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Barramunga, the classic two storey home set well back off Point Nepean Road at Sorrento, has been sold for $2.01 million.
It has upstairs views of Camerons Bight.
Barramunga kicked off the 2014 Australia Day long weekend auctions which faced buyer hesitation.
Title Tattle recalls the auction of the six bedroom cottage on its 3,474 square metre holding opened and closed on its $1.9 million vendor bid by the auctioneer Gerald Delany, who'd told the crowd that the site had been the choicest of selections in the 1920s by the stockbroker John Hindsen.
After three decade ownership, it was offered by Toorak dentist Geoffrey Wymond and his wife Diane who had it listed through Liz Jensen from Kay &amp; Burton Portsea.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Barramunga, the 1927 Sorrento weekender, sells for $2.01 million

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Australia Post is featuring five beautiful private gardens from Open Gardens Australia in a new stamp issue.
Open Gardens Australia began life as Victoria’s Gardens Scheme in 1987, broadening to become a national program in 2000. 
Since the organisation’s beginning, it has showcased some 10,000 gardens.
Around 500 new private gardens are open to the public each season. 
It is estimated that around 200,000 adults visit the gardens annually.
There are five domestic base rate (70c) stamps and products available from 2 September.
The gardens on the stamps are: 
<ul>
<li>Cruden Farm, Victoria. The late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch established the historic garden within a working farm more than 80 years ago, engaging, among others, renowned landscape designer Edna Walling. It is a founding garden in Open Gardens Australia.</li>
<li>Mendel Garden, Western Australia. Award-winning landscape designer Janine Mendel developed this wonderful urban garden, which comprises three courtyards, with the stamp showing the lush, subtropical entry courtyard.</li>
<li>Niwajiri, South Australia. Steve Hailstone developed Niwajiri in the Adelaide Hills in the late 1980s. Displaying European, Japanese and Australian influences, Niwajiri has been meticulously planned and planted.</li>
<li>Walcott Garden, ACT. First developed in 1926 and redesigned by Helen Cohen in 2003, this water-wise garden reflects the vision of its owners, focusing on native plant species, textured foliage and an informal landscape design.</li>
<li>Wychwood, Tasmania. This is a superbly designed contemporary cool-climate garden among the rolling hills of northern Tasmania. A focal point in the tranquil garden is a seven-ring classical labyrinth, created through careful grass mowing.</li>
</ul>
 
 
The Open Gardens Australia stamps are designed by Simone Sakinofsky of Australia Post Design Studio, using photographs by Ben Wrigley (Cruden Farm), Steve Hailstone (Niwajiri), Janine Mendel (Mendel Garden), Ben Walcott (Walcott Garden) and Simon Griffiths (Wychwood).
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Trophy home gardens make their stamp with Australia Post

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Known to many local children as the ''Addams Family haunted house'', the Paddington home, Verulam has been listed for the first time since the 1920s.
The three-level Federation Queen Anne-styled offering was turned into a ''gentleman's residence'' in 1873 having previously been a farmhouse.
Set on its 393 square metre Moore Park Road block, Verulam has a price guide of $2.5 million through agent Louise Snowden of Raine &amp; Horne Double Bay.
There were initial $2 million plus indications for the house set opposite the SCG and Allianz Stadium.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-paddington-117671911" target="_blank">284 Moore Park Road property</a> comes with rear stables space.
Verulam, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verulamium" target="_blank">named after an ancient town in the south of Roman-occupied Britain</a>, has been listed for 11 September auction following the death of 98 year old Jacqueline Mary Schmidt, who once had a Nambucca district retreat at Station Street, Eungai Rail.
 
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Paddington's Verulum - the "Addams Family house" - listed with $2.5 million hopes

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The Georgian-designed Darlinghurst home of interior designer Darryl Gordon, the recent NZ shopping centre heir, fetched $1.66 million at its Bradfield Cleary mid-auction.
The 1838 Francis Street cottage close to Hyde Park had been listed with $1.3 million plus hopes.
The double-fronted home and office at <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://bradfieldcleary.com.au/4339021" target="_blank">16 Francis Street </a>cost $730,000 in 2001.
It is now adorned with his own classic style throughout the 117 square metre holding with rear garden space.
The listing followed Darryl Gordon's recent purchase of a Georgian homestead in Jamberoo on the NSW South Coast.
He paid $1.5 million through Elders Jamberoo agent Vivienne Marris, the first time the five hectare property has traded since it was built in 1858 for John Marks, the politician and Mayor of Kiama. 
Terragong at Jamberoo was part of the life of seven generations of the Marks family. The rendered bluestone homestead has four-metre high ceilings - some pressed metal, some timber; cedar doors and windows and many fireplaces of marble and tile.
Gordon also listed his restored <a href="/news/bluestone-or-sandstone-the-bedrock-of-inspiring-homes-he-said-she-said">Georgian-style blue stone cottage in Oberon</a> which was sold after being listed for $550,000.
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Designer Darryl Gordon secures $1.66 million in Darlinghurst

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An 1834 four level Millers Point dwelling in the Colonial Regency style fetched $2.56 million at auction tonight.
Offered for the first time in over a century, <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/property/for-sale/house/nsw/millers-point/?adid=2011319939" target="_blank">29 Lower Fort Street</a>, was sold at auction by the NSW state government. 
The five-bedroom heritage listed townhouse (see plan below) with a 6.5 metre frontage has extensive views of Sydney Harbour.
Requests by Property Observer for the price guidance provided to buyers were not met prior to publication by the office of Dominic Perrottet, the Minister for Finance and Services.
The <a href="https://www.onthehouse.com.au/reports/property_profile/11919684/29_Lower_Fort_Street_DAWES_POINT_NSW_2000/" target="_blank">onthehouse website</a> gave a $1.89 million to $2.01 million estimate in May for tonight's 169 square metre offering.
The adjoining terrace - <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-millers+point-105847297" target="_blank">on 147 square metres - sold as leasehold in 2009 at $1.025 million</a>.
It followed last week’s sale of a property for $1.91 million on Kent Street (pictured top above) with Walsh Bay water views at well over price guidance.
The first offer was on a 109 square metre holding.
“All proceeds from sales will go straight back into maintenance and building contemporary social housing that is so urgently needed," the Minister for Family and Community Services, Gabrielle Upton said.
There are currently three other properties on the market as part of the Government’s first tranche of freehold sales in the Millers Point precinct. 
"The real estate agent had more than 200 prospective buyers inspected the premises with more than 60 pre-auction contracts issued.
The initial sales in Millers Point are setting the freehold market, as the prior sales campaign begun by the Labor government in 2009 offered property on 99 year leaseholds.
<a id="photoLink" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/nsw/sale-residential/29-lower-fort-street-millers-point-sydney/14140337912311?lid=169173927&amp;pid=1403379123"><img class="photo" src="https://ee76d6753238c242b807-86a86923a0d3a601a8260e746ceafc0b.r51.cf4.rackcdn.com/ahda/property/photo/2014/07/21/eca61d4c05956cf0b106f641ad873b61_l.jpg" alt="" title=""></a>
Protesters to the relocation of housing department tenants again <a href="https://www.facebook.com/millerspointsaveourhomes/photos/pcb.905537062794191/905536632794234/?type=1&amp;theater" target="_blank">were refused admittance to the auction</a>.
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The second Millers Point offering fetches $2.56 million for state government housing

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The weekend offering in Majorca House on the corner of Flinders Lane and Degraves Street in the Melbourne CBD fetched $750,000.
The 1928 fifth-level apartment now sits among the coffee and cafe-filled laneways.
It last sold for $315,000 in 2003.
The floorplan allows either for two bedrooms or a huge living-dining room.
It was offered<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-melbourne-117552031" target="_blank"> through Melbourne Boutique Property agents Gina Donazzan and Mark Connellan</a> whose price guidance for 504/258 Flinders Lane was $600,000 plus.
The building was designed by art deco architect Harry Norris.
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Majorca House, Flinders Lane Melbourne apartment sells

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Pineleigh, one of Goulburn's finest homes, has been bought by Pru Goward, the NSW state planning minister.
It is an 1873 two storey Victorian residence marketed as being "imbued with a sense of effortless grace and style".
It is set on three acres of sweeping lawns and established gardens.
The four bedroom house comes with an alfresco pool area. The interiors are dressed with fireplaces, high patterned ceilings and delightful timber windows.
Century 21 Town and Country agent Justin Gay secured the delayed settlement sale late last year with settlement recently indicating the $1.15 million sale price for the 8,939 square metre property.
The historic Pineleigh was sold by hotelier Peter Griffiths which bought the larger 1.5 hectare property for $1.12 million in 2006.
The house was built for blacksmith Henry Monkley. The Sisters of St Joseph acquired the property in 1929 for a novitiate and used it until it became a private residence again in 1970.
 
 
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Pru Goward's Goulburn trophy home purchase

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<div class="detailText">An analysis of auction offerings across Sydney on the weekend indicated that there was an 18% gap between the price guidance and the eventual sale price.</div>
<div class="detailText"> </div>
<div class="detailText">The 12 sales ranged from two results which were 8% over the price guide to three sales that fetched 30% or higher than the initial price guidance.</div>
<div class="detailText"> </div>
<div class="detailText">During the prior weekend the Property Observer analysis <a href="/expert-insights/buying/buyers-needed-to-add-11-to-weekend-sydney-pre-auction-price-guidance">reflected an 11% gap</a>, and then in <a href="/expert-insights/buying/paying-18-over-auction-estimates-sydneys-pre-spring-price-spurt">early August there was an 18% gap</a>.</div>
<div class="detailText">
 <table border="1" cellpadding="0">
<thead><tr>
<td width="171">
Address
</td>
<td width="111">
Suburb
</td>
<td width="92">
State
</td>
<td width="456">
Price Guide
</td>
</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-middle-cove-nsw-2068/232130" target="_blank">193 Eastern Valley Way</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
MIDDLE COVE
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $1,050,000 SOLD $1.277m
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-cammeray-nsw-2062/229948" target="_blank">11/24 Moodie Street</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
CAMMERAY
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $480,000 SOLD $540,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-engadine-nsw-2233/232274" target="_blank">3 Stephen Road</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
ENGADINE
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $700,000 SOLD $760,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-guildford-nsw-2161/232557" target="_blank">12 Hawksview Street</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
GUILDFORD
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $570,000 SOLD $743,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023/228664" target="_blank">6/51 Birriga Road</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
BELLEVUE HILL
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $600,000 SOLD $660,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-woollahra-nsw-2025/233883" target="_blank">3/281A Edgecliff Road</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
WOOLLAHRA
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $725,000 SOLD $823,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-cremorne-point-nsw-2090/174693" target="_blank">7/58 Kareela Road</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
CREMORNE POINT
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $780,000 SOLD $955,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-oatley-nsw-2223/232871" target="_blank">97 Letitia Street</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
OATLEY
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $1,250,000 SOLD $1.66m
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-neutral-bay-nsw-2089/235383" target="_blank">8/25 Harriette Street</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
NEUTRAL BAY
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $700,000 SOLD $825,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-south-hurstville-nsw-2221/234589" target="_blank">4 Halstead Street</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
SOUTH HURSTVILLE
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $850,000 SOLD $920,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-manly-vale-nsw-2093/227076" target="_blank">24 Campbell Parade</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
MANLY VALE
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $1,055,000 SOLD $1.387m
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="171">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-mccarrs-creek-nsw-2015/222854" target="_blank">8 &amp; 10 Douglass Estate</a>
</td>
<td width="111">
MCCARRS CREEK
</td>
<td width="92">
NSW
</td>
<td width="456">
Over $925,000 SOLD $1.01m
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
There was an initial Sydney weekend clearance rate of 83% from the 320 auctions reported to Domain Group's Australian Property Monitors.
There are another 120 results yet to be reported given the total of 440 auctions.
Cooley Auctions saw its highest clearance rate ever for 58 auctions when 55 auctions sold, however auctioneer Damien Cooley noted that 27 auctions sold prior.
"What’s pushing vendors to sell prior is that buyers are making strong offers before auction day," he said.
"Buyers are aware of the high clearance rates and lack of stock and are making such offers based on a fear of missing out.
"Another contributor is fear of competition. Buyers are looking for ways out of auction day to avoid competition and paying more than they’re comfortable with," Damien Cooley said.
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Damien Cooley, the auctioneer said the market is incredibly strong at the moment and vendors who are looking to sell should get their property on the market as soon as possible. With less stock on the market, buyers have less choice and this is fuelling increased competition.”
</div>
</div>
</div>
Sotheby's sold the weekend's highest sale when a five-bedroom house on 697 square-metres at 73 O'Sullivan Road, Rose Bay fetched $4.39 million through Michael Pallier at Sotheby's. It previously traded at $3,075,000 in 2007.
The Rose Bay property briefly had high price hopes which were revised down to $4.5 million.
It was available for rent at $3500 a week in 2012.
</div>
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Gap above Sydney auction price guidance rebounds to 18%

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Longueville has a new record price after the riverfront home of Matilda Cruises founder Tim Lloyd sold pre-auction for around $7.6 million.
The 1,182 square metre property <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-longueville-nsw-2066/226833/?searchID=42076578" target="_blank">had initial $6.5 million-plus price guidance</a>. It boasts a private beach, boatshed and slipway on the Lane Cove River.
The previous suburb high was $7.4 million for a Poole Street 3,604 square metre riverfront reserve holding in 2005.
Longueville's non-waterfront record also hit a new high recently when another Chinese buyer bought on Arabella Street for around $7.25 million.
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Chinese buyers set Longueville records on and off the riverfront

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The UK-based economist Jeremy Lawson, a former senior economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia, has warned that Australian housing prices are as much as 30% above fair value, The Australian Financial Review reported today.
Lawson, the senior international economist at Standard Life, repeated the much uttered concern that the high debt-to-income ratio leaves households much more vulnerable to income and interest rate shocks.
His biggest fear for the Australian economy is a sharp slow-down in Chinese growth.
“[It is] reasonable to assume that future house prices will grow in line with real household ­disposable income as the commodity boom unwinds,” he told the AFR economics columnist Chris Joye.
“That would imply overvaluation of between 20% and 30%,” he said.
Mr Lawson said the high household debt-to-income ratio in Australia leaves the country exposed should there be another economic shock offshore.
Mr Lawson ­criticised fiscal policy settings, ­suggesting the RBA’s organisational ­culture was insular and said there was a bias towards big banks in the financial system inquiry panel and argued low interest rates are pushing house prices out-of-line with fundamentals.
“Overall financial conditions have probably been too loose and that has undermined longer-run financial ­stability,” he said.
“Part of the problem is that rates are being relied on to do too much work.
"Given the risks, I would like to see the RBA and APRA make much more active use of ­macro-prudential instruments.
"That way you can have both low rates to support the overall economy while maintaining tighter credit conditions for riskier sectors.”
The RBA has repeatedly suggested there are no signs of a price bubble as annual housing credit growth of over 6% is not a concern.
Lawson told Joye it was dangerous for the RBA to focus too much on the credit growth rate rather than the amount of credit.
Housing credit growth is more than twice wages growth and has pushed the household debt-to-income ratio to over 150%.
Jeremy Lawson interrupted his time at the RBA between 2001 and 2008 with a year advising Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2007.
Late last year Lawson suggested that if house prices nationwide were to jump by another, 10% during 2014, and underlying inflation remains around the middle of the RBA's target band, the central bank could face some uncomfortable choices.
His suggestion was the RBA conjunction with the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA), could deploy macro-prudential tools such as lowering maximum loan-to-valuation ratios on mortgages.
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Australian housing prices up to 30% overvalued: Standard Life economist

"For me, it's the location." That was the first thing Chris pointed to when reflecting on why he and his wife Marita decided to purchase at Candela Ivanhoe, the under-construction new apartment development by Salter Brothers in the heart of the north-eastern M​elb​ourne​ suburb. ​

"We've lived here before… everything is here," Chris said.

"Our doctor is around the corner, there's dentists, pilates, everything we need, restaurants, fast food places, two train stations, Ivanhoe and Darebin, both in walking distance. You don't need anything else."

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X8K0Bozug7A?si=Puwc6vx_ZO0qQZF8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Just 10 kilometres from Melbo​urn​e's CBD, Ivanhoe combines direct city connectivity with the amenity of an established village community. Residents have access to highly regarded schools, expansive parklands, public transport, and a thriving retail and hospitality precinct centred around Upper Heidelberg Road, all within a neighbourhood that has retained its leafy character despite its proximity to the city.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/candela-ivanhoe-40-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe-vic-3079">Candela Ivanhoe</a> sits within the heart of this established landscape, positioned just moments from Ivanhoe Village and within walking distance of many of the suburb's most sought-after amenities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=364553]

From Candela, residents can access cafés, grocers, wine bars, restaurants and essential services on foot, while Ivanhoe Station and Darebin Station provide direct connectivity across Mel​bour​ne. The development is also surrounded by some of the suburb's best-known lifestyle destinations, including Pinkie, Laurent, Enni, Docasa and Woodfire Pizza e Cucina, alongside Ivanhoe Plaza, Woolworths, pharmacies and specialty retailers.

Green space is another defining feature of the suburb. Darebin Parklands, Ivanhoe Park, Nellie Ibbot Park and the Yarra River trail network provide extensive opportunities for recreation, while Ivanhoe Golf Course and Ivanhoe Tennis Club continue to underpin the area's long-established lifestyle appeal.

The suburb's education offering further strengthens demand. Ivanhoe Grammar School, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, Mary Immaculate Primary School and Ivanhoe Primary School have helped establish the area as one of Melbou​​rne's most sought-after schooling precincts, attracting families and downsizers alike who want to remain connected to the area.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357510]

While location was the priority for Marita and Chris, the project itself also needed to meet their expectations.

"Whilst location was paramount, I was also looking at design of the environment and Candela ticked every box," Marita said.

"We're just thrilled with our choice."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=336455]

Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/salter-brothers">Salter Brothers</a>, Candela Ivanhoe has been designed to complement its village setting, with an emphasis on generous floorplans, natural light and practical everyday living.

Residents will have access to a range of shared amenities, including a communal rooftop garden and dedicated residential lounge, complemented by a ground-floor café and lifestyle wellbeing centre, helping foster the sense of community already emerging among future owners.

That approach has resonated strongly with the market. More than 90 per cent of purchasers at Candela Ivanhoe are owner-occupiers, with buyers ranging from downsizers and second-home buyers to young families and first home buyers, creating a genuinely multi-generational community of grandparents, parents and children. It reflects a broader shift across Melbo​​urne's apartment market, where buyers are increasingly prioritising neighbourhood quality, lifestyle amenity and long-term liveability.

Currently under construction by Ironside, Candela Ivanhoe comprises 58 apartments. Candela Ivanhoe is scheduled for completion in the coming months, and residents can move in from September. One to four bedroom residences, prices from $649,000 and limited opportunities remaining.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=342]

Joel Robinson

Location and lifestyle drive demand at Candela Ivanhoe

As apartment buyers increasingly look beyond the four walls of their residence, the quality and depth of shared amenity has become a defining factor in how developments are designed and experienced, particularly in the high-rise, new apartment development space.

In Southbank, where high-density living continues to evolve, developers are placing greater emphasis on creating environments that support wellbeing, connection, and convenience as part of everyday life.

That approach sits at the heart of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">AURA</a>, the latest residential tower in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a>’s $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct. Rising 67 storeys above Hoff Boulevard, the 673-apartment development has been conceived around what OSK describes as a “vertical wellness ecosystem”, a layered collection of amenities that extends throughout the building rather than being confined to a single podium level.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=370263]

The amenity offering begins on the seventh level within the AURA Club, a dedicated resident hub focused on health, relaxation, and daily convenience. Here, residents will have access to an indoor swimming pool, cold plunge, spa, sauna, and steam room, alongside a fully equipped gym, reformer Pilates studio, and yoga room.

The wellness facilities are complemented by a range of spaces that acknowledge the changing ways people live and work. Work-from-home lounges and co-working areas sit alongside a library, music room, games room, cinema facilities, and open-air terrace spaces, providing residents with flexible environments that can adapt throughout the day.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367468]

Beyond the internal amenity, AURA introduces a series of Japanese-inspired gardens that form a quieter counterpoint to the tower’s social spaces.

Landscaped retreats feature curated outdoor dining, tranquil courtyard seating, fire pit, and a tea house pavilion. Rather than functioning as simple recreational areas, the gardens have been designed as places for reflection and informal gathering, drawing on principles of balance, nature, and calm that underpin the project's broader design philosophy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367810]

The social amenity continues to evolve as residents move higher through the building. Levels 49 and 50 house the Meridian Club, where a lounge bar, conservatory spaces, and private dining rooms take advantage of elevated city views. At the summit of the tower, the exclusive Cumulus Club spans Levels 66 and 67, offering additional lounges, private dining, and meditation and treatment rooms positioned above Melbourne’s skyline.

For OSK Property, the extensive amenity offering reflects a broader focus on wellbeing as a core component of apartment living rather than an added feature.

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after Southbank,” says OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367796]

AURA’s amenity strategy extends beyond the tower itself through its integration with the wider Melbourne Square precinct.

Residents will have direct access to Kennedy Park, Southbank’s 3,745 sqm landscaped public park, alongside a full-line Woolworths supermarket, childcare centre, hospitality venues, and approximately 1,600 sqm of additional retail planned within AURA’s lower levels. Together, these elements create a highly connected residential environment where daily needs, recreation, and wellness are woven into the fabric of the community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=370253]

As Melbourne’s apartment market continues to mature, developments are increasingly judged by the lifestyle they provide beyond individual residences.

Through its combination of wellness facilities, landscaped retreats, social clubs, and precinct-wide amenity, AURA represents a shift toward a more comprehensive model of vertical living, one where shared spaces play as significant a role as the homes themselves.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

AURA elevates amenity living at Melbourne Square

Builder-developer Scion is the latest to target Sydney's booming Hills Showground Metro precinct, filing plans for more than 100 apartments within walking distance of the station.

Scion has lodged a concurrent rezoning and State Significant Development Application for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/27-33-middleton-avenue-castle-hill-nsw-2154">27–33 Middleton Avenue</a>, where it plans to replace four existing homes with an 11 and 14-storey mixed-use development comprising 109 apartments, six affordable housing dwellings, and a ground-floor café.

Designed by BHK Architects, the proposal includes three levels of basement parking with 174 spaces, more than 1,200 sqm of communal open space, and extensive landscaping across the 3,791 sqm site.

The development has been designed as two buildings connected by a recessed wintergarden spine, with the 14-storey building positioned to the south and the 11-storey building to the north.

<img alt="Scion" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="64dc359d-736b-43b8-87a8-70a8285cab47" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-25%20at%208.47.01%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=PXh.m8id_aevBPHEckPf88wQ2RQThPos" />

The apartment mix has been weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 13 one-bedroom apartments, 55 two-bedroom residences, 31 three-bedroom apartments, six three-bedroom lofts, and four four-bedroom homes. Six apartments will be dedicated as affordable housing in line with the NSW Housing SEPP.

According to the Architectural Design Report by BKH, the proposal seeks to create "a place-responsive architecture" inspired by the natural landscape surrounding Cattai Creek, while strengthening the public domain through landscaping, active frontages and a neighbourhood café.

Atlas Urban, in its Urban Design Report, says the proposal takes a different approach to increasing density around Hills Showground Station by favouring a more slender, vertically articulated built form over a conventional mid-rise outcome. The report argues this allows for greater deep soil planting, improved solar access and a better public domain outcome, while still delivering additional housing close to rapid public transport.

The site sits around 500 metres from Hills Showground Metro Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant residential intensification following the opening of the Sydney Metro Northwest line. Planning documents accompanying the application note that Greater Sydney's population has grown by more than one million people since planning for the precinct first began, reinforcing the need to accelerate housing delivery around existing transport infrastructure.

Scion is expanding its development pipeline which also includes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/chatham-west-ryde-2-6-chatham-road-west-ryde-nsw-2114">Chatham in West Ryde</a>, 62 apartments which are approaching completion. They also have a State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/96-anzac-avenue-west-ryde-nsw-2114">145 apartments on Anzac Avenue</a>, also in West Ryde.

First look: Scion plots Castle Hill apartment development near Hills Showground Metro Station

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>&nbsp;has unveiled its scaled-back plans for a pair of towers rising up to 49 storeys directly opposite Bella Vista Metro Station.

The builder-developer will deliver 674 apartments and a new mixed-use hub at the gateway to the station precinct.

The State Significant Development Application has been lodged under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway for the 6,979 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/9-11-mawson-avenue-bella-vista-nsw-2153">9-11 Mawson Avenue</a>, with the apartments sitting above a mixed-use podium. Initial plans were for closer to 900 apartments across two 40-storey towers.

Located around 30 metres from the Bella Vista Metro Station entrance, the development is intended to act as a catalyst for the long-planned Bella Vista Station Precinct, transforming a vacant site into a transit-oriented residential and commercial destination.

Planning documents describe the project as delivering "a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21c08216-589e-490d-ad08-2d88b6fa62d9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20podium.png?VersionId=3TnwjjQCNwTsmyQRaWnFrLTSAF0CJeka" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/turner-studio">Turner</a>, with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, the project comprises 674 apartments, including 102 affordable housing dwellings representing 15 per cent of the residential floor space. The housing mix spans studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside a collection of townhouse-style residences integrated into the podium levels. The development also includes specialist disability accommodation and an elevated provision of adaptable and liveable housing.

The mixed-use podium has been designed to create an active urban centre around the Metro station, incorporating a 1,423 sqm supermarket, a 3,029 sqm gym, specialty retail spaces, a 100-place childcare centre and a publicly accessible "city room" community space. A secondary laneway, active frontages and landscaped public areas are intended to improve pedestrian connectivity through the site and strengthen links between the station precinct and surrounding neighbourhood.

In the project's design report, Turner said the proposal responds to Bella Vista's emerging role as a higher-density centre within Sydney's north-west growth corridor.

"The project transforms a strategically located site into a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting," the report states.

"Active frontages, a publicly accessible city room, a secondary laneway and a mix of uses including a local supermarket, child care centre and gym create a more complete and socially useful urban environment for residents, workers and the wider community."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0fde6220-82de-4f6a-9b63-d0fd8157acc9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20da.png?VersionId=7hEmuSutH8plTd_RqqdmPu055F6qe554" />

Urban Property Group has been one of the busiest developers across Greater Sydney this year.

The developer is progressing around 1,000 apartments across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-urban-property-group-plans-next-major-wollongong-tower">two projects in Wollongong</a>, with several thousand more homes in the pipeline across Newcastle, Castle Hill, Little Bay and Penrith.

First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station

Burwood's southern town centre precinct is set for another major injection of housing, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/holdmark-property-group">Holdmark</a> unveiling plans for three mixed-use towers containing 900 apartments above new retail and commercial space.

The State Significant Development Application covers a consolidated 10,265 sqm site at 36-46 George Street and 16-26 Elsie Street, immediately south of Burwood's commercial core and within walking distance of Burwood Station, Westfield and Burwood Park.

The proposal comprises <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/36-46-elsie-street-burwood-nsw-2134">three mixed-use towers</a> ranging between 32 and 43 storeys.

<img alt="First look: Holdmark unveils 900-home mixed-use precinct for Burwood town centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="84b90b18-a54c-426d-885b-6f205bc2b883" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/burwood%20da1.png?VersionId=cJrb7Snn7qNpRzgXBOXK13PKF2CK021Z" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studiosc">Studio.SC</a>, the scheme is positioned as a significant extension of Burwood's evolving high-density centre. The project would be delivered across two interconnected development parcels, replacing existing commercial buildings and creating a new pedestrian-focused precinct linking George Street, John Street, Elsie Street and Railway Crescent.&nbsp;

The design report describes the proposal as "a contemporary response to this evolving urban condition," adding that it seeks to "reinforce George Street's role as a human-scaled, active street while contributing to the broader rhythm and grain of the town centre."

The development features a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses, with activated ground-floor frontages intended to strengthen pedestrian connections between Burwood Station, Burwood Place, Westfield and the wider town centre.&nbsp;

The proposal also incorporates extensive communal facilities, landscaped open space and new through-site links designed to encourage public movement across the precinct.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: Holdmark unveils 900-home mixed-use precinct for Burwood town centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="89a6bccc-b78b-4a97-a49f-cac1761f34b6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/burwood%20podium%20a.png?VersionId=6HBYg_pKxAc3yCND_wDKZmfMfzfneHmz" />

Studio.SC said the project draws inspiration from Burwood Park and the area's mature tree canopy, with "warm, earthy tones and robust materials such as brick and sculpted concrete" used to anchor the buildings within their urban context.

The scale of the proposal reflects Burwood's growing role as one of Sydney's key metropolitan centres. Planning documents note the suburb's strong population growth, high apartment living rates and increasing transport accessibility, particularly with the future Burwood North Metro station expected to further strengthen the area's connectivity. The development is designed to capitalise on those transport links while introducing a substantial amount of new housing stock into the town centre.

Burwood is expected to see a development boom, with the NSW Government rezoning the Burwood North Metro Precinct, a move expected to deliver around 15,000 new homes surrounding the new station.

Earlier this month, Nascon lodged plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-nascon-targets-burwood-growth-corridor-with-112-unit-apartment-tower">100-apartment development on the edge of the town centre</a>.

Holdmark's broader portfolio includes plans for nearly 800 new homes at Macquarie Park, currently before the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority. The developer is also behind a significant portion of the Melrose Park masterplanned redevelopment, as well as the former Caddens Corner drive-in site, where around 500 homes are planned.

Jonathan Chancellor

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