Jennifer Hawkins has sold the Whale Beach lot of an in‑progress beachside mega‑mansion in an off‑market transaction valued at about $30 million, while construction on the site continues after four years.
The sprawling double block on Rayner Road — a sought‑after street in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs — remains an active construction site overseen by Hawkins’s husband, developer Jake Wall, through their company J Group Projects. Property records show a company owned by purchaser David Appleby lodged a caveat on the site after the private sale, and local reporting indicates the sale was arranged directly with a neighbour.
Demolition on the property began in 2021 when a 1950s house was removed to clear the way for a modern multi‑level residence. A newly laid dirt foundation currently covers the plot, which occupies a double block and is described in planning and design materials as being several times the size of neighbouring houses. Architectural plans for the completed home include an internal lift linking three floors, five bedrooms, multiple living areas, a large kitchen, a swimming pool, a basketball court and a substantial garage. The site sits on a cliffside with ocean views.
Despite agents saying Wall has largely sought to be respectful of neighbours during the build, residents in the tight‑knit Whale Beach community have reported ongoing disruption. Since works began, locals have complained of a steady stream of utes and trucks blocking the narrow street, driveways being obstructed for hours at a time and damage to front lawns by heavy vehicles and cement mixers. Neighbours also described noise from the long‑running renovations in what was previously a quiet corner of the suburb.
The Hawkins‑Wall project has attracted attention in part because the couple never intended to occupy the residence, instead planning to complete and sell it as an investment. Aerial imagery and site photographs show a construction set‑up on an unusually large plot for the immediate area, which has coincided with several nearby property sales since demolition began.
Records indicate the purchaser’s company has also begun demolition work on an adjacent lot the buyer owns, a move that would expand the footprint of the estate. The lodging of a caveat is a standard step to record an interest in land and can precede further site works or formal transfer processes.
Rayner Road and the surrounding Whale Beach enclave are known for their oceanfront outlooks and high property values, and the scale of the project — occupying a double block with multi‑level living and extensive amenities — reflects broader trends in luxury coastal redevelopment. The site has been under construction for roughly four years and remains an active development within the suburb.
The sale marks a significant transaction in the local market and leaves the ongoing build in the hands of the purchaser’s company as works continue. Public statements from the parties involved were not included in initial reporting of the transaction.