculation the property was purchased on behalf of the school. Dr Helen Nugent, AO, on behalf of the Cranbrook School is believed to have bought the home. Photo: Narelle Autio The estate was listed with hopes of selling for more than $11 million and in the days preceding the sale key agents predicted it might sell for as much as $13 million. Known as "Sundorne," the Bellevue Hill property was always going to be highly coveted: it was the first time the 2549-square-metre prime hillside block, with views of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, has hit the market in 45 years. Prestige property at this price point rarely sells at auction. The highest auction price ever was also set in Bellevue Hill when the French Government sold Le Manoir in 2009 in a private auction for $23 million to Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch, by Michael Pallier, of Sotheby's International. The second-highest auction sale was set by an eight-bedroom mansion on St Mervyn's Avenue in Point Piper when it sold for $17.3 million by McGrath's James Dack in 2010. "This shows that the upper market is now a competitive one - this is the seventh sale this year I've done for more than $10 million," Mr Pallier said. No details were given about the successful buyer or even how many registered bidders there were, but more than 10 couples were seen walking up the driveway before last night's auction. The late Sir Peter Abeles. Photo: Andrew De La Rue Originally part of the Cranbrook estate, which was subdivided in 1917 to create the nearby private school, Sundorne was built in 1925 by solicitor Edward Percy Simpson as a wedding present for his son Edward Telford Simpson. Simpson then sold it to Abeles and his first wife Claire Dan for £60,000 in 1958. The five-bedroom house, with tennis court and swimming pool, was last renovated in the 1960s and the prominent arts philanthropist, the late Claire Dan, AM, OBE, took Sundorne as part-settlement on the couple's divorce settlement in 1970. Ms Dan died in October 2012. The estate was sold by Reece Coleman and Daniel Baran, of BHR Estate Agents, and Pallier and Matt Ratcliffe, of Sotheby's International.