17 hours ago
Grand estate with dark history lists: murder and celebrity wedding are in its recent past
A grand estate in the NSW Blue Mountains with a tragic past has hit the market.
The 5.2ha garden estate with a Tuscan-style home is in Mount Wilson, which has a full-time population of just 81 people.
Owned by the one family for 25 years, it was the wedding venue for celebrity couple Jesinta and Buddy Franklin.
However, more recently, it hit the headlines after a shocking murder was committed there.
Nine-year-old Charlise Mutten was murdered at the property in January 2022.
She had been visiting her mother, Kalista Mutten, and her partner at the time, Justin Stein, for the Christmas holidays that year.
She was visiting from the Gold Coast, where she lived with her legal guardians, her grandparents.
The property is owned by Justin Stein's mother, Annemie Stein.
Mr Stein, 33, was found guilty of Charlise's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in August 2024 for the horrific crime.
Now, just under one year later after he was sentenced, the property has come on the market.
The estate, once known as Wildenstein Gardens, hosted luxury weddings in the large home and generous grounds.
Today, the four-bedroom, three bathroom house, which was built in 2005, remains impressive.
According to the property listing, the home has a commercial-grade kitchen, a games room and a formal lounge for entertaining.
There is also a covered terrace surrounding the home, which was used as a reception area during weddings.
The gardens today are still impressive but appear slightly overgrown in places and unkept.
There is also a gardener's residence on the estate.
In earlier times, when the home was operated as a luxury wedding venue, the grounds were immaculately maintained.
They provided the stunning backdrop for ceremonies held there, including that of former AFL great Buddy Franklin and his model wife, Jesinta.
The Stein family has owned the impressive home for the past 25 years and has been used as a private residence for most of those years.
James Stein Jnr, an interior designer and event planner, held his wedding there in 2015, and then established the successful wedding venue for a number of years.
The mountain retreat also operated as a venue for deluxe afternoon teas, with guests able to enjoy the extensive gardens and refreshments at the venue.
The home still features boutique designer touches such as original iron gates, circa 1860, at the entrance to the estate and an Italian carriage door at the front entry point of the home.
The property is listed for an Expressions of Interest sale with Plus Agency with a closing date of June 18.
Listing agent Theo Penemenos said there had been quite a bit of interest in the property, which was "unique" in terms of its size, gardens and quality of the home.
