Filippo Navarra is well-known in the community in Sydney as a hard-working and honourable man who has touched the lives of many during his 50 years in Australia through his business, Navarra Venues.
Filippo Navarra is the man behind the four Navarra wedding venues in Sydney: Le Montage – A Luxury Waterfront Oasis, Curzon Hall – Sydney’s Heritage Castle, Oatlands House – An Elegant Georgian Manor and Conca D’oro – Timeless Ballrooms.
The man behind it all
Filippo is a hardworking and modest man, who thanks his family for his success, despite being 70 and still an incredibly busy man himself. He has been running the businesses himself for 40 years and has received many accolades for this success.
The history
In the beginning, Filippo and his wife Sarina took on all of the work involved in running their first venue, Conca D’oro. Their extended families took on watching over their three beautiful children while the couple exerted themselves, working long hours and pouring their hearts into their work. It wasn’t long until the children wanted to help their parents with the family business.
It wasn’t just their hard work that contributed to their business. It was also their intellect, their ability to seize opportunities and see the gaps in the market that they were able to fill.
Navarra venues now
Today, Navarra venues have over 400 staff members and have staged tens of thousands of events of all types. The four venues hold about 60 events per week in their lavish spaces. From weddings to engagement and anniversary parties, entire families have cycled through the venues, staying loyal to the impeccable service and stunning locations. Interestingly, Navarra staff are instilled with a similar sense of loyalty, with many staff members working on the team for upwards of 20 years, which further proves the loyalty that the Navarra experience is able to instil in people.
Conca D’oro
The pioneer of the Navarra Venues, Conca D’oro has been operating for 40 years. The iconic venue is loved by many. The venue comfortably seats anywhere from 120 guests up to 450 guests and is adorned with beautiful chandeliers, marble stonework, and luxurious finishes that are sure to impress.
Le Montage
In 1996, it was time to grow, and so Filippo and his family purchased the Apia Club as it was up for sale, and renamed it to “Le Montage”. And thus, Navarra Venues was born! Le Montage overlooks Iron Cove Bay and is surrounded by tranquil native gardens. The venue can host from 10 to 1300 guests comfortably.
Curzon Hall
One night, Son of Filippo, Salvatore was driving a friend home and got lost. He found this beautiful building, a stunning old castle, in the middle of Marsfield. In the middle of the night, Salvatore raced home to pick up his father to show him the castle. While Filippo was impressed, the building was owned by the Catholic Church and was not for sale for some years. In 2003, the Navarra Venues group bought the building, and by 2005, they received their first guests.
Oatlands House
Some seven years later, the group purchased a fourth venue that was in dire need of a facelift and some TLC, Oatlands House. This stunning venue has an old-world charm, with Georgian architecture and is set in five acres of lush gardens, which makes it the perfect wedding venue.