Wedding venue The Lussh finds new Gold Coast home after devastating fire
The duo, who belong to the family of retailers also behind City Beach, splashed $9m on the sprawling Gold Coast hinterland estate.
Operating as Austinvilla Estate, the wedding and events venue was sold in an off-market deal handled by Cohen Handler agents, Luke Serhan and Tom Osborn.
Ms Henry launched the popular women's wear brand Dissh, handing the reigns to eldest daughter Lucy Henry-Hicks in 2019.
She pivoted to The Lussh, an upscale wedding and events business run from a historic Woolloongabba building which was gutted by fire in September 2024.
After months scrambling to re-arrange wedding bookings, The Lussh will rise from the ashes at 31 Austinville Rd, Austinville.
Records show the sale settled last month, with the property held by a company directed by Ms Henry and Grace, who hosts 'immersive retreats grounded in wellbeing and personal growth' under the banner Holding Space with Grace.
A statement on The Lussh website stated the business continued to offer its services after losing its venue.
'The original Lussh headquarters may be gone, but The Lussh is stronger than ever. We are bringing our signature style and services to venues from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.'
Mr Serhan said the businesswomen's brief was 'highly specific'.
'Few properties in the country offer this amount of luxury accommodation, natural beauty, and full-scale event infrastructure.
'This transaction underscores the increasing demand for high-function, lifestyle-driven estates with commercial potential,' he said.
The secluded 46.79ha property was set amid soaring gums and preserved subtropical forest, just 15 minutes from the beach.
Features included accommodation for up to 92 guests across cabins, suites and lodges along with purpose-built indoor and outdoor event spaces.
Ninja Warrior takes on gravity-defying container home
The 20 suburbs homeowners never want to leave
The property was listed for sale via an expressions of interest campaign in 2022 amid the post-Covid wedding boom, but a buyer was not secured at that time, and it was taken off the market.
The buyers agents presented their offer 'following an extensive and tightly managed search'.
'Purpose-built as a premium events venue and retreat space, Austinvilla Estate represents one of the most unique acquisitions in the region: a grand, established estate combining large-scale accommodation, immersive nature, and a complete suite of facilities designed for weddings, retreats, and luxury experiences,' Mr Serhan said.
Records show the land last changed hands for $1.2m in 2015 and had since been sub-divided or amalgamated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
7 minutes ago
- ABC News
Woodside slammed by regulator for safety incidents at multiple WA decommissioning sites
A key union says it is aware of "significant failures" in Woodside's safety management at one of its offshore projects, days after the national regulator ordered it to suspend its decommissioning work over similar issues. The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) last Thursday revoked the oil and gas giant's decommissioning obligations at Griffin and Stybarrow gas fields until it completed "essential planning and preparatory activities". The orders come after what NOPSEMA called "preventable health and safety incidents" at both sites. NOPSEMA asked BHP to decommission both gas fields in 2021, a year before its petroleum arm was bought by Woodside. Decommissioning refers to the process of safely closing a mine or oil and gas site, with the expectation that the impacted environment will be rehabilitated afterwards. In May, 16,000 litres of oil spilled into the ocean during removal operations at Woodside's Griffin oil and gas field, which NOPSEMA said had the potential to expose workers to hydrogen sulphide. Meanwhile, the regulator said there had been unsuccessful recovery attempts and the presence of hydrates in some infrastructure at Stybarrow. A Woodside spokesperson said the company had made substantial progress towards decommissioning the Stybarrow, Griffin and Minerva fields, concluding a multi-year decommissioning program. "Across the campaign, more than 25,000 tonnes of infrastructure, including over 140 kilometres of pipe and 100 subsea structures, have been brought to shore to enable recycling and reuse," it said. A Woodside spokesperson said NOPSEMA's revised general directions provided additional time and clarity for essential planning and preparatory activities. The regulator's directions were welcomed by Maritime Union of Australia organiser Doug Heath, who has sent the regulator a deluge of reports about "near misses" at Woodside's decommissioning projects. He told the ABC that "a fundamental breach" had occurred at one of Woodside's offshore projects just this week. "We've had a series of incidents where workers have suffered, in one case a punctured lung," Mr Heath said. "In other cases, there have been a series of near misses." In March, NOPSEMA confirmed it was investigating lifting and crane operations at McDermott's DLV 2000 vessel, which has been decommissioning the Stybarrow gas field. Two years ago, Woodside contractor Michael Jurman died while working at the North Rankin offshore facility, an incident that NOPSEMA is still investigating. Since then, Woodside's health and safety data showed the number of high-potential incidents and total recordable injuries had increased. Mr Heath said the company had not learned its lesson. "If they need the regulator to tell them that they're not doing a good enough job, they've got some significant failures within their HSC management," he said. "[Woodside is] doing more decommissioning work than probably any other oil and gas company in WA, but their standards have slipped over the course of time. A Woodside spokesperson said safety always had been and would continue to be its priority, and it was continuously taking action to strengthen its safety culture.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Federal politics live: Treasurer urged to 'be bold' on productivity and ditch 'lazy' AI approach
Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie has accused the government of being "lazy" and looking to artificial intelligence as a way of boosting productivity. Follow our live coverage below.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Live updates: Australian share market to fall, Wall Street gains as Apple pledges $154b US investment
Australian stocks are set to open lower, despite Wall Street gaining as Apple shares climbed after news of its plans to announce a domestic manufacturing pledge. We'll bring you the latest on what's happening on the markets throughout the day in our live blog. Disclaimer: this blog is not intended as investment advice.
