by
Larry Schlesinger
Wealthy property developers David and Jane Lucas have tipped $22 million worth of luxury property onto the market in Port Douglas, the Far North Queensland coastal hamlet near Cairns.
The couple are selling Villa Hemingway, a four-bedroom luxury property spread across six-levels on Island Point Road with spectacular ocean views, which has been listed for $14 million and Cottonwood Estate, a 1.9 hectare property on Oak Beach near the Sheraton Mirage, featuring a heritage homestead and guesthouse, with an asking price of $7.95m.
The Lucas family owned the Nelson Mail in New Zealand for five generations (now part of Fairfax Media) with the couple subsequently accumulating their wealth from diamonds (Mr Lucas was a director of Canadian company Winspear Diamond, sold to De Beers in 2000), dairy farms, gyms and property development.
They bought Villa Hemingway in 1996 for $1.4m, spending millions converting it into its current luxury state and in 2006, acquired Cottonwood Estate, adding a guest house, swimming pool and tennis court.