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Blair Athol, on 5 Leslie Grove, Brighton, has been sold after its listing with $8 million hopes.
The Horne family paid $8 million in late 2009.
It had been listed with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.nickjohnstone.com.au/property/details/251" target="_blank">Nick Johnstone Real Estate</a>, with a tender process commencing after Easter.
"We have sold the Brighton landmark, Blair Athol for around $8 million - listed less than four weeks ago," the website advises.
Set on 3,372 square metres, with pool and tennis court, its a property steeped in history with gardens originally designed by Edna Walling.
Its previous owners include Craig Kimberley of Just Jeans fame who sold it to the Tabcorp and Southcorp chief executive officer Ross Wilson in 1994 for $2.95 million, soon after relocating to Melbourne from Adelaide.
Set in outstanding grounds of some 3358 square metres the garden - originally designed by Edna Walling - Blair Athol was marketed as combining classic spacious Victorian charm coupled with the right measures of modern functionality.
Its modern kitchen, complete with Aga stove, was designed by Sue Carr.
The main house features five large bedrooms including a grand main bedroom suite with sweeping views of Port Phillip Bay.  The original carriage house and stables have been extensively renovated with a large entertainment area and guest accommodation, including a spa, a sauna, two bathrooms and an impressive wet bar. The well-groomed grounds house a floodlit lawn tennis court and heated swimming pool.
Featured in Architectural Digest, Blair Athol comes with an extensive 3000-bottle below-ground wine cellar.
Brighton's priciest recent sale was <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/ricky-ponting-lists-burraneer-bay-home-as-he-heads-to-brighton/2013042360661" target="_blank">the $10 million reputedly paid by the former Australian cricket captain, Ricky Ponting who is selling in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney</a>.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Blair Athol, Brighton snappily sold after $8 million hopes listing

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The national RP Data auction clearance rate sat at 67.3% over the week ending Sunday May 5, up from 64.5% the previous week.
There were slightly fewer auctions held this week, down from 1,658 the previous week to 1,632 this week, the RP Data auction report noted.
But in Melbourne, Australia’s largest auction market, the clearance rate increased from 68.1% the previous week to 70.4% this week.
In Sydney, a similar trend was seen, with clearance rates up from 70.6% over the previous week to a strong 72.4% this week, ending May 5.
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The national result is across the combined capital cities.
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The results are preliminary, with ‘final’ auction clearance rates published each Thursday with RP Data estimating on average, that it collects between 80% and 85% of all auction results each week.
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Both Melbourne and Sydney surpass 70% weekly auction success rates: RP Data

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Running the auction clearance rate numbers overnight, Sydney has had its strongest auction weekend in three years, according to Australian Property Monitors.
The 78.1% clearance rate across Sydney on Saturday was the highest level since early 2010, the APM senior economist , Dr Andrew Wilson said.
He noted it was just below 2002-2003 boom levels.
"Sydney's stunning auction clearance rate of 78.1% today highest recorded for years and a clear signal that prices are continuing to rise," Dr Wilson tweeted.
Dr Wilson anticipated the clearance rate surge within the first few weeks of the 2013 auction season getting underway in February noting "the real impact of those historically low interest rates."
"Jet-fuelled low interest rates kicking in?" <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/DocAndrewWilson" target="_blank">Dr Wilson tweeted on the February 16 weekend</a>.
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Sydney's "stunning" 78% weekend auction clearance rate highest for 3 years: APM

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An unremarkable double-fronted brick veneer villa at Blackburn North was the one occupied for 18 months between 1967 and 1969 by a couple calling themselves Terry and Charmain Cook.
They were subsequently revealed as the notorious 1963 British train robber Ronald "Ronnie" Biggs and his wife, Charmain.
The $24 a week rented house (pictured below) was raided at 8pm on October 18, 1969 by police - the day after Biggs had fled following a news report that Biggs was working as a carpenter on the Tullamarine airport construction under the name of Furminger.
The house is not for sale and indeed hasn't been sold since 1994. It previously sold in 1984.  <a href="/news/great-train-robber-ronald-biggs-former-blackburn-north-melbourne-hideout-sold">But it did sell in 2014 fetching $805,000 at March auction</a>.
It was briefly advertised for sale through the Noel Jones agency in early 2011 as a "three bedroom family home with vitality plus immediate appeal commencing with the eye catching front garden setting. The separate dining room and kitchen-meals overlook the generous rear garden - without doubt a delightful play area for children to enjoy - on its attractive allotment measuring 585 square metres in a neighbourhood that always holds its popularity and value."
No mention was made of its status amid the annals of Australian crime folklore.
Over recent weeks its been top of mind among those who can recall the amazing 1969 events, as Title Tattle does. It follows the current Channel 7 mini-series, Mrs Biggs. Ronald Biggs's former wife, Charmain Brent, as she became known, assisted in the script of the British ITV production from her long-time Melbourne eastern suburbs home which she secured in the early 1970s.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/hibiscusmay3one.jpg" alt="hibiscusmay3one" width="470" height="308">
The Hibiscus Road house has been written about in the James Cockington books, Mondo Weirdo and History Happened Here.
In 1960 Ronnie Biggs married Charmian. The Great Train Robbery of August 8, 1963 secured some £2.6 million from a mail train. After being convicted and jailed, he escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in July 1965 by scaling the wall with a rope ladder. He fled to Paris, where he acquired new identity papers and underwent plastic surgery. 
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/biggsmay3one.jpg" alt="biggsmay3one" width="470" height="339">
 
Ronnie Biggs flew to Sydney, Australia on a BOAC flight under the name of a Terence Furminger on New Year's Day 1966. Charmain didn't come until June 1967, spending her first night in Darwin. The self-confessed green poms, with no idea, set out and drove from Darwin down to Tennant Creek, and then across through Cloncurry and Julia Creek. They settled in the Adelaide seaside suburb, Glenelg North.
In 1967 shortly after their third child was born, Biggs received an anonymous letter from Britain telling him that Interpol suspected that he was in Adelaide and that he should move. The South Australian 5KA radio announcer Maxwell Phillips had reportedly identified Biggs as Terry King, a boarding house proprietor from late 1966 to early 1967.
With jobs including working in set construction at Channel 9 Melbourne, Biggs and the family resided at Blackburn North, in Melbourne, Australia. The house, built by Monmia Developments within a Hooker Corporation land-subdivision estate, had been sold in 1964 and then rented out by its purchaser, a Richmond small goods distributor.
After his departure from Hibiscus Road, Biggs stayed at the $15 a night Alexander motel in Essendon for the first night. He then stayed at a cottage in Kalorama in the Dandenong Ranges which was raided in the week after his escape from the Victorian police. He'd fled it in the nick of time, just hours before the police raid, possibly because the local fire brigade had been testing its siren earlier that day which reportedly spooked Biggs.
After fleeing to Brazil via Panama in 1970, his wife and sons stayed behind in Australia. There was then the sad 1971 loss of their 10-year-old son Nicholas, who was killed in a car crash after the Biggs had departed Australia aboard the liner Oronsay in February 1970.
Ronald Biggs spent the next three decades of his life a fugitive in Rio De Janeiro, and became something of a media celebrity. In 2001 he voluntarily returned to the United Kingdom and spent several years in prison, where his health declined. In 2009 Biggs was released from prison. Charmain was reportedly the first person Biggs phoned after being released from jail.
Charmian flew to Britain from Australia in early 2012, just before filming began when she visited Ronnie who was ill, as although the couple had divorced in 1976 they remained on good terms.
Charmian appears in the background of one of the five episode mini-series scenes - in the public gallery of the Australian court when the lawyer is arguing for her to be released.
It's possibly her first appearance since her 2001 ABC Australian Story when she advised her wealth didn't stem from the robbery proceeds.
"I was paid $65,000 for the story but the tax man took $40,000 of it. <a href="https://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?locid='JUD/71ATC4195'" target="_blank">It's a case that's in all the law books now</a>. So I was left with enough money to buy this house which was $19,000 at the time," <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/austory/transcripts/s316009.htm" target="_blank">she said</a>.
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Flashback to the Blackburn North, Melbourne home of the great train robber Ronald Biggs and wife Charmain

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Sydney's weekend auction success rate hit 78.1%, according to the preliminary results from Australian Property Monitors.
And in Melbourne there were 627 auctions reported to the REIV today, with 447 selling and 180 being passed in, 112 of those on a vendor bid.  The Melbourne clearance rate of 71% compared to 69% last weekend and 57% this weekend last year.
There were 200 sales to APM amid the 256 reported results this weekend in Sydney.
The full Sydney tally will cover around 408 listings.
The 78% result is the highest Saturday night preliminary result this year.
Last weekend's revised result was 73% down slightly on the initial 74% result on the Saturday evening.
And on the prior weekend the 75.6% result was revised down to 73.6%.
The April 13 weekend was revised down from 73% to 69.6%.
Sydney’s weekend auction clearance rates have been remarkable for their consistency and strength so far this year, according to APM senior economist, Dr Andrew Wilson. There was a 60% success rate on the same weekend last year.
Dr Wilson said leading up to this weekend clearance rates have averaged 72% this year which is 15% higher than the 57% averaged over the same period a year ago and clearly the best start to a year since the strong market conditions of 2010.
Sydney's highest weekend sale was a five bedroom Tamarama duplex property sold through McGrath at $3 million to the downstairs owner. It had sold at $2.9 million in late 2010.
Maroubra in the eastern suburbs was the most active suburb in Sydney for auctions this weekend with 8 properties listed. Some four of the five reported Maroubra listings found buyers. The next busiest was Condell Park in Canterbury Bankstown with 7 auctions followed by Newtown and Merrylands each with 6 properties listed. All six of the reported Condell Park results were sold.
Melbourne's highest reported price this weekend was on Henham Street, Hawthorn East  at $2,645,000.
But there were higher unreported prestige Melbourne sales that Property Observer is aware of including Grace Street, Malvern and on Richardson Street, Albert Park.
Reservoir had the highest volume of auctions this weekend with 16 expected to be held. The results showed seven sales and six passed in at Reservoir. There were also 15 listings in Elwood and 14 in Kew.
A full auction round up on Monday on Property Observer.
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Sydney weekend auction success rate hits 78% and Melbourne heats up too: APM & REIV

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Victorian property owners falsely claiming to live in their holiday homes to avoid land tax bills could get caught by a state government audit.
About 27,000 home owners are expected to be contacted over a three-year period, the Treasurer Michael O'Brien told The Saturday Age ahead of Tuesday's state budget formal annoucement.
O'Brien wants a crackdown against tax dodging, with a new unit team within the State Revenue Office cross-checking information against rental tenancies and Tax Office figures.
The state collects about $1.6 billion a year in land tax.
The crackdown follows O'Brien's concerns that growing numbers of landlords are falsely claiming to live in investment properties and beach houses to avoid land tax.
The new squad, costing $10 million, is expected to net an extra $90 million over four years.
Mr O'Brien said it would improve revenues and equity. ''Every $1 of tax that is evaded is $1 more of tax that people who are doing the right thing have to pay,'' he told Fairfax Media.
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Holiday home numbers can be roughly deduced at census time as coastal towns have significantly higher vacancy rates than the Victorian average which sits at around 12%.
In the 2011 census 11 of Australia's 20 highest vacancy rates were located in Victoria. High vacancy rates were recorded in Portsea-Sorrento-Blairgowrie at 76% and Lorne-Anglesea was at 68%.
In the 2006 census the average vacancy rate for Victorian coastal towns was 42%, with 24 towns having vacancy rates above 50%.
High vacancy rates in 2006 were in Smiths Beach and Venus Bay with rates around 82%, followed by Lorne at around 72%.
 
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Land tax evasion audit of Victorian holiday home owners expected to secure $90 million

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The celebrity trainer Michelle Bridges from Channel Ten's The Biggest Loser and her business manager, and recently estranged husband, Bill Moore, have snapped up a Potts Point apartment on the cheap.
The three-bedroom, two bathroom Pomeroy apartment sold through the slimming Richardson &amp; Wrench Elizabeth Bay agent Jason Boon and his conjunctional agent Geoff Cox for $2.9 million recently.
It had previously sold at $3.2 million in early 2010 when the investment was offloaded by the interior designers Marco Meneguzzi and Michael Love.
The society designers had bought it off the plan for $2.4 million in 2004 from Garry Rothwell's Winten Group.
The street side apartment overlooking leafy views towards the CBD skyline as well as the boat-filled Rushcutters Bay from its two terraces was bought just before its scheduled February auction.
It was just before reports of their nine year marriage coming to an end.  Bridges and Moore secured it without any registered finance.
After her meteoric rise from fitness instructing at her nearby Nelson Bay High to becoming Australia's most respected fitness identity, their commercial empire involves Bridges' television show appearances along with her top selling books, including  Losing the Last 5 Kilos and the Crunch Time Cookbook.
The couple bought in Rozelle for $810,000 in 2006.
The apartment was marketed as New York inspired for contemporary low maintenance high quality living and entertaining.
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The Biggest Loser's Michelle Bridges wins big as Potts Point prestige prices shed kilograms

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James Fairfax, the philanthropic former chairman of the publishing company that bears his family name,  has listed his Woollahra retreat.
It's been his parkfront city residence in the prized Edward Street cul-de-sac since 1992.
<img height="312" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/woolahramay3one.jpg" alt="woolahramay3one">
The north-facing architectural gem with two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms was custom-fitted internally by the internationally acclaimed George Freedman in the mid-1990s.
It fills with northerly light and parkland views from its compact 234 square metre holding.
<img height="312" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/woolahramay3two.jpg" alt="woolahramay3two">
Much of its elegant scale arises from its indoor/outdoor lifestyle composition.
Its layout includes limestone floors and terraces that overlook peaceful Zen gardens.
<img height="311" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/woolahramay3three.jpg" alt="woolahramay3three">
The freestanding home has been marketed as a "unique private work-of-art with Bauhaus and oriental influences."
It has post-modernist cachet, the ads suggest.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/woollahramay3four.jpg" width="470" height="310" alt="woollahramay3four">
Offers are due May 31  through Michael Dunn and Robynne Arnouts at Richardson &amp; Wrench Double Bay in conjunction with Tim Pockley at Pockley &amp; Roderick.
They are quoting around $4 million.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/woollahramay3five.jpg" width="470" height="310" alt="woollahramay3five">
Featured in the architectural and design magazine, Monument, James Fairfax moved into the home after he sold Glanworth, his Darling Point harbourfront mansion to the Singaporean hotel magnate, Ho Whye Chung for $8.5 million in 1994.
The eldest son of the late median tycoon Sir Warwick Fairfax, James Fairfax was until the late 1980s a director and chairman of the now ailing Fairfax media empire.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/woollahramay3six.jpg" width="470" height="309" alt="woollahramay3six">
It is understood the philanthropic former newspaper man has listed the property just to reduce by one the many abodes he currently maintains.
He will retain the historic Retford Park in the NSW southern highlands, the Bilgola beachhouse, Ginahgulla, along with Stanbridge Mill at Dorset, England.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/trophy-homes/james-fairfax-plans-to-subdivide-then-gift-historic-retford-park/2013022859667">Some land is currently being sub-divided off Retford Park</a>, two of which go to auction<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rural/the-first-of-the-small-acreages-on-the-retford-park-bowral-estate-are-set-for-may-4-auction/2013042860776"> this weekend</a>.
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James Fairfax lists his George Freedman-fitted Woollahra retreat

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The Bang &amp; Olufsen house in Point Piper has been snapped up, so attention has now turned to the futuristic Apollo Gate, the Sutherland Shire's latest waterfront listing.
It's the one nicknamed the Cronulla spaceship house, a reputation that dates back to its completion in the 1970s with its Reuben Lane design.
It has changed hands just the once in the past four decades - at $185,000 in 1978 when sold by the Breen family who owned the Metropolitan Sand Company at Cronulla.
It was bought by Evan Cardiacos, who was in the rug and floor covering trade, until his 2008 death.
The six-bedroom house is expected to fetch around $3.5 million through McGrath agent Steve Day.
"Unquestionably the region's most iconic waterfront home, Apollo Gate is a unique architectural masterpiece with spectacular views over Port Hacking to Bundeena and Jibbon Beach," <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-cronulla-nsw-2230/178472/?searchID=28632096" target="_blank">Steve Day says</a>.
"It is set on a blue chip, double block with direct access to Salmon Haul Bay."
Lane's bold design was motivated by spiritual and architectural links to Mediterranean villages with whitewashed buildings clinging to the coastlines. 
It featured in NSW Builder magazine, the official journal of the Master Builders' Association, in May 1975 (pictured below). It was built by CH &amp; CR Ellis with spiralling western red cedar ceiling.
<img alt="cronullamay3one" src="/images/stories/2013/05/cronullamay3one.jpg" width="470" height="391">
<img alt="cronullamay3two" src="/images/stories/2013/05/cronullamay3two.jpg" width="470" height="323">
<img alt="cronullamay3three" src="/images/stories/2013/05/cronullamay3three.jpg" width="470" height="343">
Expressions of interest close May 18.
Reuben Lane, who died last year, was inspired by the work of his mentor Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of Brasilia.
Over his life, according to his 2012 SMH obituary, he also met other architectural giants including Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, aka Le Corbusier and Philip Johnson, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright who asked him "how does it feel to be upside down?".
He was the son of a plasterboard manufacturer of homes in Sydney's southern suburbs. "The smell of the buildings got me in," he said. "I loved the smell of timber and concrete. I wanted to be the person who designed these buildings," he once said.
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Suiting The Jetsons: Apollo Gate, the 1970s Cronulla spaceship house listing

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No-one's saying whether Altona's latest sale price is a Sydney record setter.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/trophy-homes/altona-point-piper-sells-for-possible-%2450-million/2013050160931" target="_blank">Its certainly been sold</a> and the vendors, the Miskin family were always holding out for a record $55 million.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept12altona]}
But no price has been revealed, and even through the buyer technically looks like a Melbourne Chinese family, it's possible they are merely fronting for another Chinese buying party. Even its local selling agent remains unknown.
"I wish I was," one agent, who was getting the credit, told Title Tattle after it was suggested she has secured the sale.
1) Point Piper's priciest sale sits with Villa Veneto, the five-storey Italianate villa sold by recruitment entrepreneur Andrew Banks and his wife, Andrea, in August 2010 to dentist David Penn and his wife, Linda.
It reportedly sold in August 2010 for the $52 million plus, <a href="https://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/property-shakes-off-winter-blues-with-52m-sale-20100901-14nn5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">details of which emerged in September 2010</a> through me, with its official settlement not available until its Valentine's Day 2011 settlement.
Villa Veneto's final payment appeared to Title Tattle as being a second instalment of $44 million which came within a labyrinth of sales paperwork dated December 2010.
Some have interpreted the $44 million as its total sale price, while others stick with the initial $52 million sale price which seemingly involved a sizable initial deposit option. Designed by the architect Michael Suttor, the six-bedroom house sits on a 1426 square metre block, set over five levels.
2) The next priciest sale was last month when the McWilliam family secured a reputed $34 million for the sale of the Point Piper harbourfront mansion - nicknamed the Bang &amp; Olufsen house. The three-level residence was built in the mid-1980s by Brian Johnson of Pennant Properties. Singer Elton John nicknamed the house the Bang and Olufsen house due to its distinctive tinted glass stereo speaker design spotting it while sailing Sydney Harbour.
3) Businessman Ben Tilley sold Craig-y-Mor, a neighbouring house on the non-waterfront side of Wolseley Road, for $32.4 million in 2008 to Jiang Mei, the wife of Zeng Wei, the son of Zeng Qinghong, a former influential vice-president of China. Its the highest priced Point Piper non-waterfront sale. Craig-y-mor had been the home of the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin. 
4) Gordon Fell set an Australian property record, shelling out $28.7 million in 2007 for Routala from the horse breeder Warwick Miller who had built the Wunulla Road house (pictured below) in 1999 after the 1200 sq m block was bought in 1997 for $8.35 million. Actor Hugh Jackman looked at Routala, as did Russell Crowe, who also inspected Altona in 2007.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/05/may2wunulla]}
5) The $28 million Altona sale in 2002 was a record price when the Miskin family bought the Wunulla Road house from socialite Fiona Handbury.
6) The smallgoods merchant Paul Lederer and wife, Eve, spent $26 million on Wolseley Road in 2008. The boss of Australia's largest supplier of smallgoods, Primo, bought the six-bedroom, seven-bathroom harbourside house from Patricia De Lorenzo, the widow of the hair-care tycoon Vincent De Lorenzo.
7) After 13 months on the market, the McWilliam family paid $24 million in late 2006  for the so-called Bang &amp; Olufsen house after which they removed some of the more 1980s-suited marble, glass mirrors and brasswork. It was bought from the Taechaubol family.
8) Villa De Mare (pictured below) was bought ought by Julia Ross for $21.5 million in 2004. It was bought from the entrepreneur Nati Stoliar, his wife Miki. Ross has recently withdrawn the vast limestone palazzo from sale. It stands on 1508 sq m of level land (one of the largest level blocks in the suburb) at the corner of Wolseley Road and Wentworth Street. Set high above the street, Villa del Mare was designed by Chris Norris for the Stoliar family who bulldozed an Espie Dods house on the $8 million Wolseley Road block in 1999. When the sandstone-clad mansion on the corner of Wentworth Street was completed, it was described by Domain property writer Margie Blok as ``the antithesis of understatement".  The wisteria-draped verandahs of the three-level mansion come with iconic views across the harbour to the city skyline, Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The property is across the road from the Villa Veneto harbourfront.
<img src="/images/stories/villadelmare.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/villadelmare2.jpg">
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Pricey Point Piper's 8 most expensive house sales: Title Tattle

ASX-listed developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a>&nbsp;is continuing its push back into the new apartment market, filing plans for a prominent gateway site between Collingwood and East Melbourne.

The development giant, which moved back into the new apartment space when it announced Stanton Place in Sydney's Rosebery and have since filed plans for a 50-storey tower, are jumping into the off the plan Melbourne market.

They are hoping to create a mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-victoria-parade-collingwood-vic-3066">79-81 Victoria Parade</a>, replacing an existing commercial building with a scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/john-wardle-architects">Wardle</a>&nbsp;for 478 apartments,&nbsp;ground-floor retail, new public open spaces and a publicly accessible pedestrian laneway.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="72dbbca9-3918-4073-afad-a0c0c35be8e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20pers.png?VersionId=bzMVUKKxvwuNK1m0v_td126Rgct32uk_" />

The design report identifies the public realm as a central driver of the proposal.

"Collingwood has limited access to high-quality parks and public open space, and the proposal delivers valuable new areas for respite, social interaction and fine-grain retail activity."

The development would deliver a diverse mix of housing, including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside townhouse-style residences. Two basement levels are proposed beneath the development, providing resident and retail parking as well as extensive bicycle facilities.

Wardle's design draws heavily on Collingwood's industrial character, using articulated building forms, brickwork and robust materials inspired by the suburb's warehouse and manufacturing heritage. The built form has been broken into a series of smaller volumes to better respond to the surrounding streetscape while extensive communal gardens, rooftop amenities and shared resident spaces are integrated throughout the project.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b2135ed-65df-4253-ad53-f216f06bd467" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20podium.png?VersionId=l1B6Hqn8zs772VxH6L1fDPg0KHshan9v" />

The planning documents describe the existing office building as offering little engagement with the public realm, with the redevelopment intended to create a more permeable and active neighbourhood destination.

"The proposed scheme presents a significant opportunity to deliver a vibrant retail plaza and a local neighbourhood hub serving both existing and future Collingwood residents."

The 79–81 Victoria Parade site occupies a strategic location about 1.5 kilometres east of Melbourne's CBD, at the threshold between Collingwood and East Melbourne. It is well served by tram services along Victoria Parade and sits within walking distance of St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy Gardens, the Fitzroy activity centre and a broad range of employment, retail and hospitality destinations.

Joel Robinson

Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site

An 1880s timber cottage that has survived Kangaroo Point's transformation from riverside suburb to high-density apartment precinct is set to become the centrepiece of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/zephyr">Zephyr Group</a>'s proposed Banksia development.

Rather than see the locally heritage-listed Alpha Cottage as an obstacle to navigate, plans integrate the landmark home into a new 18-storey residential tower, giving one of the suburb's oldest surviving residences a new role as the project's communal hub.

The development application covers a 1,177 sqm amalgamated site at 127-133 Lambert Street and 30 Shafston Avenue, where Zephyr Group plans to deliver 64 apartments above three basement levels. Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/joe-adsett-architects">Joe Adsett Architects</a>, the proposal carefully weaves the retained heritage cottage into a contemporary residential scheme, with the tower elevated above the historic building to preserve its presence within the Lambert Street streetscape.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9dc5bdb-d691-4c60-bf2b-c3ed405a3e75" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Banksia.png?VersionId=Jh4bjlewU.o8HXWt0V4KaFA_lPcF7KWM" />

Named after the native Australian Banksia flower, the project draws inspiration from its distinctive form through curved balconies, sculpted planter boxes and cascading subtropical landscaping that soften the building's profile.

As the design report explains: "The tower's identity is defined by its feature facade, drawing direct inspiration from the Banksia wildflower. The building departs from traditional rigidity through the use of elegant, GRC-moulded planter boxes that appear as if shaped by the breeze."

Plans propose 64 apartments, comprising 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom residences, across an 18-storey tower. Residents would have access to rooftop amenities including a swimming pool, spa, gym, sauna, private cinema, dining spaces and landscaped recreation areas, while more than half the site is dedicated to planting and open space.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16041b5f-033e-47fa-8fbe-9886e072c1f2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pool.png?VersionId=kpx5w4EbLx0_TdWfDoD1vrSs0_cZ5Ao1" />

The heritage component is the defining feature of the proposal. Constructed in the early 1880s and occupied from at least 1883, Alpha Cottage is recognised by Brisbane City Council as an important surviving example of Kangaroo Point's nineteenth-century residential development and as a representative transverse-gable timber cottage. Despite extensive redevelopment across the peninsula, the building has retained a high degree of its original form and internal fabric.

As part of the redevelopment, the cottage will be carefully relocated a short distance within its original allotment to facilitate construction before being returned to a prominent position along Lambert Street. Original verandah elements will be dismantled, catalogued and reinstated, while significant internal features, including timber flooring, wall linings, joinery, doors, windows and hardware, will be retained. Later additions, including the enclosed rear verandah, will be removed to better reveal the building's original form.

Once restored, Alpha Cottage will accommodate the building manager's office, mail room and parcel facilities, providing an active everyday use that supports its long-term conservation rather than preserving it as a static display. The heritage strategy also maintains landscaped space around the building, allowing it to remain visually distinct beneath the new tower.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="43b027e1-576e-4624-a66c-7cc54ea8b7be" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/banksia%20tower.png?VersionId=2W6E2yfkj2AQlWlLeV986grA5zB9f817" />

The Heritage Impact Assessment concludes that "the proposal secures the ongoing occupation, maintenance and conservation of Alpha Cottage," finding the development would result in "no more than a minor impact on the cultural heritage significance" of the building while ensuring its long-term future.

Joe Adsett Architects have designed the tower to sit above the heritage building rather than overwhelm it, creating a clear visual separation between old and new. The development's flowing balconies, integrated planting and organic façade respond to Brisbane's subtropical climate while complementing the restored cottage below.

Banksia occupies a prominent corner in Kangaroo Point within walking distance of the Kangaroo Point Bridge, Brisbane River, ferry services, QUT, the CBD and the Woolloongabba precinct. The site also benefits from direct access to active transport infrastructure and sits within an area earmarked for continued higher-density residential growth.

Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage

Buying into a masterplanned community often means committing to a vision still years from taking shape. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>, that vision is already visible.

Residents have moved into the completed first stage, landscaped spaces are established, and the next chapter is now underway. Stage 1 has been completed and settled, with Stage 2 now selling off-the-plan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> combines attainable apartment living with sustainability initiatives rarely seen at this price point, including rooftop solar, battery storage and a resident EV-sharing program.

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Located on Schofi​elds Road, just moments from Tal​lawong Metro Station and Schof​ields Train Station, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been designed to appeal to a broad mix of buyers, from first-home purchasers looking for a foothold in Sy​dney's property market to downsizers seeking a connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been conceived as a thoughtfully planned masterplanned community that will evolve over multiple stages, with buyers now able to secure one, two and three-bedroom apartments within a neighbourhood that is already beginning to establish its identity.

One of the project's defining features is its focus on sustainability. Solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure have been incorporated throughout the development, reflecting a long-term approach to both environmental performance and everyday convenience.

Sustainability sits at the centre of the development's vision, with solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure integrated throughout the community.

That emphasis on future-ready living extends beyond the technology. Landscaped communal gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and plans for a future retail precinct aim to create a neighbourhood where residents can access daily conveniences without travelling far from home.

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The apartments themselves have been designed with liveability front of mind. Rather than chasing maximum density, the focus has been placed on creating practical homes with generous natural light, usable layouts and strong connections to outdoor space.

Importantly, these design principles have been applied consistently across the one, two and three-bedroom apartment offerings.

The appeal of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> is also closely linked to its location within Syd​ney's rapidly evolving north-west growth corridor. Over the past decade, major infrastructure investment has transformed the area, with new transport links, business precincts and community facilities reshaping suburbs like Talla​wong and Schofiel​ds.

The agent says buyers are increasingly recognising the area's long-term potential.

"Typical buyers that we're finding across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> especially are your first-home buyers, your investors, your upsizers as well as your downsizers," Hawes says.

Connectivity remains one of the project's strongest drawcards. Residents have access to both Tallaw​ong Metro Station and Schofi​elds Train Station, providing links to the Sydn​ey CBD, Norw​est Business Park, Macquari​e Park and other major employment hubs. Retail centres including Rous​e Hill Town Centre and Sch​ofields Village are also nearby, alongside schools, parks and future healthcare infrastructure.

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For Stage 1 resident Roji, it is the balance between convenience and comfort that has defined the experience of living at Kew.

"For me, it's a balance of quality and convenience," she says. "Everything I need is right here."

"If I wanted to catch the train, Scho​fields Station is just around the corner. Tallaw​ong Metro connects me to the city."

More importantly, she says, the development has delivered something that cannot be measured in floorplans or specifications.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> feels like home."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351024]

As Stage 2 enters the market, that lived experience may be one of the project's strongest selling points. Buyers are not purchasing into an untested concept or a future promise. They are joining a community that is already taking shape.

Ongoing investment in transport, retail, healthcare and public open space continues to strengthen the appeal of Syd​ney's north-west growth corridor, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>'s established first stage provides buyers with a tangible sense of the community's future direction.

For a limited time, buyer can secure a new home at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> with just a $10,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149637]

Kew Tallawong: A growing community taking shape in Sydney's north-west

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/freecity">Freecity</a> has received development approval for its 51-storey mixed-use tower at 153-157 Walker Street, North Sydney, set to be one of the tallest mixed-use residential-led buildings in one of Sydney’s most sought-after commercial and residential addresses.

Lodged as a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) through the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) pathway and approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure following a comprehensive public exhibition and submissions process, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/153-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">the project</a> will deliver 296 apartments, alongside a 170-room, luxury hotel, activated retail and significant public domain improvements.

Situated just 200 metres from Victoria Cross Metro Station, on one of the largest developable sites in North Sydney, the development will rise to 234 metres, making it one of the tallest buildings in the suburb. With an end value of approximately $1.5 billion, the project responds directly to the NSW Government’s mandate to accelerate housing delivery in well-located, transit-connected areas.

<img alt="Freecity gets green light for mixed-use residential and hotel tower in North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="192ec455-94bf-4e01-83ef-922b1b269d67" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Freecity%20-%20Walker%20Street%20North%20Sydney%201%20RESIZED%20.jpg?VersionId=Bzqp0SBHCDvLAHjA4QXkjuGoOEIh73Jl" />

The apartment mix will cater to a broad range of buyers, with 65 studio and one-bedroom apartments, 139 two-bedroom residences, 35 three-bedroom apartments, 48 four-bedroom homes, and nine penthouses. Residents will have access to a dedicated amenity level on Level 33, featuring a swimming pool with views towards the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and North Sydney CBD, as well as a gym, library, shared kitchen, lounge and outdoor entertaining areas.

The hotel will occupy the lower six levels of the building and include meeting and function spaces, a wellness centre with gym, yoga studio, swimming pool and sauna, further strengthening North Sydney's growing hospitality offering.

At ground level, the development has been designed to improve pedestrian connections through the precinct. More than 700 sqm of retail space will activate the street frontage, while a landscaped through-site link connecting Walker Street, Little Walker Street and Doris Fitton Park will provide new public open space with seating, paving and extensive native landscaping.

Freecity Group Co-Founder and Joint CEO Tony Sun said the project represents one of the most significant development opportunities currently available in North Sydney.

"This is one of the most significant development sites in North Sydney and it comes at a pivotal moment for the precinct," Sun said.

"North Sydney is undergoing a genuine transformation, and this project will contribute housing the city urgently needs while creating a landmark destination."

Executive Director of Development Michael Romano said demand for both residential and hotel accommodation would continue to strengthen as the Metro precinct matures.

"The structural demand for high-quality housing and hotel accommodation in North Sydney is compelling, and will only grow as the precinct continues to evolve around the new Metro station," Romano said.

Architectus has designed the tower, orientating the apartments to maximise views towards Sydney Harbour while introducing a sculpted façade intended to respond to light, wind and the surrounding skyline.

Architectus Principal Marko Damic said the design sought to create a tower that contributes to the public realm as much as the skyline.

"We wanted to design a tower that doesn't just sit in the skyline but actively participates and contributes to city life," Damic said.

First look: Freecity gets green light for mixed-use apartment and hotel tower in North Sydney

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen">Abadeen</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/perifa">PERIFA</a> have celebrated the topping out of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf,</a> marking a significant milestone in the delivery of one of Syd​ney's most anticipated waterfront communities.

Located on Sydney's harbourfront at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/putney-nsw-2112">Putney</a>, the project has now reached its highest structural point, with construction progressing strongly towards completion in 2027. 
&nbsp; 
The milestone was celebrated on-site with project partners Phoenix Property Investors, Mitsubishi Estate Asia, Versatile Construction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, consultants and stakeholders, to recognise the collective effort behind the transformation of the historic waterfront site into a vibrant new residential, marina and lifestyle destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362240] 
&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will deliver a mix of waterfront residences and terraces, complemented by a private 36-berth marina, waterfront dining opportunities and a revitalised foreshore designed to reconnect the community with the river's edge. 
&nbsp; 
Abadeen Executive Chairman and Founder Justin Brown said the project represented a rare opportunity to create the next chapter in Sydn​ey's long history of successful waterfront precincts. 
&nbsp; 
"Throughout Sydney, some of the city's most sought-after addresses have emerged from carefully considered waterfront precincts such as Woolloom​ooloo Wharf, Walsh Bay and Breakfast Point," Brown said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362566] 
&nbsp; 
"What makes these places so successful is that they become much more than residential developments," Brown said.

"They bring together homes, hospitality, marina facilities, public spaces and a strong sense of community in locations where future supply is incredibly limited."

Brown has long described absolute waterfront land in Sy​dney as "finite."

"Once these opportunities are developed, they are rarely replicated. That's why Syd​ney's waterfront precincts have consistently demonstrated strong demand and long-term value growth over many decades. 
&nbsp; 
"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is one of the few remaining opportunities to secure a residence within a masterplanned waterfront community that combines direct water access, marina ownership opportunities and a genuine village lifestyle just moments from the Sy​dney CBD."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362564] 
&nbsp; 
PERIFA Founder and Managing Director Fabrizio Perilli said the project reflected a shared commitment to delivering exceptional places that create long-term value for residents and the broader community. 
&nbsp; 
"The topping out milestone is a significant achievement for the Versatile Group and a testament to the collaboration between all project partners, consultants and contractors involved," Perilli said. 
&nbsp; 
"Beyond the residences themselves, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will establish a new waterfront destination that celebrates the history, character and lifestyle of this unique location while creating a lasting legacy for future generations."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=291195] 
&nbsp; 
Construction is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/versatile">Versatile Construction</a>, with structural works now substantially complete across the precinct. Attention will progressively shift to the construction of the waterview terraces, apartment façades, services and interior fit-out works over the coming months. 
&nbsp; 
With limited residences and marina berths remaining, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> continues to attract strong interest from owner occupiers and downsizers seeking a premium waterfront lifestyle within close proximity to Putne​y Village, Rh​odes, Top Ry​de and the Syd​ney CBD. 
&nbsp; 
As one of the last opportunities to secure a residence within a new masterplanned waterfront community on Sy​dney Harbour, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is expected to remain a highly sought-after address for years to come.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=13962]

Jonathan Chancellor

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