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Glenn Davies, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney is set to become the church's eighth archbishop to reside in Bishopscourt, the neo-Gothic Darling Point trophy home, after the historic property failed to sell over the past year.
<a href="/news/bishopscourt-darling-point-for-sale-with-probable-25-million-plus-hopes">The landmark 6,210 square metre property was listed last September</a> after the church synod voted to seek buyers.
The decision was timed around Archbishop Peter Jensen's retirement.
The synod authorised a five-year window for the sale, so Archbishop Glenn Davies will presumably have Craig Pontey, of Ray White Double Bay, pop in periodically as he seeks to nudge his buyers closer to the $20 million level. 
The sale timetable window lasts until October 2017, but could be extended.
The Anglican Church has owned it since 1910, when its fifth archbishop John Wright moved into the sandstone trophy home. The new Anglican archbishop Glenn Davies, the 12th Anglican archbishop, has been based at his Chatswood home for about 12 years during his time as archbishop of North Sydney.
Our property contrarians Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok went head to head on its listing <a href="/expert-insights/investing/bishopscourt-the-anglican-church-s-1850s-trophy-sandstone-offering-he-said-she-said">last September after an inspection of the property</a>.
Discussing the merits of Bishopscourt, at 11 Greenoaks Avenue, as one of Sydney's most historic homes, Jonathan Chancellor said it wouldn't work well, and Margie gave a qualified yes, both signalling the difficult sales task ahead.
This week they were both righteously claiming the merits of their prior outlook.
HE SAID:<img src="/images/2014/03/28/jc-silhouette-7.jpg" style="float: right;">
The gothic sandstone home - especially the south-east facing wing - would just be too cold in winter. And the upkeep would be far too expensive - about $100,000 annually to keep the building in good repair.
The vast size of this mansion demands more cheques for a live-in housekeeper as well as several cleaning staff. The 6216 square metre grounds require a full-time gardener, as well as a gofer to do a daily sweep of leaves falling from the fig trees that line the gravel driveway and front garden. By the way overlooked by neighbouring blocks of flats. It would cost a bomb to renovate even if $2 million was spent recently on the chimneys and slate roofing.
It would also cost a motza to maintain the gorgeous leadlight-pane windows, let alone keep them clean - heaven knows how much the Moran family pay for window cleaning at their nearby historic mansion, The Swifts, which was previously owned by reclusive property investor, Carl Spies. I'd follow the approach of Spies who enjoyed a Howard Hughes-like reputation at The Swifts where he kept the front gates locked and the blinds drawn during his six-year ownership until 1992 when St George Bank took over as mortgagee-in-possession.
And let’s be honest, who needs a chapel in the house? So little wonder the market seems to have bought the expectations back a bit, seemingly to below $20 million.
This article continues on the next page.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
<img src="/images/2014/03/28/mb-silhouette-6.jpg" style="float: left;">
SHE SAID:
For starters any Bishopscourt buyer will best revert it to one of its earlier names, either Percyville or Greenoaks. It really does rank among a handful of pioneer homes to have survived from the 1850s to now. Flowered in sandstone Gothic extravagances, its dates back to the pioneer Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, who built an empire on wool, dairy, meat, mining and shipping. A mansion that displays extraordinary self-made wealth.
Of course, as Jonathan maintains mansions are the palaces and cathedrals of mortals desirous of emulating the enduring permanency of the church and state. This one is the Brideshead of Sydney and perfect for a modern-day family of Marchmain-esque wealth and devout religious sensibilities.
One of Sydney’s most palatial and historic mansions, this opulent sandstone residence is truly magnificent, especially the superbly proportioned formal rooms with intricately detailed ceilings - but the piece-de-résistance is the private chapel with its sandstone walls, elegant timber panelling and towering ceiling. An inspired designer, such as Thomas Hamel, could do wonders with the interiors of this palatial home and transform it for 21st centruy living.
Last traded 114 years ago for £6,750, the Bishopscourt estate presents a once in a generation opportunity to purchase a significant holding on Double Bay’s doorstep. The only other heritage eastern suburbs estate sold during recent times is Bellevue Hill’s Rona – it was snapped up for just $20 million in 2006 by property developer Terry Agnew, one’s of the shrewdest real estate players in Australia.
Nothing at Hunters Hill, the suburb famed for 19th century sandstone houses, holds a candle to Bishopscourt – and city commuting is much quicker from Darling Point than Hunters Hill. As far as privately owned historic mansions go, Bishopscourt is without peer in the eastern suburbs – apart from the Moran family’s The Swifts in Darling Point Road with its ballroom bigger than Government House.
I recall The Swifts came with the Tooth family's latin motto (Perseverantia Palman Obtinebit) cut into its façade which translated means "Perseverance yields the prize." And this is the prize that many have prayed for the opportunity to buy. The church contemplated selling it in 1963, 1982, 1991 2001, and most recently in 2010 when defeated in the synod by the narrowest of margins. Given John Schaeffer, a heritage mansion collector who sold Rona to Agnew, now directs his attention to towering harbourside apartments, there's at least one obvious contender out of the running for the Bishopscourt estate.
This heritage estate is unlikely to attract nouveau riche mining types with a penchant for glamour and glitz. I maintain they'd much prefer fake gothic architecture sans heritage authorities telling them what they can and can't do. This one is for property bluebloods …..who won't be rushed into the purchase. The Marchmains always took their time.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Unsold Bishopscourt, Darling Point gets eighth archbishop: He Said/She Said

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Veteran adman media buyer Harold Mitchell has listed his Sydney bolt hole, a $3.5 million plus apartment in The Astor.
<a href="https://davidnewgroshre.com.au/?property=apartment-903-904-the-astor-123-125-macquarie-st-sydney" target="_blank">The ninth floor Macquarie Street offering has been listed through David Newgrosh of David Newgrosh Real Estate</a> at $4 million.
Title Tattle recalls Mitchell gutted the then four bedroom apartment on its purchase around 14 years ago from Pamela Palmer of the Palmer stockbroking family.
The refurbishment into a much-draped two bedroom, three bathroom apartment took around a year.
It has harbour views.
The Astor is the 12-storey, 1920s company title block that once dominated not only the city skyline but Sydney society when Circular Quay was quaintly industrial and the Harbour Bridge yet to be built.
All of the apartments featured Jarrah timber flooring, high ceilings, large windows along with Queensland maple interiors by the controversial Francis de Groot.
<img src="/images/2014/08/01/the-astor-aug-1-two.jpg" alt=""> 
Despite being the city's oldest apartment complex - and facing serious competition from many nearby new developments – it continues to attract buyers, especially when a modernised Astor apartment comes with parking nearby.
Over the years the block of apartments has been home to a who's who of Sydney society including Lisa Rochfort, who was the managing director of Australian couture jewellers Fairfax &amp; Roberts, broadcaster John Laws and artist Portia Geach.
Completed in 1923, the Astor was the idea of entrepreneurs John and Cicely O'Brien.
The building was designed by architects Stuart Mould and Donald Esplin with a rooftop garden and basement restaurant.
Back then there were butlers and maids provided by the house manager.
<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=sTCTxDCKN9UC&amp;pg=PA46&amp;lpg=PA46&amp;dq=francis+de+groot+the+astor&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=xnYiPcY7en&amp;sig=kVX95dfC17MaBiXtx_mgklYZt2A&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=ZxjaU788lrvyBZ6UgMgM&amp;ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=francis%20de%20groot%20the%20astor&amp;f=false" target="_blank">Heiress Dame Eadith Walker, then Australia's wealthiest woman</a>, was one of original buyers.
"It was there for the landed gentry…of which I am not one," Mitchell told<a href="https://www.2gb.com/audioplayer/56091#.U9oXsFZK7u0" target="_blank"> 2GB's Money News host Ross Greenwood</a>.
Being company title, Mitchell was required to provide written referees before the building's board of directors accepted his shareholder application.
He told Ross Greenwood that his referees included Leo Schofield, Adrian Collette and Lachlan Murdoch. Quintessential Sydney, Title Tattle would suggest.
No connection to the current listing of the apartment for sale, but Mitchell fears being dragged before the board because last weekend he breached the no pets policy that the board oversees.
Heading off to the nearby Opera House for the evening's brilliant Don Giovanni, his barking two dogs were left behind in the apartment. 
"They never like it...they don't like Don Giovanni…so I left them home at The Astor. I didn't know, it's a no pets allowed building. I ran afoul. And I'm up before the committee."
"Oh the humiliation," he jested during his regular Thursday night conversation with 2GB's Greenwood.
Not quite as dramatic as the earth opening up and taking Don Giovanni to hell.
"I can't even go back to Sydney," the Melbourne-based showman suggested.
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Adman Harold Mitchell lists The Astor, Sydney apartment: Title Tattle

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The Sydney celebrity chef Manu Feildel has announced his South Yarra French bistro, Le Grand Cirque, is closing four months after opening.
Poor bookings, some ordinary reviews about the <a href="https://www.legrandcirque.com.au/assets/pdf/menu.pdf" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">menu</a>, along with family commitments appear contributing to the decision.
The Daly Street restaurant was a partnership between Feildel and landlord George Calombaris’s Made Establishment Group. They are judges on Channel Seven’s reality show, My Kitchen Rules
“Le Grand Cirque was a long held dream come true for me,” Feildel said in a statement.
“I want to thank all who have supported me in this venture, especially my mate George Calombaris and the other Made Establishment directors.”
The premises previously housed George Calombaris’ Greek/Italian Mama Baba, which also failed to secure sufficient clientele after two years operation.
The Made group owns the 21 Daly Street premises.
Feildel's Sydney restaurant, L'etoile, closed in January.
He also had a Spanish-inspired restaurant in Potts Point, Sydney with another ­celebrity chef, Miguel ­Maestre, called Aperitif, which closed late 2011.
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Manu Feildel and George Calombaris closing Le Grand Cirque

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The new Melbourne Markets warehouses have been sold for $77.4 million to the Sydney-based property investment and asset management company, Propertylink.
The markets are a huge infrastructure project led by the Victorian government involving the relocation of the fruit, vegetable and flower markets from Footscray to Epping in Melbourne’s North.
Initial facilities will be open in 2015, with the 15.6-hectare site to be fully developed over the next decade.
The purchase reflected an initial passing yield of 9.6%.
It involves five warehouses over 76,000 square metres with 41 tenants so far, with leases ranging from five to 10 years. 
The Melbourne Markets have been located at Footscray since 1969 and the relocation to Epping, 20 kilometres north of the CBD, is hoped to provide wholesalers and retailers with improved transport access.
It will almost triple the available warehouse space. 
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Melbourne Markets at Epping sold in $77 million deal

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Private treaty time on market blew out in Brisbane and Perth, according to the latest July figures from Australian Property Monitors.
It was an unusually volatile month.
Only Adelaide and the Gold Coast avoided the deterioration in time on market, but just by a one day improvement.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/apm-chart-onejuly-30.gif" alt="">
Source: APM Domain Group.
Canberra was the only capital where vendor's discounting improved during July. The Gold Coast also achieved its low discounting status at 6.6%, a level that hasn't been seen for many years.
All other localities required consistent or higher discounting by vendors to secure their sale. 
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/apm-chart-two-july-30.gif" alt="">
Source: APM Domain Group.
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Brisbane and Perth days on market blowout: APM

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Fear not, today is not the last chance to buy La Forêt Enchantee, the Margaret River, Western Australia property.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-margaret+river-117093403" target="_blank">The property has been marketed</a> as an exquisite 3.5 hectare forested estate, boasting Margaret River frontage complete with private helipad.
Established in 1995 behind heritage French iron gates, La Forêt Enchantee is an award winning accommodation location comprising two villas and a manager's residence at Burnside.
Channel 9's travel show <a href="https://getaway.ninemsn.com.au/fsaustraliawa/southcoast/16879/la-foret-enchantee" target="_blank">Getaway featured it in 2000</a> and again in <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/7685667/foodies-feast-on-our-delights/" target="_blank">2010</a>. 
Its entrance comes with Arc de Triomphe detailed in Venetian stucco. But that's not all as beyond this there's an Italianate balustrade staircase that sweeps through the forest, descending down into the river garden alongside bronze lions, replica statues from the Trevi Fountain in Italy, topiary and urns.
Even looks like there's a unicorn, though maybe it's a white horse.
"This prestigious property provides a lucrative opportunity for those seeking to operate a well-established accommodation brand either as a lifestyle business or as a larger, more commercial concern," the marketing by Travis Coleman at Acton Consolidated North Real Estate says.
"The gardens inspire an enchanting landscape for romantic engagements and fairy tale weddings as well as absolute peace and privacy for the discerning client in search of a secluded and extremely well located, residential address."
But be aware:
"This rare and highly coveted address is listed for sale by expressions of interest for a limited period and will be withdrawn from the market on 31 July 2014."
Well not quite, as the ad now says:
"This rare and highly coveted address is listed for sale by expressions of interest for a limited period and will be withdrawn from the market on 31 August 2014."
Fee Menzies Stirton and Michael Whyte<a href="https://laforetenchantee.com.au" target="_blank"> have been there since 1991</a>.
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La Forêt Enchantee, the Margaret River, Western Australia retreat offering remains on the market

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The 1930s Wahroonga mansion, Rothiemay has been relisted for sale.
It is being <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Public/PropertyDetails.aspx?AdID=2011322835&amp;eb=761220&amp;utm_source=domain&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=ebrochure" target="_blank">offered by Chadwick Turramurra agents Scott Chadwick and Jane Colyer</a> for 23 August auction.
More than $8 million had been tipped on prior sale attempts, with the current estimate given as $6 million.
Rothiemay at Wahroonga was once home of Field pastoral empire. The inter-war Georgian revival home, with art deco touches, was designed by F Glynn Gilling for Herbert Field Jr and his wife, Patricia Macken, in 1939.
It was built on the foundations of an even larger nineteenth-century mansion, a 1906 John Reid-designed manse.
The seven-bedroom, six-bathroom two-storey home sits on an 8600 square metre Fox Valley Road holding. 
The property is the only site that retains a lot boundary from the initial subdivision of Brown’s estate. 
The late Victorian subdivision by the Brown family was carried out in 1896. In 1854 John Brown, a timber merchant, had purchased a large portion of the land granted to Thomas Hyndes in 1838 that saddled Fox Valley Road. Brown progressively cleared the land and planted the area with orchards.  
Its owner, Jim Neale, a property developer has been there until recently, having bought it in 1987 when it cost $2.2 million.
The house was briefly listed for sale in 2012 and again earlier this year. Rubbish from inside the house and garage filled a 20 cubic skip bin in recent weeks.
Jim Neale, a property developer, is the fourth occupant.
Surgeon Sir Alexander MacCormick bought it from the Field family, and he sold the home to Judge Christian Langworth.
Neale reckons a retirement village or nursing home should be built on the land, although no development application has been lodged or approved.
<a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/HeritageItemImage.aspx?ID=1880087#ad-image-0" target="_blank">Ku-ring-gai Council regards Rothiemay as a heritage item</a>, showing the house in its hey day.
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Rothiemay, Wahroonga trophy home for August auction

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Wingham Plaza Shopping Centre, on the NSW mid north coast, near Taree, has been sold for $10.8 million.
Peter Tyson and Jon Tyson of Savills Retail Sales secured the sale to an Australian-based Taiwanese investor.
Coles makes up close to 70 per cent of the centre's total income of the single-level neighbourhood shopping centre.
It included a freestanding Caltex fuel station. 
The complex was extensively redeveloped and extended in 2009 occupying a one hectare corner site at 113-123 Isabella Street bordering the main commercial precinct of Wingham.
It has a gross lettable floor area of approximately 4,366 square metre, grade level car parking for 137 vehicles.
The sale of Wingham Plaza is the latest in a number of shopping centre sales transacted by Savills on the NSW mid north coast, including the sale of Manning Mall sub-regional shopping centre in nearby Taree for $32.6 million in 2013.
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NSW mid north coast's Wingham Plaza sold for $10.8 million

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Raffles Assets Australia, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Raffles Education ­Corporation, has bought in Parramatta.
Their $29 million purchase which will assist the renaissance of the precinct, is a six-storey office building at 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street.
It sold vacant possession opposite Parramatta Train Station and the Westfield shopping centre through Arland Domingo and Peter Hanzis of Knight Frank.
It was last sold in late 2010 by Trinity Property at $28.3 million representing an initial yield of 9.15% when occupied by the NSW Office of Fair Trading on leases until May 2013, returning net income of $2,509,434 per annum.
Enterprise House was bought in 2010 by Action Office Pty Limited, of the Chandru Tolani property investment group, which paid $18 million in late 2012 for nearby 16-18 Wentworth Street property whose tenants included the Australian Vocational Learning Centre Pty Ltd.
Raffles Education Corporation is the largest private education group in Asia Pacific, according to its website.
The property will be redeveloped as a permanent campus for the company’s college in Sydney, the Raffles College of Design and Commerce – which currently operates out of leased premises.
The building with a net lettable area of 9,782 square metres has been occupied by the NSW Department of Fair Trading.
It has a land size of 2,049 square metres.
Photo courtesy of Google. 
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Raffles Education buys Enterprise House, Parramatta

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The property developer and investor Theo Onisforou has shown confidence in his Oxford Street, Paddington fashion precinct.
He had added a Glenmore Road corner terrace (pictured above) to his property portfolio.
Theo Onisforou is the founder of The Intersection, a vibrant shopping location at the junction of Glenmore Road and Oxford Street.
In 2011, the SMH fashion writer Georgina Safe wrote the intersection had blossomed into one of the country's premier destinations for local designers.
Onisforou says streets like Oxford Street, Paddington, King Street in Newtown, Campbell Parade at Bondi Beach and the Corso at Manly have the potential to benefit of having tourist traffic.
He suggests these streets benefit by having local, interstate and international tourists adding to their catchment market.
Visiting shopping celebrities have included Katy Perry and Reese Witherspoon.
He was inspired by Brompton Cross, an upmarket corner of Chelsea in London.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/paddington%20july%2030%20one.jpg" alt="">
He says his Paddington retail strip provides cafe lifestyle, people watching and shopping as "entertainment."
Shopping centres do not provide this outdoor feeling, Onisforou says. His anchor tenant is Jackie's Cafe surrounded by a strong suite of fashion outlets.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/paddington%20july%2030%20three.jpg" alt="">
List of tenants at  The Intersection, Paddington.
Onisforou's latest acquisition is being earmarked for cafe usage is on an expansive corner block at the corner of Glenmore Road and Hopewell Lane.
It is a four level terrace with 325 square metre space which sold through Bradfield Cleary this week zoned 3(c) business neighbourhood.
It will be the Intersection's 30th tenant.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/paddington-july-30-floor-plan.gif" alt="">
Floor plan for 18 – 18a Glenmore Road, Paddington.
Onisforou's first fashion tenant, Scanlan &amp; Theodore, opened at the corner of Glenmore Road in early 2004.
At one point Onisforou proposed a change in council control over the nearby street's hardest-hit retail tenancy area from Woollahra Council to Sydney Council.
The call has prompted a joint effort between the two especially in regard to car parking clearway desires by Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore and Woollahra Mayor Toni Zeltzer.
Moore has asked for the clearway to be removed completely in mayoral minute last Monday night.
The clearways operate from 6am to 10am in the westbound direction and 4pm to 7pm in the eastbound direction given bus lanes. 
City of Sydney Council also seeks to introduce a 40 kilometre an hour speed limit on the street.
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Theo Onisforou's The Intersection Paddington expands

Kew has long been regarded as one of Melbourne's premier residential suburbs. It's a location defined by its grand period homes, leafy streets and some of the city's most prestigious schools, yet it has often sat just outside the spotlight cast on neighbouring Hawthorn and Camberwell.

Increasingly, however, buyers are recognising that Kew offers much of what draws people to those suburbs, with a quieter residential setting, exceptional amenity and long-term owner-occupier appeal.

Within a few minutes' walk, residents can access Kew Junction, one of Melbourne's most established village centres. Cafés, bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, boutique retailers and everyday services are all on the doorstep, with local favourites including Centonove, Adeney Milk Bar Cafe, and Frank &amp; Harri creating the type of walkable lifestyle that has become increasingly difficult to find in Melbourne's inner east. Beyond the immediate neighbourhood, Glenferrie Road's renowned shopping and dining precinct in Hawthorn and the retail, dining and entertainment offerings of Camberwell Junction are both just a short drive or tram ride away.

The suburb is equally well connected. Tram routes 48 and 109 provide direct access to the CBD, while High Street and Cotham Road connect residents to the wider inner east.&nbsp;Nearby access to the Eastern Freeway also places the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne Airport within easy reach, adding another layer of convenience for weekend travel.&nbsp;It's a rare combination of connectivity and tranquillity, where quiet residential streets sit just moments from some of Melbourne's most established shopping and lifestyle precincts.

For families, Kew remains one of Melbourne's most tightly held addresses. Carey Baptist Grammar School, Xavier College, Methodist Ladies' College, Trinity Grammar, Ruyton Girls' School and Genazzano FCJ College are all nearby, while the Yarra River parklands, walking trails and sporting clubs provide another layer of lifestyle appeal.

It's within this established pocket that developer Ricdanic is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/wimba-ave-kew-9-11-wimba-avenue-kew-vic-3101">Wimba Ave</a>, a boutique collection of just 13 residences across two buildings named after its location on the tree-lined Wimba Avenue,&nbsp;within one of Kew's most prestigious pockets where homes have been known to sell up to and above $8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=354809]

The residences prioritise the space that buyers are increasingly searching for but struggling to find in established suburbs. Living areas extend beyond five metres in width, ceiling heights range from three to five metres, and apartments open onto private gardens averaging around 125 sqm. Selected residences also feature balconies of approximately 60 sqm, while premium inclusions include Miele appliances, double-glazed windows, EV readiness, fully electric systems and a 7.2 NatHERS energy rating.

Architect Chris Idle says opportunities to deliver homes of this scale within established suburbs have become increasingly uncommon.

"There are very few opportunities to do these kinds of developments in leafy, established suburbs," he says. "To get this level of amenity, natural light, and architectural freedom in such a setting is extremely rare."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=366267]

The architecture draws on Kew's established character through the use of handmade Krause bricks, while landscaping by John Patrick introduces 23 plant species, including nine native varieties, creating an environment which focuses just as much on nature as it does the building.

Construction on Wimba Ave is well underway by renowned high-end builder Sinjen, with completion expected in late 2027. Prices start from $2.22 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140755]

Joel Robinson

The enduring appeal of Kew's tree-lined streets and village lifestyle

"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]

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.

Jonathan Chancellor

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