A luxurious six-storey Ascot mansion which went viral for its ‘Batman tunnel’ and its hidden ‘bear cave,’ has changed hands in a record-breaking private sale in Brisbane in September 2022.
The Ascot mansion, located on 35 Morgan Street, was supposed to go under the hammer on 17 September 2022, with a number of global prestige buyers from London, the US, UAE, Egypt, Singapore, and Hong Kong all set to compete for it. Things changed however, when online videos of the house with the Batman tunnel and the bear cave blew up overnight.
Days before the auction, an eager buyer snatched the property in a confidential sale, sealing the deal for more than $12 million. The identity of the new owner has not been made public.
The bear cave was actually a relatively new addition by the former owners. They knew that they could level up their Ascot mansion before putting it up for sale and they made significant additions to it, including a hidden entertainment area, accessible with a click of a button from a Shakespeare sculpture. It turned out to be just what the house needed to bring it up a notch from ‘special’ to ‘extraordinary and unique.’
The cave led to a speakeasy private bar and beer taps, a pool table, a 12-panel TV wall, and a sound-proofed professional quality recording studio. The area also has a private gym that actually looks bigger than a commercial fitness club.
Upstairs, the Ascot mansion has six bedrooms with their own walk-in closets with the top floor master’s bedroom boasting a panoramic view of Brisbane.
The property also has a two-bedroom private apartment for long-term or short-term guests at the lower level. This section has separate access and its own terrace, perfect for visiting families with kids.
The viral Ascot mansion was listed for under three weeks before it changed hands. It was previously owned and built by Brisbane builder Brett Walker, who sold the mansion with the Batman tunnel in 2017 for $8.8 million.