An original beachfront shack in Byron Bay has sold for about $18 million, and the buyer is tipped to be hospitality rich lister Justin Hemmes.
The chief executive of multibillion-dollar hospitality empire Merivale has been busy adding to his $41 million-plus residential property portfolio in the beachside hotspot in recent years.
Rich lister Justin Hemmes is tipped to have bought this Byron Bay beach shack for about $18 million.Credit:
Multiple real estate sources from the Byron Bay region that are not authorised to comment publicly have revealed the bar tzar bought a four-bedroom, original beach shack for about $18 million on Friday.
Two years after Merivale bought the Cheeky Monkey’s bar in Byron Bay in 2021, Hemmes bought a couple of beachfront houses on nearby Belongil Beach for $22 million and $16 million. He also added another property on the same stretch of land for $3.75 million last November.
Justin HemmesCredit: Getty Images
Merivale began as a fashion house by Hemmes’ parents, John and Merivale Hemmes, before venturing into hospitality with over 90 brands and ventures to-date. The company is worth a reported $3 billion and the Hemmes’ family wealth is also reported to be $1.58 billion, according to The Australian Financial Review’s 2025 Rich List.
The $18 million residence is a two-storey property atop a dune that consists of two self-contained studios on the ground floor and a two-bedroom unit on the upper floor.
A sold sticker on the listing indicated a sale by private treaty on February 13 with the sale price undisclosed. The price and buyer’s identity will be revealed at settlement.
Denzil Lloyd and Will Phillips of Sotheby’s International Realty Byron Bay held the listing but declined to comment on any aspect of the sale or buyer’s identity when contacted by this masthead. It was left to other real estate sources to divulge a sale by Hemmes.
There is an open-plan living and dining zone, with beach views from the kitchen.Credit:
The $18 million residence is a two-storey property atop a dune that consists of two self-contained studios on the ground floor and a two-bedroom unit on the upper floor.
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Hemmes’ publicist was contacted by this masthead but was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
It could be assumed Hemmes will knock down the properties to make way for a dream new build, with local sources suggesting the stretch of land is not suitable for commercial use.
Hemmes will be neighbours with The Block judge Darren Palmer and his husband Olivier Duvillard, a cosmetic industry expert and strategic consultant. The couple purchased a $4.2 million three-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage with vistas over Belongil Creek.
Hemmes also owns a $100 million heritage home in Sydney’s Vaucluse and a $6.7 million weekender in Narooma on the South Coast.
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