Step inside Natalie Imbruglia's £2.9m private island villa on the Thames

The real-life homes of our favourite Aussies

Australians have been making their mark on the world of entertainment for decades. Whether it’s Kylie Minogue, the highest-selling Australian-born solo artist of all time, or Margot Robbie, named the highest-paid female star in Hollywood in 2022, the so-called "Aussie invasion" is still a thing. Some of these stars have stayed true to their roots buying homes down under, while others have moved on. But they all have some pretty cool real estate reflecting their huge success.

Read on to find out more...

Natalie Imbruglia

British-Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia gained acclaim in the 90s when she starred as Beth Brennan in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Three years after the show ended, she went on to launch her career as a pop artist. From there, her popularity skyrocketed winning her numerous accolades including eight ARIA Awards, two Brit Awards, one Billboard Music Award and three Grammy nominations.

Natalie Imbruglia's private Thames island home

With a busy schedule, Natalie owns the perfect place to retreat from the spotlight of her impressive music career – a Moroccan/Italian-style villa located on a private island in the Thames. However, the singer is apparently ready to part ways with the unique property and has listed the 5,500-square-foot home for £2.9 million ($3.6m).

Natalie Imbruglia's private Thames island home

The house offers six bedrooms and five bathrooms, as well as ample entertaining space. The main living room boasts an impressive coffered ceiling glittering with gold leaf, complemented by white pillars throughout the space, giving an added sense of height. Sliding glass doors flood the living space with light and lead out on to a terrace perfect for dining alfresco.

Natalie Imbruglia's private Thames island home

Adjacent to the main living area is a dining room and French country-style kitchen, and rounding off the first floor is a large indoor swimming pool. A spiral staircase in the centre of the home leads down to three bedrooms and a bathroom, and also up to the primary suite, which boasts stunning river views, a dressing room area and an ensuite with copper sinks, steam shower and soaking tub.

Natalie Imbruglia's private Thames island home

While the entire home has views of the river, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the waterside property outside as well. The home’s grounds include three raised terraces surrounded by mature trees, a fountain, and a sweeping lawn leading down to a dock with two moorings, as well as a pontoon and garden bar perfect for a waterside cocktail hour. The entire oasis is accessed by means of a private bridge onto the island, making it the perfect escape from busy city life, while still within easy reach of the amenities of nearby Windsor.

Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue has come a long way since she made her name on Neighbours. Having sold over 80 million records worldwide, including hits such as 'I Should Be So Lucky' and 'The Loco-Motion', she is the highest-selling female Australian artist ever, with accolades including three Brit awards, two MTV awards and a Grammy, as well as an OBE. She is also a shrewd businesswoman, with a net worth estimated at US$120 million (£96m / AUS$179m).

Kylie Minogue’s charming cottage in Melbourne

These days the so-called "Pop Princess" can live wherever she chooses, but it wasn’t always the case. Back in her 20s, when Kylie was launching her music career, she bought this charming cottage in Melbourne as an investment property. The singer paid AUS$185,000 (£99k/US$124k) for the property in 1990 and sold it in 2021 for $1.7 million (£900k/US$1.14m). Not a bad profit!

Kylie Minogue’s charming cottage in Melbourne

The two-bedroom, one bathroom dwelling features an all-white Victorian exterior with spacious interiors, high ceilings, vintage fireplaces and original hardwood floors. According to reports, Kylie is selling up because she bought another much larger property in the area, which will be her main base after living in London for more than three decades. “It’s true, I will be basing myself in Australia,” she told BBC Radio 2.

Kylie Minogue’s charming cottage in Melbourne

It is unknown whether Kylie ever lived long-term in the cottage, which is in Armadale, but she might find this kitchen a little squashed these days. The songstress, whose latest hit single 'Padam Padam' was released in May 2023, had rented the house out for the past 31 years, but is reported to have bought an AUS$8 million (£4.3m / US$5.4m) house in Melbourne close to her parents and her sister Dannii in Melbourne.

Kylie Minogue’s charming cottage in Melbourne

It's easy to imagine the star enjoying a glass of something bubbly with friends in this charming back yard. Kylie launched her own range of wines in 2020 and spent much of the pandemic down under, close to her family, which is why she decided it was time to go back to her roots. “It felt really good,” she told BBC Radio 2. “I’ve been talking about that for a while.” Let's see where she ends up.

Margot Robbie

Like Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie started out on the soap opera Neighbours before finding international fame in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and superhero blockbuster Suicide Squad. She was named the highest-paid female artist in Hollywood in 2022 and is married to British director and producer Tom Ackerley. The pair were spotted house hunting in Byron Bay in Australia recently, but used to live together in LA.

Margot Robbie’s Hancock Park pad

Having met in London on the set of Suite Française in 2013, Margot and Tom married on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2016 and moved to Los Angeles shortly afterwards, snapping up this brand-new property on a tree-lined street in Hancock Place in 2017. The pair paid $2.7 million (£2.2m / AUS$4m) for the 3,400-square-foot 'Soho-inspired' property, but decided to move on a few years later, listing it in 2021 for $3.5 million (£2.8m / AUS$5.2m).

Margot Robbie’s Hancock Park pad

The four-bedroom home has several reception rooms, including this family room with its polished fireplace and crittal style doors leading to the pool and terrace. Despite its limited outside space, designers have made the most of what is available by converting the garage into an outdoor cabana along with a pool bath and a tiled bar area.

Margot Robbie’s Hancock Park pad

High-ceilinged, light-filled spaces flow easily into one another and include this sunny state of mind living room with its huge, polished marble fireplace, wide-plank European oak floorboards and stunning shell chandelier. In 2019 the couple moved on from the home to build a bigger place on two adjacent plots of land they bought in Venice Beach, according to the Daily Mail, for US$6.5 million (£5.2m / AUS$9.7m).

Margot Robbie’s Hancock Park pad

The actress, who starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Brad Pitt, seems to have left her mark on the master bedroom, where a surfboard and Balinese carved headboard reference her love of surfing and interior design. There is also a marble bath and fitted walk-in wardrobe, as well as a sunny private balcony. The couple also sold off a small bungalow in the Hollywood Hills for $1.2 million (£960k/AUS 1.8m), so let's see how they spend their profits next.

Hugh Jackman

Celebrated for his blockbuster movies, which include The Greatest Showman, Les Misérables and his portrayal of Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, Hugh Jackman was also known for his long and happy marriage to Deborrah-Lee Furness. However, while the couple celebrated 27 years of marriage in April 2023 and have two adopted children, Jackman announced on 15 September a plan to divorce. Having acquired some stunning properties together over the years, including a dream home in New York's East Hampton, which was completed in 2021 and which they helped design, the pair will now sadly need to sell or split up their impressive property portfolio.

Hugh Jackman's dream home in the Hamptons

Creating the spectacular modern masterpiece in the Hamptons was a labour of love for the actor, who returns as Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool 3, due for release in 2024. The couple bought a property on the land back in 2015 for US$3.5 million (£2.8m / AUS$5.2m) and spent six years renovating the luxurious pad, which was featured in the December 2021 issue of Architectural Digest. The waterfront home boasts five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms and 5,000 square feet of living space.

Hugh Jackman's dream home in the Hamptons

Jackman and Furness collaborated with architect Viola Rouhani and interior designer Eleanor Donnelly from Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects to create “the utmost zen tranquillity” overlooking Gardiner’s Bay. The main house has three ensuite bedrooms, a kitchen with Gaggenau appliances, an informal dining room with a hand-carved walnut dining table and floor-to-ceiling glazing throughout.

Hugh Jackman's dream home in the Hamptons

“This was my lifelong dream”, Furness told Architectural Digest. The best thing is that it can be your dream too, provided you have deep pockets. In January 2023, the couple announced they would be making their New York estate available to rent during the winter months for the bargain price of US$166,666 per month (£133k/AUS$248k). This might be because the couple also own an oceanfront apartment in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where they have tried to spend several months a year, though who knows how these plans might change in light of the divorce.

Hugh Jackman's dream home in the Hamptons

When the family was in New York, they split their time between their minimalist Hamptons pad, which includes this self-contained two-bedroom guest house, and their stunning Jean Nouvel-designed Chelsea penthouse which they bought for US$21.1 million (£17m / AUS$31m) in August 2022. The three-bedroom pad boasts stunning city views and plenty of space so he can limber up for his next performance as Wolverine, alongside Ryan Reynolds' darkly funny Deadpool character.

Cate Blanchett

The only Australian to win two Academy Awards, Melbourne-born Cate Blanchett has made a name for herself as one of the most versatile actresses of her generation, starring in Elizabeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Lord of the Rings. The daughter of a property developer mother and advertising executive father, it’s not surprising that the The Aviator star has invested in multiple properties around the world. She is married to playwright Andrew Upton and the pair have four children.

Cate Blanchett's historic estate in Sydney

The couple lived in a four-storey Georgian house on the seafront in Brighton, England for ten years, according to Architectural Digest, before they moved back to Australia in 2006, snapping up a circa-1877 Gothic-style mansion in Hunters Hill, a suburb of Sydney, for around AUS$10 million (£5.2m / US$6.5m). They spent three years and almost AUS$8m transforming the historic estate, known as Bulwarra, into a tranquil eco-friendly retreat for their family.

Cate Blanchett's historic estate in Sydney

Designer Nadine Alwill and architect Stephen Lesiuk were entrusted with project, doubling the home’s floor space and converting the original sandstone manor into a modern five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom masterpiece with a state-of-art kitchen boasting a professional-grade stainless steel island and polished concrete floors.

Cate Blanchett's historic estate in Sydney

A custom steel staircase leads to all three levels of the house, including the master suite, and forms the architectural centrepiece of the house, while the entire property is swathed in stylish neutral colours and clean lines, much like Blanchett’s signature fashion style. All the bedrooms are on the upper floors with river views, while downstairs there is a library with dramatic double-height ceilings.

Cate Blanchett's historic estate in Sydney

The vast estate, which is beautifully landscaped with purple-flowering jacaranda trees, includes a heated pool and spa alongside a dining pergola as well as a waterside tennis court and trampoline platform. The couple listed their beloved estate for AUS$20 million (£12m / US$14.7m) in 2015, ultimately selling in 2017. According to Architectural Digest, these days their principal home is English manor Highwell House in East Sussex, where neighbours include Kate Winslet and Bryan Ferry.

Chris Hemsworth

Beginning his career on TV soap Home And Away, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth rapidly rose to A-list status after landing a role in 2009's big-screen reboot of Star Trek. In 2011, he was cast as Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, whose role is to protect his homeland Asgard, a role he played in the Thor movies, as well as numerous Avengers instalments and Doctor Strange. The Melbourne-born actor is now worth a cool US$130 million (£104m / AUS$194).

Chris Hemsworth’s Malibu retreat

In 2015, the actor joined forces with his brothers Luke and Liam Hemsworth, who are also actors, to buy this spectacular Malibu retreat. The trio paid just under US$3.5 million (£2.8m / AUS$5.2m) for the place, which is surrounded by the dramatic Santa Monica Mountains. Perfect for hosting A-listers, the house benefits from light-filled living spaces and plenty of outdoor lounges, all with views across the Pacific Ocean.

Chris Hemsworth’s Malibu retreat

Despite being built in 1979, the home is ultra-modern inside. Light, bright, and open-plan, the 4,612-square-foot residence has a large living area, with a dining zone, a chef’s kitchen and polished concrete floors, as well as four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Blending contemporary design with traditional architectural elements, it’s been the ideal retreat for Hemsworth and his wife, Spanish model and actor Elsa Pataky, and their three children.

Chris Hemsworth’s Malibu retreat

Other highlights include the home’s 750-bottle, temperature-controlled wine cellar, state-of-the-art movie theatre, and exterior decks for al fresco dining. Hemsworth doesn't mind sharing the pad with his brothers as his main home is a AUD$30 million (£16m / US$20m) mega mansion in Byron Bay in Australia, which has six bedrooms and a rooftop infinity pool.

Chris Hemsworth’s Malibu retreat

The master bedroom boasts a luxurious bathroom with a spa bath, steam shower and Calcutta gold marble fixtures, with a sauna located in a tiny wooden hut just outside. Despite the trimmings, the Hemsworth brothers sold the compound in 2021 for almost US$4.3 million (£3.4m / AUS$6.4m). According to Realtor, the trio 'made a few improvements' during their four years of ownership, so it may be that the brothers bought it as an investment property.

Russell Crowe

While actor Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand, he moved to Australia when he was just four years old. He won a Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator in 2000 and is considered one of Hollywood’s greatest actors. In Australia, he’s a national treasure and even appeared on a postage stamp. And with a net worth of around US$120 million (£96m / AUS$180m), he has been the proud owner of some pretty palatial properties in his time too!

Russell Crowe’s waterfront manor in Sydney

One of his finest was Berthong mansion in Elizabeth Bay, eastern Sydney, which is considered one of the country's most distinguished trophy homes. The Les Misérables actor bought the waterfront residence from media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 2001 for AUD$9.2 million (£5m / US$6.2m), selling it for AUS$11.5 million (£6m / US$7.7m) two years later. The mansion, which has a rich cultural legacy and several previous famous owners, sits alongside another iconic Sydney home, Boomerang House.

Russell Crowe’s waterfront manor in Sydney

The five-bedroom property was built in 1886 as a college for women, which it remained until music publisher Frank Albert purchased it in 1936 and turned into a home. Over the years the house has benefitted from extensive renovation work to bring it firmly into the 21st century, while retaining charming historic features such as the spacious colonial-style balcony that frames the house.

Russell Crowe’s waterfront manor in Sydney

Thoughtful, design-led details can be spotted throughout, from the intricate and arresting stained-glass window in the dining room to the Calacatta marble kitchen, complete with butler's pantry. Signs of craftsmanship are also evident in the ornate cornices, slate roof and colonnade of arched windows. Crowe sold the property to lawyer Peter Ziegler in 2003, so he could move into his Woolloomooloo penthouse.

Russell Crowe’s waterfront manor in Sydney

As well as the remarkable interior, the property boasts glorious gardens featuring a sandstone terrace and waterside pool set against harbour views that span from the Garden Island naval base to Clark Island. No surprise, then, that when the property hit the market in 2016, it was expected to fetch around AUS$37 million (£20m / US$25m). Meanwhile, Crowe splits his time between his Sydney pad and his rural estate in Nana Glen near Coffs Harbour.

Rebel Wilson

With a glittering career that's seen her go from Australian TV shows to Hollywood blockbusters including Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect, Rebel Wilson is quite the trailblazer. She lost more than 80 lbs in weight in a bid to become a mother and announced the birth of her first child by surrogate in November 2022. In February 2023, she shared news of her engagement to entrepreneur Ramona Agruma on Instagram, so will be looking for the ultimate family home.

Rebel Wilson’s Sydney Harbour pad

The Workaholics star, who has a net worth of around US£22 million (£17.6m / AUS$33m) and counting, has invested her money in several homes in both Hollywood and her native Australia and in 2015 purchased this three-storey waterfront new build for AUD$3.7 million (£1.9m / $2.4m). A meticulously designed renovation was then carried out by award-winning architect Paul O’Connor. The attractive three-bedroom residence sits atop Sydney Harbour with stunning views of the Parramatta River.

Rebel Wilson’s Sydney Harbour pad

Inside the 2,100 square-foot house you’ll find a gorgeous Arabesco marble-topped kitchen, complete with smoked oak cabinetry, dual fuel Wolf range and Sub-Zero fridge. The pad has floor-to-ceiling glass doors, and the Cats star even installed a glass elevator so that she could appreciate the stun-ning views as she ascended and descended.

Rebel Wilson’s Sydney Harbour pad

The sun-filled property was home for the star for five years before she put it on the market in 2022 for around AUS$9 million (£4.8m / US$9m) due to extended work commitments overseas. She must miss the three spacious marble bathrooms, the powder room and the extensive travertine terraces and balconies, as well as the infinity edge pool. “There’s something special about this house, its location, its vibe, and I am sad to see it go,” she said.

Rebel Wilson’s Sydney Harbour pad

A highlight of the property is its outside space with its own jetty and moorings. Its outdoor kitchen sits upon a rather spacious private terrace, ideal for al fresco dining with a view. The JoJo Rabbit star revealed to The Sun that she had bought a home in London in 2022, and with a reported US$16 million (£12.8m / AUS$24m) property portfolio, she shouldn’t have any problem finding a perfect base for her new family.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

Hollywood power couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban married in 2006 and they are still going strong. The star of Moulin Rouge, The Others and The Hours (for which she won an Oscar) is one of Australia’s most successful actors, while her country singer husband has won four Grammys and sold more than 15 million albums. With a joint worth of around US$325 million (£261m / AUS$489m), it's no wonder that they have dabbled in real estate.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s Tribeca condo

Their property portfolio already included a mansion in Nashville and an estate in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales when they bought a lavish apartment in this Italian Renaissance Revival-style building in New York’s trendy Tribeca in 2020, paying US$3.5 million (£2.8m / AUS$5.2m). The two-bedroom condo will add to their New York real estate collection, which includes an apartment in West Chelsea that they snapped up in 2010.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s Tribeca condo

While images of the couple's specific apartment are unavailable, other units in the building feature high ceilings, oversized mouldings, chevron oak flooring and oversized arched windows with stunning city views, like this one. According to reports, one of the perks of the building is that it has three separate entrances, offering complete privacy for the couple and their two daughters.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s Tribeca condo

It’s unlikely, however, that the state-of-the-art kitchen–with its custom cabinetry designed exclusively for the building by Jeffrey Beers International, along with the marble countertops and Miele appliances–were a major draw for Kidman. The Big Little Lies actress has revealed she “doesn’t cook”, but we are sure she appreciates the building’s other amenities, including an indoor pool, fitness centre and a car elevator. Now that’s an item that only billionaires can afford.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s Tribeca condo

As well as the lavish two-bedroom apartment, the couple have several homes in Sydney in the same building. They reportedly bought their sixth dwelling in the Landmark Latitude building in the city’s Milsons Point in May 2023 for AUS$7.7 million (£4.1m / AUS$5m) and already had a penthouse in the tower, which had been combined with a next-door unit, for their Sydney stays. They own three further apartments in the building, one of which had been converted into a gym.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy

It’s no surprise that Nick Candy and Holly Valance own some pretty impressive real estate. With his brother Christian, the property tycoon is behind the One Hyde Park development in London's Knightsbridge, and Nick unsuccessfully tried to buy Chelsea football club in 2022. Said to be worth US$2 billion (£1.6bn/AUS$3bn), the British entrepreneur married former Neighbours star and pop princess Holly Valance in 2012, and the couple have two children.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy’s Hollywood home

Regular faces on the London social scene, Nick and Holly live between London and the Cotswolds, where they splashed out £10 million ($12.4m / AUS$18.6m) on a Grade ll-listed mansion in 2021 near Soho Farmhouse, where Prince Harry courted Meghan. But they met and married in Los Angeles, where they owned this lavish Hollywood mansion in the Holmby Hills area, which they listed for a staggering US$84 million (£67.4m / AUS$126m) in 2022.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy’s Hollywood home

Also known as "The Reserve", the sprawling 21,000 square-foot Californian property is among the city’s finest examples of 1950s modernist architecture and features ten bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a striking kitchen, and a guest house. In 2021 the pair listed their penthouse in One Hyde Park for £175 million (US$217.4m / AUS$327.2m), making it Britain’s most expensive apartment.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy’s Hollywood home

On a street where, according to Bloomberg, celebrities Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn and designer Tom Ford are said to have resided, the home features a 1920s French Regency-style 12-seater cinema, a study, an Art Deco Hollywood-inspired bar and a wine room, as well as lush grounds, swimming pool, tennis court, al fresco dining areas and seven vintage water features and fountains.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy’s Hollywood home

The master bedroom has a super-luxe ensuite marble master bathroom, surrounded by crittal style windows which flood the space with light and views of the lush forestation outside. Built in 1959 and laid out on a single storey, the property was designed for indoor/outdoor living. It was formerly owned by Nick’s brother Christian, who sold it to Nick and Holly in 2018. Hopefully at a discounted rate!

Elle Macpherson

Born in Killara, New South Wales, supermodel Elle Macpherson burst on to the modelling scene in the 1980s, appearing on a record number of cover shoots for Sports Illustrated magazine and earning the moniker "The Body" from Time Magazine in 1989. Since then she has appeared on TV show Friends as Joey’s roommate and has proved herself an astute businesswoman, founding her own wellness brand WelleCo in 2014 and hosting Britain’s Next Top Model.

Elle Macpherson’s Miami mansion

The entrepreneur also has an eye for a beautiful property and snapped up this two-storey Normandy-inspired home in Coral Gables, near Miami, Florida (where neighbours include fellow A-listers like Jennifer Lopez) for US$7.3 million (£5.9m / AUS$11m) in 2018. Four years later, she placed it on the market for US$26.6 million (£21.4m / AUS$40m) according to The Daily Mail. The residence was designed by architect Chad Oppenheim and built in 2017.

Elle Macpherson’s Miami mansion

Macpherson worked with architecture and interior design firm Sawyer Berson to transform the Coral Gables villa into an impressive space where she could display her extensive art collection, which includes works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Richard Prince. “I’ve had a passion for art since I was a student, and I met everyone from Warhol to Joseph Kosuth to Keith Haring and Tracey Emin,” she told Architectural Digest.

Elle Macpherson’s Miami mansion

The palatial home boasts six bedrooms, including a master suite with walk-in wardrobes, six bathrooms and the essential powder room for any self-respecting supermodel. The property also features a spectacular staircase, professional kitchen and a large minimal dining room, with understated furniture, where the star has entertained her famous friends. “I wanted the house to feel effortless, eclectic, and fun, with no pretension,” she said.

Elle Macpherson’s Miami mansion

Outside, the magnificent grounds total 1.7 acres of manicured gardens designed by Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea and feature this large saltwater swimming pool and a relaxing lounge area shaded by established oak trees. Bliss! The model, who has two sons with financier Arpad Busson, has been mainly based in London for the past decade. So maybe it's time to start house-hunting down under.

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