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A Georgian-inspired Toorak mansion on a 1,178 square metre block sold for $6.01 million was the weekend's highest sale in Victoria.
It was listed through Tim Derham and Jock Langley of Abercromby’s Real Estate, inconjuction with Australian Professionals Property Service, with three bidders competing at the auction. 
The initial price guidance was given as $4.5 million plus. The opening bid was $4.8 million, with the formal on the market announcement made at $5.25 million.
It offered the potential for multi-unit development subject to council approval sitting within City of Stonnington’s draft general residential zone, which allows for medium density development of up to three stories.
The five bedroom home sat at the rear of a L-shaped block at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/42-washington-street-toorak/Property-Details-buy-residential-7161159" target="_blank">42 Washington Street, Toorak</a> which last sold in 1976 at $212,000.
Melbourne recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 72% according to the REIV.
THE TOP 5 HOUSES
42 Washington Street, Toorak $6,010,000 
2. 13 Oxford Street, Malvern $4,225,000 
3. 9 Brynmawr Road, Camberwell $2,815,000 
4. 15 Raven Street, Kew $2,810,000 
5. 57 Athelstan Road, Camberwell $2,350,000 
CHEAPEST 5 HOUSES 
1. 127 Eighth Avenue, Rosebud $241,000 
2. 46 Booth Crescent, Dandenong North $310,000 
3. 32 Bellbird Avenue, Launching Place $310,000 
4. 5 Parkstone View, Craigieburn $340,000 
5. 17 Millstream Pass, Craigieburn $345,000 
Source: REIV
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Toorak home with medium density potential fetches $6.01 million

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Furniture maker Nicholas Dattner did not sell his redundant 1862 Collingwood kiln warehouse apartment at its weekend auction.
It was passed in at $1.35 million.
It was fitted out in 1999, with copper fronted kitchen benches after it was bought for $280,000. 
The three bedroom 16/26 Wellington Street apartment had been tipped to fetched $1.35 million to $1.45 million at its<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-collingwood-115320547" target="_blank"> hockingstuart auction</a>.
Dattner thought about selling in 2007 but wanted $1.7 million for the apartment which was part of the sprawling former Carlton United Breweries operation that stretched from Victoria Parade to Gipps Street.
The brewery stopped work in the early 1990s.
Dattner long maintained a property at Chewton, near Castlemaine, then buying 60 hectares nearby, at Harcourt where he built an ultra-modern place inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
It has been leased for the past six years given his move to the Castlemaine district.
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Nicholas Dattner's Collingwood warehouse passed in

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Toorak is never short of a captivating property drama.

<a href="/news/chinese-tycoons-heritage-edwardian-toorak-villa-demolition-plans-thwarted">The latest involves the future of the 1913 Edwardian residence, Idylwilde</a> at 16 St Georges Road.

But just across the road at 29/31 St Georges Road is another fascinating story – one going back 23 years, to when the 7,246 square metre holding was bought by the Ausvest development company, then directed by King Kwok Yu and Man Kit Yu. Ausvest's past development projects include the eight-storey Kings apartment building on the corner of Toorak and Williams roads in 2000, on the former site of the Wesleyan Church.

Family member David Yu is the entrepreneur who first turned Toorak restaurant Lynch's into French bistro The Millswyn and whose restaurateurial son Davis then opened Claremont Tonic, Touche Hombre and Louie.

The Yu family bought the semi-complete French Renaissance-style mansion at 29-31 St Georges Road from the then Hoyts boss Leon Fink for $5 million in they depths of the 1991 downturn.

In 1992 there was a nine lot subdivision refusal for a Henshall Hansen-designed nine townhouse project. Not much has happened over the next 22 years, although Title Tattle notes an incomplete application was lodged earlier this month, but now awaits more details from Ausvest.

The last development application was in 2001 when Ausvest sought approval again to demolish the house to make way for a four-storey block with 37 apartments and 115 car spaces.

Since the $26 million application was rejected in 2001 by council, and then refused under appeal in 2003, the house has stood empty.

And Title Tattle suggests looking increasingly forlorn over the subsequent decade as Stonnington Council steadfastly opposes the over-intensification of the prestige site.

The two prior bulldozed houses were known as Cantala and Somerset.

It was then Hoyts chief Leon Fink, who consolidated the site in the late 1980s at a $6.4 million cost, then started the building that was described aiming to result in a $12 million, 19-room palace. But he sold before he could take occupancy.

The latest heritage drama involves 19 homes in the historic Toorak House precinct, so does actually include the properties at 29-31 St Georges Road in the proposed heritage overlay.

But Title Tattle notes the heritage preservation applies just to the front fencing, described as rustic stone walls, forming part of the extensive legacy of contributory original high masonry walls. 

Not the corrugated iron fencing (pictured above) that Title Tattle snapped on a recent early morning walk. 

<img alt="" src="/images/2014/06/19/3.jpg">

And lastly Title Tattle sees Toorak House, the church and community centre at nearby 21 St Georges Road, is currently seeking minor internal alterations by Coleman Architects. Mostly sprucing up the 1850s mansion that has been owned by the Swedish Church of Melbourne since 1956.

<h2>Melbourne properties selling now:</h2>

[smartcode_project:default project_id=3385]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=2439]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=3298]
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Demolition refusal, then 22 years neglect: another St Georges Road, Toorak property tale

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June is set to be another record-breaking month with auction numbers, according to the REIV.
The REIV has tabulated about 4,000 auctions for June which will comfortably pass the record of 3,329 auctions held in June 2010.
There was a weekend clearance rate of 71 per cent compared to 61 per cent June Queen's Birthday long weekend and 70 per cent on the same weekend last year.
The REIV is expecting about 870 auctions in 246 suburbs this weekend, June 21/22.
The top auction locations this week are Richmond (19 auctions), Glen Iris (13 auctions), Hawthorn (12 auctions) and Preston (11 auctions).
Auctions continue to become more popular in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. \
So far this year, 17 per cent of auctions in Melbourne were held in outer suburbs in locations such as Craigieburn, Wheelers Hill, and Parkdale. 
This compared to 14 per cent this time last year.
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/portal/search?rm=search&amp;mapsearch=0&amp;sub=Wheelers%20Hill%20VIC%203150%2C%20&amp;sur=bord&amp;bel=0&amp;beh=0&amp;bal=0&amp;bah=0&amp;sor=featured&amp;CID=0&amp;GID=0&amp;con=S&amp;ptr=r&amp;pal=0&amp;pah=0&amp;portalview=residential&amp;portalsection=buy&amp;journeyplanner=1&amp;jpdate=2014-06-21&amp;jpday=1&amp;bs=12&amp;prl=0&amp;prh=0" target="_blank">There are four Wheelers Hill auctions this weekend</a>.
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Outer Melbourne listings assist record June auction volume: REIV 

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The former Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has listed a Highgate Hill, Brisbane investment apartment for sale.
The three bedroom, two bathroom apartment in the Beaumont block has a $640,000 asking price through Ray White South Brisbane agent Luke Croft.
<a href="https://www.raywhite.com/qld/highgate-hill/1156004/" target="_blank">The 4/91 Dornoch Terrace apartment cost $609,000 in 2009</a> when bought by Anna Bligh with her husband Greg Withers.
<img src="/images/2014/06/19/image2.jpg" alt="">
It has 149 square metres space with two car spaces.
The large wraparound balcony has a north/east aspect as well as southern views over to the University of Queensland. 
<img src="/images/2014/06/19/image4.jpg" alt="">
It sits within the sought-after Brisbane State High catchment.
The apartment recently became available for rent at $520 a week, so reflecting a 4.2% rental yield if it sold at its asking price. It was previously available for rent at $480 a week in May 2011.
On its 2009 purchase the couple sought to obtain $530 a week tenants, but had to lower the asking rent to around $490 a week.
The couple retain two other Brisbane investment properties.
<img src="/images/2014/06/19/image3.jpg" alt="">
 
Their Brisbane house was sold following their move to Sydney where he took up a job in 2012 at Arts NSW.
<a href="/news/qld/anna-bligh-sells-her-highgate-hill-home">The Sydney-based former Queensland premier Anna Bligh and</a><a href="/news/qld/anna-bligh-sells-her-highgate-hill-home"> her husband, Greg Withers, secured $960,000</a> having bought the 1890 Highgate Hill home in 1997 for $290,000.
They rented in Sydney's Paddington.
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Anna Bligh lists Highgate Hill, Brisbane investment apartment

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Lawyer John Rollason and his wife, antique dealer Lilian Barclay, have emerged as the $7.45 million buyers of former Qantas chief Geoff Dixon's penthouse at The Rocks. 
The two-storey penthouse in the heritage 1912 Metcalfe Bond building sold <a href="/expert-insights/buying/regency-style-rockwall-house-potts-point-finally-sells">earlier this year</a> through McGrath agent James Dack.
It has quintessential Sydney postcard views across Campbells Cove to the Opera House and up towards the Harbour Bridge. 
The Tourism Australia chairman paid $7.75 million in 2010.
The Hickson Road apartment had previously traded at $10 million in 2007 when sold by the late McDonald's chief Charlie Bell, who was its first buyer, spending $8,525,000 in 2003 after its refurbishment by Nettleton Tribe Architects for Tjeerd la Grouw's Amstal Property Group.
<a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-the-rocks-nsw-2000/200372/?searchID=36252133" target="_blank">The three-bedroom penthouse</a> has a total area of 328 square metres.
Its body corporate administration fee is $8,892 a quarter, or $35,568 annually, plus a quarterly sinking fund at $1,824 ($7,296 annually).
Lilian Barclay recently sold their Potts Point landmark mansion, <a href="/news/miner-stephen-turner-mooted-rockwall-house-potts-point-trophy-home-buyer">Rockwall House</a> (pictured above) through Blacket and Glasgow's Peter Blacket for $10.175 million to Phi Phi (Qui) Turner, wife of mining executive, Stephen Turner.
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Tourism chief Geoff Dixon sells Rocks penthouse

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The RBA has decided to remove first home buyers data from its housing loan approvals chart while it is being reviewed by the provider.
Fairfax Media columnist Michael Pascoe first noted the RBA had intriguingly dropped first home figures from its <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/chart-pack/" target="_blank">June economic data chart pack</a>, suggesting perhaps as a consequence of rising concerns about the possible underestimating of first home buyer statistics.
<img src="/images/2014/06/11/fhb%20june%2011%20one.gif" alt="">
An RBA spokesperson advised Property Observer that the bank had decided to remove the data from the graph while it is being reviewed by the ABS provider.
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RBA awaits ABS first home buyer data 

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Swann House, the ornate 10 storey office block at 22 William Street, Melbourne, has been listed for sale.
Offers close 25 July with Klinger Wood agent Eugene Wood who says he is anticipating around $20 million for the uniquely styled building on the corner of William Street and Flinders Lane. 
Swann House has a gross building area of 7,000 square metres with a net building area of 5,700 square metres.
Its floor plates equal around 550 square metre.
The building is about 90% leased reflecting $1,328,000 net income, rising to $1,461,000 on a fully let basis.
The site area is 826 square metre with frontages of 34 metres to William Street and 24 metres to Flinders Lane, set one block and about 100 metres from Collins Street.
It is currently 14 commercial strata lots, including Private Media, publisher of Property Observer.
The building takes the form of a large but simplified modern commercial palazzo form with restrained Greek revival detailing.
The architectural historian, Robin Boyd described the completed building in the seminal text, Victoria Modern, as being `remarkably simple’.
The top two additional matching floors were added to the building in 1948-1949. 
It was built in 1921 as the headquarters of the newly constituted State Electricity Commission of Victoria which was created by an Act of Parliament with Sir John Monash as its chairman. 
The Commission undertook the development of brown coal deposits near Morwell, the construction of the first of a series of steam-powered generators and the high voltage power lines required to bring electricity to the city of Melbourne.
It was designed by AR La Gerche, who was architect to the Commission from 1920 until his retirement in 1938.
 In addition to the William Street Headquarters, La Gerche also designed the Yallourn township and the later now-demolished Electricity Commission buildings on Flinders Street.
It ranks among one of a small number of 20th century multi-storey government offices erected in the pre-World War Two era.
While the William Street building provided the usual clerical, administrative and engineering office areas, it was unique in also housing the central control room of the Commission's power production pool.
Data relating to generation and regulation was fed to the control room by land and radio lines and staff on duty would continuously regulate voltage, carry out system switching procedures, locate and rectify faults throughout the generating facilities, transmission lines, stations and substations that comprised the power production pool. 
Kliger Wood director Eugene Wood says the CBD market is bereft of quality investment grade opportunities with the upside offered by 22 William Street.
Last traded 24 years ago, Swann House holds a Capital City 1 zoning.
“From a development perspective the building lends itself to a potential hotel or as residential (STCA) which would have unencumbered views to the south towards the Yarra and the Southbank and Crown precinct."
He noted the neighbouring building below Swann House was the historic and significantly protected low rise, the Immigration Museum.
Melbourne's founder John Batman's house was on the Swann House site, which no doubt would headline the marketing for any residential or hotel redevelopment in the future.
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Swann House, Melbourne listed with hotel and residential conversion potential

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Sydney's skinniest harbourfront home has been sold.
It's a four level home on a postage stamp-sized building block on Sydney Harbour at Darling Point.
Once a right-of-way slipway for nearby flat owners, the Darling Point house (pictured above) dates to the early 1980s when built by the veteran property developer Bill Shipton.
Set on a small sandy beach between historic Carthona and Neidpath, the Carthona Avenue was listed by the Melbourne-based landscaper Jack Merlo.
The waterfront property which came with $7.5 million plus hopes mid-last year was relisted this year through Pillinger Real Estate, inconjuction with Sothebys International. It reputedly sold for around $6.5 million.
It is just 207 square metres. It has been available during Merlo's ownership at $3500 a week rental.
It is best known as the former home of Lady Susan Renouf, who sold it in 1997 for $2.9 million to Melbourne socialite Dianne Allen through the Double Bay agents Marcia Resch and Jane Ashton.
Merlo paid $6.15 million in 2009.
Before the Melbourne trio took hold of the bijou sur mer, the four-level property with a pool, had some colouful Sydney characters as past owners. 
In the late 1980s it lay dormant when owned by absentee investor, and nearby The Swifts' resident, Carl Spies - other than its use by skylarking rich squatters for weekend raves.
The waterfront - just over six metres wide - was then lavishly restored by stylist Barry Byrne under the patronage of landlady Dorothy Spry, who paid $2.4 million in 1989. 
Title Tattle recalls Lady Renouf's mark was making the sandy beach house function as a home. 
Her French-inspired home was her fifth NSW residence, the most famous being Point Piper's now long demolished, Toison d'or aka Paradis Sur Mer or Radford by oldtimers.
What is Sydney's probable second narrowest home remains listed for sale.
The house on the slither of land from the subdivided Paradis sur Mer estate is back for sale. 
The 260-square-metre parcel of land - the second smallest vacant block among Sydney Harbour's 2,400 waterfront sites - is about eight metres wide and about 34 metres deep.
It was last sold by the speculative property developers Gerald and Monica Symonds for $1.44 million in 1994 and bought by the neighbours who owned the hi-tech Bang &amp; Olufsen house, anxious that no further building take place on the site.
They built the narrow house that is <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-point+piper-116163487" target="_blank">currently up for sale through Sotheby's International agent James McCowan</a> (pictured below). It's listed with $15 million hopes. It was initially listed in 2010 with $13 million plus hopes by the Taechaubol family.
<img src="/images/2014/06/06/point-piper-june-6-two.jpg" alt="">
 
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Sydney Harbour's skinniest home sells

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Fitzroy North's Salvation Army barracks have been listed with $5 million hopes after an expensive residential makeover.
They were opened in 1884 by General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy+north-117265099" target="_blank">Set at 720 Brunswick Street with</a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy+north-117265099" target="_blank"> original facade</a>, it comes with three bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen and a family area on a mezzanine floor. There is also, oddly, an impressive 20,000 plus bottle capacity wine cellar that spans the entire width of the barracks which were built to house about 700 people. The wine room comes with commercial temperature control units at each end and in-floor lighting.
It's been listed through Sotheby’s International Realty. It was last sold in 1996 for $405,000 by the Salvaltion Army.
Listing agent Greg Herman says there was "huge potential for development" with the opportunity to "build multiple large townhouses that would retain the uniqueness of the historical architecture and all the wonderful features that this grand old building exudes (STCA)."
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Fitzroy North 1884 Salvation Army barracks residence listed

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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