![Artist Peter Kingston](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The late Sydney artist Peter Kingston pictured in his Lavender Bay home in 2020. He died a year later. Picture: Toby Zerna
The famous Lavender Bay home of the late painter Peter Kingston — right next door to Wendy Whiteley’s house — has sold to a local family after being on the market for 152 days.
Agent Harriet France, of Sotheby’s International, said it was the most inquired about property she had ever listed with its never to be built out view of the Harbour Bridge and it sold in the realm of its $6m guide.
“There was solid interest throughout the campaign and we had buyers from overseas, investors and families, Chinese buyers loved the iconic view but it ended up going to a local family,” she said.
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3 Walker St, Lavender Bay (centre). Wendy Whiteley’s house, with the turret, is next door.
Wendy Whiteley’s famous garden is below.
“The Kingston family are very happy that the property will be loved as is and not have many changes to it … they are pleased more generations will enjoy it and the parkland,” Harriet said.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Walker St is one of a handful of homes fronting Clark Park and overlooking Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden.
The 1907 house is within a conservation area and has direct private access to the harbourfront reserve leading to the foreshore walk around Lavender Bay.
A boardwalk in the area is named after the painter.
3 Walker St, Lavender Bay
3 Walker St, Lavender Bay
Developers were less interested in the site as the block was smaller than 300sqm and the property has no off-street parking.
The celebrated landscape artist lived at the property for more than 50 years and painted many harbour scenes from his window, especially the Bridge, Luna Park and beyond them the Opera House.
Fellow artists the late Brett Whiteley and his wife Wendy were his neighbours.
The three-storey house with an attic came to market last October and was due to be auctioned in November.
3 Walker St, Lavender Bay
3 Walker St, Lavender Bay
The auction didn’t proceed, and the agent negotiated with interested parties. On Tuesday night the deal was done.
Peter Kingston died in 2021, a poet-painter who was also a passionate campaigner.
He campaigned to save Walsh Bay wharves and Luna Park, loved the Lady class ferries, and hated the large cruise liners parked in the harbour.
He went to university with Jan Utzon, son of Jorn who designed the Opera House, and the two men were lifelong correspondents.
Kingston bemoaned the fact that Jorn Utzon left Australia before the Opera House was finished.