The South Ballina beachfront hideaway of the man who steered INXS to global fame is up for sale for the first time in more than a decade.
Sugar Beach Ranch, at 259 Keith Hall Lane in the rural hamlet of Keith Hall, was the private retreat of the late Chris Murphy OAM, the band’s long-time manager.
Tucked among quiet cane fields, the 60-acre property, about 24 hectares, takes in 450 metres of absolute beachfront. Three access points open onto nearly 30 kilometres of white sand running south to Evans Head.
Two of those tracks wind through rainforest and native coastal reserve to the dunes.
When Mr Murphy bought the land in 2015, it had only a small cottage. He and his family built their paradise from the ground up.
“This was his place to find solace, as a person who worked tirelessly hard,” listing agent Clint Donovan of Donovan + Co told Domain.
“It brought all of the family together. If they were interested in music, horses, fishing or surfing, this property did it all.”
Mr Murphy managed INXS from 1979 to 1995, then again from 2008 until he died in 2021 after a fight with mantle cell lymphoma. He also founded the independent labels rooART and Petrol Electric Records, and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia after his death, in 2024.
He often hosted music industry friends at the ranch. Hundreds of them have signed a London telephone box on the property, which is actually a toilet.
The ranch now boasts a three-level main house with an ocean-view master suite, soaring ceilings, and a double-sided wood fireplace. There is also a renovated two-bedroom guest bungalow with ensuites, a 15-metre magnesium pool and cabana, a timber bar, and a self-contained ocean-view office.
For horse lovers, there are three stables, a timber round yard, sheltered paddocks, and room for floats and machinery. Group 2 winning thoroughbred Coal Crusher was broken in at the ranch and trained along the beach.
The property runs on bore water, dams, and large rainwater tanks.
Mr Murphy’s eldest daughter, Stevey Arena, has run an award-winning tourism business from the ranch, offering horse and wellness retreats, camping, private stays, weddings, and events. Agistment, short stays, and events already bring in income.
Whales pass just offshore during their seasonal migration, and native wildlife is plentiful.
The ranch can be reached by road or on the Burns Point Ferry across the Richmond River. Ballina and Bangalow are within 30 minutes, Byron Bay is about 40 minutes away, and Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is close by.
Mr Donovan said the property was so rare it was hard to price.
“You cannot buy 60 acres of beachfront in many places in this great country, let alone in the very popular Northern Rivers,” he told Domain.
He expects interest from polo, showjumping, and racing circles, as well as tourism operators and wealthy families, both here and overseas.
The ranch is offered by Donovan + Co in association with Magic Millions. Inspections are by private appointment only, and expressions of interest close at 5pm on Thursday, 19 November.
The family hope the next owner will treasure the ranch just as much.
“I think they’d love to see somebody share the vision that Chris and the family did, and love it as much as he did,” Mr Donovan told Domain.
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