Have you ever wondered where the world’s biggest stars live when they come Down Under?
From hidden country farms to quiet city apartments, some of the most famous faces in Hollywood and the music industry have secretly bought or rented homes in Australia.
Here’s a look at the most notable Australian properties that housed celebrities.
Justin Bieber
Adele considered renting a luxury mansion in Mosman, Sydney, but it was ultimately used by Justin Bieber during his concert tour.
This five-bedroom home has an eight-car garage and a pool. Disgruntled residents made noise complaints after the pop star partied until the early hours.
“Partying until 3am in the morning isn’t the most pleasant situation,” a local who asked to remain anonymous told The Daily Telegraph.
“We would have hoped the owner would have warned us about this, but nothing.”
“Our streets were filled with big black SUVs and there were people all over the streets for days.”
MORE: ‘Sad’: Vanished Fabio’s life at 67, one ‘regret’
Shock amount Daniel Craig earned from Bond
90s star’s sad life after $26m wipe out
Justin Bieber. Picture: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
This five-bedroom Mosman home has an eight-car garage and a pool.
Johnny Depp
Back in 2015, Johnny Depp and his then-wife Amber Heard rented a luxury Gold Coast estate while the actor was filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Known as Diamond Head, the Coomera property features 10 bedrooms, a 500sq m man cave with a bar, a 20m wet-edge pool, a helicopter landing pad, and a custom go-kart track.
The compound became the centre of a media storm when Heard’s dogs, Pistol and Boo, sparked a major biosecurity blow-up.
The couple failed to declare they were travelling with the Yorkshire terriers when they arrived via private jet, with the dogs’ presence exposed only after they were taken to a local Gold Coast pooch groomer.
Johnny Depp. Picture: Anthony Ghnassia/Getty Images for Dior
Johnny Depp and his then-wife Amber Heard rented Diamond Head estate.
Miriam Margolyes
Back in 2025, Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes reportedly struggled to find renters for her $1300-a-week Bondi semi-detached home.
The 85-year-old British-Australian star originally purchased the property for just $93,000 in 1984.
The dated property failed to attract tenants more than three weeks after being listed, with some facebook users labelling the property as too expensive.
Margolyes has also listed Yarrawa Hill, her 62ha Southern Highlands retreat in Robertson, with a $3.95m to $4.2m price guide.
The contemporary bush home features three bedroom suites and has previously been used as a luxury holiday rental commanding $500 a night.
Miriam Margolyes. Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images
Margolyes reportedly struggled to find renters for her $1300-a-week Bondi semi-detached home. Picture: Supplied
Margolyes has also listed Yarrawa Hill, her 62ha Southern Highlands retreat in Robertson.
Matt Damon
During a summer stay near co-star Chris Hemsworth, actor Matt Damon leased a secluded designer mansion for a whopping $5500 a week.
Known as Blackwood House, the property sits on a massive 58ha bushland parcel and features an infinity pool alongside a dedicated guesthouse.
The ultra-private residence has also hosted Liam Hemsworth and his then-wife Miley Cyrus.
Luciana Damon and Matt Damon. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Damon leased a secluded designer mansion for a whopping $5500 a week.
Michael “Flea” Balzary
Michael “Flea” Balzary, the bass guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, sold longtime retreat on the NSW south coast for $2.475m.
The Melbourne-born musician purchased the five-bedroom home in Congo in 1994, turning the downstairs music room into a space for band rehearsals.
The band became familiar figures to local residents, surfing local beach breaks when staying in the area.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Flea sold longtime retreat on the NSW south coast for $2.475m. Picture: LJ Hooker
Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin resided at Bronte Wave House in Sydney during his stint as a TV judge on The Voice.
The five-level beach house features two swimming pools, including a 25m indoor-outdoor lap pool and a private tropical garden established after a neighbouring residence was removed to enhance privacy.
Martin had previously leased James Packer’s Bondi Beach compound. However, the pop singer relocated to the Bronte hide-out after Packer reclaimed his bachelor pad as his main Sydney base following his split from Erica Packer.
Ricky Martin. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Martin resided at Bronte Wave House in Sydney during his stint as a TV judge on The Voice.
Mischa Barton
Rather than opting for a luxury hotel suite, Mischa Barton leases a cottage behind Melbourne’s Chapel Street during her guest stint on the Aussie soap opera Neighbours.
The O.C. actress told media she fell in love with the local experience.
“I love Australia in general,” she said. “I had a nice time getting myself a little house with a garden and adorable trees – I had a really lovely time.
“Shockingly, there weren’t kangaroos everywhere!” she joked to her co-star Stefan Dennis.
Mischa Barton. Picture: Supplied/Channel 10
Daniel Radcliffe
In 2022, Daniel Radcliffe’s family quietly sold his luxury apartment in Toorak, Melbourne, for an undisclosed sum understood to be in the low-$2m range.
The Harry Potter star’s parents originally purchased the two-bedroom home for $1.9m in 2004 while he was filming Down Under. The property was transferred to him when he turned 18.
The elite home features two bathrooms, two car spaces, and sweeping views of the Yarra River.
Daniel Radcliffe. Picture: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Radcliffe’s family quietly sold his luxury apartment in Toorak, Melbourne.
David Bowie
In 1983, David Bowie snapped up a three-bedroom unit in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for $700,000.
Located in Elizabeth Bay, the Rebel Rebel hit maker had used the pied a terre as his Sydney base for his month-long trips to far north Queensland and the outback during the 80s.
When the singer owned the home, it was said to be as ‘out there’ and ‘bizarre’ as the late music superstar itself.
Apparently Bowie had wall to ceiling mirrors installed in the living room and a chest high glass shelf ran around much of the main areas of the apartment.
The music star offloaded the apartment in 1992 for $1,250,000.
According to news.com.au, Bowie sold his slice of Sydney real estate after marrying Iman because he wouldn’t be travelling to Australia as much.
David Bowie. Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
In 1983, Bowie snapped up a three-bedroom unit in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for $700,000.
The music star offloaded the apartment in 1992 for $1,250,000.
George Michael
While on a whirlwind visit to celebrate Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival with former boyfriend Fadi Fawaz in 2010, George Michael adored the five-bedroom, five bathroom clifftop house with ocean views.
Having first been sold in 2020 for $5.8m, in 2023 it was quietly listed for $15m and is now a popular summer rental commanding $3,900 (£2,000) a night.
George Michael. Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Michael’s former clifftop home in Sydney. Picture: realestate.com.au
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg previously rented a private mansion in Point Piper during a prior visit to Sydney in March 2024.
That three-storey property features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and seven parking spaces.
“I’m not the owner of the house, but it’s been cool,” the Hollywood star told The Daily Telegraph at the time.
“The only difficult part is that I’m so far away from my family.”
The Darling Point home previously sold for $51m in April 2020.
At one time, it held the title of Australia’s most expensive home when it changed hands for $30m in August 2007.
Mark Wahlberg. Picture: Jonathan Ng
The 54-year-old star previously rented a private mansion in Darling Point during a prior visit to Sydney in March 2024.
Olivia Newton-John
One year after revealing her stage 4 cancer diagnosis, singer and actress Olivia Newton-John sold off most of her real estate portfolio to fund her wellness centre and foundation.
The Grease star put her sprawling 76ha Australian farm in New South Wales on the market in 2019, selling it a month later in a deal rumoured to be worth about $5m.
Located in Dalwood, the French country-style property features a three-bedroom main house, a one-bedroom guest suite, a natural waterfall, and a robust rainforest where the entertainer personally planted 5000 trees to create a dedicated wildlife habitat.
Olivia Newton-John. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
The singer and actress sold her 75ha property at Ballina for a rumoured $5m. Picture: Supplied
Mel Gibson
US-born, Australia-raised actor Mel Gibson unloaded his Victorian homestead in 2004 for $1.825m.
Named Carinya Homestead, the 21.2ha property including a six-bedroom house is located at Gundowring, about 331km from Melbourne.
In the 1980s, Gibson and his then-wife Robyn lived at Carinya with their six children.
The homestead was part of a more than 809ha site, known as Beartooth, which the Lethal Weapon star owned.
After selling off most of the surrounding land in 2006, Gibson held onto Carinya and used it as a holiday home before offloading it a decade later.
Mel Gibson. Picture: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
In December 2004, Gibson unloaded his Australian homestead for $1.825 million.
George Harrison
The Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison once called Australia’s Hamilton Island home for part of the year.
The Cheer Down singer purchased a 6-acre lot in the 1980s when the island was largely undeveloped, constructing a main house named “Letsbeavenue” – a cheeky pun on “let’s be having you” – alongside three guest huts and a custom swimming pool.
The private island retreat sold for $8m in 2008, setting a residential sales record for the location at the time.
George Harrison (right). Picture: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Harrison’s Hamilton Island house.
Bono, Will Smith, Jay-Z and Kanye West
Bono and Will Smith have stayed there, Jay-Z and Kanye West have recorded a track at one of Sydney’s most palatial homes in Bellevue Hill.
Known as Barford estate, Kanye and Jay-Z holed up for the week in the luxurious property $40,000 per week during the Australian sessions for the album, Watch the Throne.
Jay-Z. Picture: Buda Mendes/Getty Images
Known as Barford estate, the property was leased to Jay-Z, Kanye West, Bono and Will Smith.
The residence includes a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom Georgian style mansion, a private detached three-bedroom cottage and two one-bedroom apartments on site.
There is also a 20m heated pool, cinema, tennis court, gym, library, billiard room, a retractable roof, timber-panelled foyer, a custom made all-white marble kitchen as well as a second caterer’s kitchen with a walk-in cool room.
MORE: Shock pay Mike Myers earned from Shrek
Batman star’s sad life at 72 after disaster
‘Ego, control’: New $725m Jolie-Pitt war erupts
The post Hollywood Down Under: Secret Australian homes of the world’s biggest stars appeared first on realestate.com.au.
