5 min, $5m fight over trailblazer’s beachside home

The long held Coogee home of the late Cecily Backhouse, one of NSW’s first female judges, sold under the hammer for $4.77m on Saturday to a local builder who intends to knock it down and rebuild on the large elevated site.

Tom Burgess selling his $1.3 million Coogee beach bachelor pad

Cecily Backhouse was one of the early members of the Women Lawyers Association of NSW and admitted to the bar in 1964.

In 1986, Ms Backhouse was the third woman at the Bar to become a QC and was appointed a judge of the NSW District Court in 1994.

The auction was keenly contested. Picture: Julian Andrews.

Ms Backhouse lived in the house at 5 Thomas St, Coogee for 43 years.

She loved horse racing, big hats, heels and bright red lipstick and would daily swing by the David Jones food hall to buy her evening meal before returning to her blonde brick house on top of the hill.

Along with fellow lawyer and racing fan, Peggy Crawley, Ms Backhouse challenged the Australian Jockey Club for not admitting female members and won, the friends becoming the first female members of the AJC in Randwick in 1982.

The home sold for $4.77m

Views were one of the site’s biggest appeals.

Agent Nick Simitzis of Belle Randwick had been guiding $4m.

At Saturday’s onsite auction Ms Backhouse’s nephew and nieces recalled a fiercely independent and generous woman with a wicked sense of humour and a love of champagne. Ms Backhouse retired in 2004 and died in September.

Twelve groups fought for her house in original condition on 702 sqm of land with its northeast aspect and views of the ocean.

Cecily Backhouse QC, one of NSW’s first female judges had lived in the Coogee home for 43 years.

Bidding at the onsite auction opened at $4m and auctioneer Jake Moore brought down the gavel within five minutes.

Agent Nick Simitzis, of Belle Randwick, said quality property was still hotly contested but buyers were cautious about prices. He had been guiding early $4m for the property and had handed out 30 contracts.

The reserve was just over $4m.

The buyer intends to knockdown and rebuild. Picture: Julian Andrews.