<html><body>
Sydney vendors' continued last-minute rush to sell before Christmas paid off with a strong boost in the clearance rate over the initial December weekend clearance rate slump. There were 632 scheduled auctions across Sydney on the weekend, with results of 459 tabulated.
"Sydney housing market bounced back with an auction clearance rate of 61.7% from the highest number of properties offered so far this spring," Dr Andrew Wilson, senior economist for Australian Property Monitors noted.
There was a 51.3% clearance rate in the prior weekend across Sydney, after an initial result put at 54%.
Wilson blamed the volatility in Sydney on the prestige market, saying the middle to low end of the market had “held up consistently throughout the year”.
In Melbourne the auction clearance rate sat at 60% from 875 reported auctions. The results of a further 94 auctions are yet to be reported. Last week's 60% rate fell to 59% after late results were counted.
The REIV expects about 920 auctions next weekend and about 120 in the week before Christmas, many of them mid-week twilight auctions. Melbourne's overall auction clearance rate is expectetrek conclude at 61% for 2012, two points higher than 2011, but five points lower than the long-term 30-year average of 66%, according to the REIV.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Weekend auctions bring Sydney comeback while Melbourne remains steady

<html><body>
The son of Melbourne’s former lord mayor John So, John So Jnr, reportedly spent $2.21 million at weekend auction on two double-storey Victorian terrace houses combined into a single property on William Street in West Melbourne (pictured below).
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/12/johnso.jpg">
The combined seven-bedroom ornate Victorian terrace came with mixed-use zoning. Set overlooking William Street gardens, it sold through Hocking Stuart agents Kim Shannon and Trevor Gangem who had $2 million-plus expectations.
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-other-vic-west+melbourne-5379026">474-476 William Street </a>land area was 421 square metres. It last sold at $1.6 million in 2008 when bought by Mark Fraser, the chairman of auction house Bonhams.
</body></html>

 John So Jnr snaps up West Melbourne mixed-use terrace offering

<html><body>
It was at Art Basel 2005 when architect Luis Pons unveiled his "<a href="https://www.luisponsd-lab.com/project_detail.php?id=33" target="_blank">Fabulous Floating Inflatable Villa</a>" (pictured below) floating proudly offshore in Miami, a gargantuan inflated art installation taking aim at the ego-driven McMansion culture of the era.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/12/floating.jpg">
Now in the wake of mindless excess and uninspired grandeur, Luis Pons has re-introduced the work as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.luisponsd-lab.com/project_detail.php?id=36">The Deflated Vi</a><a href="https://www.luisponsd-lab.com/project_detail.php?id=36" target="_blank">lla</a> to Basel 2012, but this time it's on vacant abandoned land within its intended metal columns for the building foundations.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/deflated4.jpg">
The art installation reflects his observation of society’s reaction to the aftermath of the United States real estate bubble.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/deflated2.jpg">
The work, which symbolises <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://vimeo.com/55053219" target="_blank">the deflation </a>of American egos and plummeting home values, was installed on a lot originally intended for development, but a casualty of the downturn.
The villa was on display at 79 NE 41st St. in the Design District during Art Basel, December 6 to 8.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/deflated3.jpg">
"It's contained to represent how we have been trapped by the current situation and our past excesses," Pons says. "A new, more conscious society has emerged over the past several years, one with new values that is much more introspective," Pons told the <a href="https://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/cultist/2012/11/luis_pons_reflects_on_then_and.php" target="_blank">Miami culture blogger Grace Stainback  </a>on the Miami New Times.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/deflated.jpg">
"It's an analogy to represent the disparity between where we were in 2005 and where we are today.
"The fact that we are all coping with and surviving the crisis, and adapting to so many changes is significant. We will not go back to the way we once were."
Pons suggests reusing an already existing piece of art to create something new also carries meaning.
</body></html>

Villa deflation captures post-GFC net worth sentiment at Miami's Basel art installation

<html><body>
Located in the historical Segenhoe Valley of the Upper Hunter Region, Brooklyn Lodge, a landmark boutique broodmare stud farm renowned for the breeding of high-class racehorses, has been listed for sale..
It's located directly next to the Darley operation of Sheik Mohammed al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
The property comprises 963 acres including 400 acres of undulating irrigated post and rail horse paddocks. There's a further 350 acres of similar arable loam country, which lends itself to development. There is also 25 acres of alluvial river flats under irrigation and used for lucerne production are situated on the Hunter River, and 188 acres of the property is primarily hilly grazing country.
The Hunter River flows alongside the 388-hectare property, which last changed hands in 1999.
Behind Kentucky, the Hunter is home to the second-largest concentration of thoroughbred breeding studs in the world, with more than 100 stallion and broodmare farms.
The Rouchel Road, Aberdeen, buildings completed in the early 2000s are the work of equine architect John Ladd-Hudson.
The stud farm boasts a 20-box stable barn fully rubber lined, air-conditioned foaling unit also fully rubber lined, night watch facilities, lunging ring, parade ring, feed sheds with silos, quarantine facilities and an administration centre.
Throughout the farm’s history, Brooklyn Lodge has produced many successful racehorses, winning premier Group 1 races like the STC Golden Slipper, VRC Crown Oaks, MVRC Cox Plate and many other stakes races.
Brooklyn Lodge dispersed some of its Australian bloodstock interests at weekend auction at Newmarket in Sydney. Brooklyn Lodge offered nine entries with prices between $500 and $130,000 at the Inglis sale. The Best Western Group, owned by a Chinese family, is diversifying itself of most of its Australian bloodstock assets.
"The sale of Brooklyn Lodge provides a rare opportunity to purchase a quality horse farm with size, scope and uncapped potential. Suited for use as a stallion station, broodmare or spelling farm, Brooklyn Lodge is a must to inspect for those looking to expand, or establish a foothold in the heart of thoroughbred country," says Michael Burke, the MacCallum Inglis Scone listing agent.
</body></html>

Upper Hunter Valley's Brooklyn Lodge horse stud listed with $12.5 million expectations

<html><body>
Chateau Le Marais, situated 300 kilometres north of Sydney on Wallis Island, has been listed for sale.
It's an imposing neo-classical five-bedroom residence built of stone masonry on its 105-hectare estate.
<a href="https://www.harcourts.com.au/Property/426358/NCD2565/Sydney" target="_blank">Le Marais</a>, which comes with a 1.5-kilometre beach, is set with an orchard and botanical gardens.
There's also a savanna, and dry and sub-tropical forest, fringed by three ponds, two lagoons and wetlands.
There are deer that can be observed or hunted across the mid-north coast property.
Harcourts Chatswood agent Andrew Huang has the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom listing. The weekend classified paper gave its asking price as in the realm of $20 million.
Former Queen Street, <a href="/news">Woollahra</a>, antique dealers Andre and Cecile Fink appear to have offered the mansion for sale without furniture.
It's been their labour of love for 15 years, seemingly taking some inspiration from <a href="https://www.chateaudumarais.com/" target="_blank">Le Chateau du Marias</a>, the late 18th-century French castle that replaced the Huraults’ castle, of which nothing remains but the moats and the dungeon on the Marais. Henri Hurault was count of Cheverny and the military treasurer of King Louis XI.
The Wallis Island land cost $290,000 in 1996.
Elsewhere on the island, a 143-hectare parcel of land and an airstrip has been listed for sale. The north-facing site with wharf is surrounded by water and bushland.
It features a 1,500-metre long airstrip and hangar.
"I think it's everybody's dream to own their own private getaway, and this is one with its own airstrip no less," says Godfrey Franz at Matrix Property Group, the marketing agents for the island.
Although the private sanctuary has a master plan concept for a total of seven waterfront residential holdings. Some 87.9 hectares of land and 4.9 hectares of foreshore are zoned to be given back to the community to establish public amenity in the area.
Matrix Property is the marketing agency for the property in conjunction with Ray White Forster.
</body></html>

Chateau Le Marais, the Fink family's Wallis Island $20 million mansion listing

<html><body>
Promoted by its listing agents as packed with possibilities, the almost nondescript Concord cottage that's been home to the Packed to the Rafters clan on the Channel 7 series was passed in at weekend auction.

The three-bedroom Sydney inner-west house, which has been leased for several years by Channel 7, passed in on a $1.2 million vendor bid after proceedings began at $1 million.

It last sold for $1 million in 2006.

But Riverview Street, <a href="/news">Concord</a>, isn't yet the equivalent of Melbourne's Ramsay Street.

Obviously fans drive by to see what is going on, but not with the force of international numbers that accompany the Neighbours location in <a href="/news">Vermont South</a>'s Pin Oak Court.

Packed To The Rafters premiered on Seven in August 2008 and has often been the Tuesday night highest rating show.

With its television future subject to speculation, the keenest weekend auction party wants to <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-concord-112185419" target="_blank">bulldoze the Californian bungalow</a> and replace it with something contemporary.

The series follows the lives and challenges confronting the Rafter family, headed  by the parents Julie (Rebecca Gibney) and Dave (Erik Thomson).

<div class="story-promo story-promo-middle">[smartcode_project:default project_id=32227]</div>

Ready to become "empty-nesters'' after 25 years of marriage, the couple are forced to put their plans on hold when their two eldest children – Rachel (Jessica Marais) and Nathan (Angus McLaren) – move home.

Their youngest son, Ben (Hugh Sheridan), rented the nominal home next door with housemates Nick (George Houvardas) and Melissa (Zoe Ventoura),where there are the replicas of their houses.

Seven initially took a three-year rental on the Rafter family home on Riverview Street and kept it vacant. Title Tattle recalls its 2008 asking rental was $600 a week through Dean Kalos Real Estate.

The small rustic home has been freshly painted and the grass is fake – so that it always looks green.

It was offered for sale through Time Realty Five Dock agents Adam Scappatura and Frank Settineri.
</body></html>

Concord's Packed to the Rafters house fails to sell

<html><body>
Campanui, the Romsey Road, Woodend, property of the late publicist Suzie Howie has been listed for December 15 auction.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/campanui.jpg">
Its a 1930s cottage on 4050 square metres with views of Mount Macedon.
The three bedroom house comes with an open fireplace in the sitting room, plus a country-style kitchen and meals area.
John Keating of Keating's Real Estate will auction <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/8-romsey-road-woodend/Property-Details-buy-residential-4724019">the property</a> with a disclosed $685,000 reserve price on behalf of her husband, Paul Taylor.
The couple recently sold their Marina Terraces, Port Douglas unit for $267,500 to the Papasoulis family of Prahran.
 
</body></html>

Campanui, Suzie Howie's Woodend retreat, listed for December 15 auction 

<html><body>
Receivers have sold the Belongil Beach, Byron Bay, retreat of the former milk magnate Ken Lacey and his wife, Madeleine, for $1.25 million.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/laceylist.jpg">
It sold at Ray White auction.
It was in 2008 when the retired Potts Point stockbroker Chris Trumbull and his wife, Paddy, sold their Border Street, <a href="/news">Belongil Beach</a>, retreat for $3.6 million to the Lacey couple.
The Trumbulls had paid $3 million in 2005 for the 683-square-metre beachfront holding.
The marketing ads by Ray White agent Lloyd Lawton say the beach house may be subject to an upgrading or demolition order.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/receivers-list-belongil-beach-property-of-ken-lacey-former-milk-and-bodello-industry-entreprenuer/2012110257590" target="_blank">The Laceys had the property listed</a> originally at $5.75 million, then for sale at $4.9 million in 2010.
During their ownership its value fell at an annual rate of 16%.
Lacey won Melbourne's milk distribution turf wars in the 1980s before heading north to the Gold Coast.
They hit the headlines when their imposing house on the Gold Coast's millionaires' row, Hedges Avenue, sold for $17 million in 2006, reportedly as the family were off to the United States to oversee the career of their aspiring rap-singer son, Jade, aka Lace Italiano.
</body></html>

Belongil Beach, Byron Bay, sale secures $1.25 million for  Lacey mortgagees 

<html><body>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="margin: 5px; float: left;">
The high-flying recently retired Australian expat hedge fund trader Greg Coffey finally has his Balmoral compound.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/12/burran31.jpg" width="470">
It's been sealed with the recent acquisition of a $3.5 million Burran Avenue holding (pictured above). The four-lot, three purchases total 4,400 square metres, have cost $17.8 million.
The latest purchase added a strategic 610-square-metre holding to the hillside compound, which began with the purchase of the Merdjayoun estate in 2005.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/12/kirkswald.jpg">
Coffey paid $11.8 million for Merdjayoun, a seven-bedroom, 1930s Kirkoswald Avenue house (pictured above) on 3,200 square metres through Ray White agent Kingsley Yates inconjunction with Richardson &amp; Wrench. It had been held by the Hattersley family for decades.
Then earlier this year Coffey paid $2.5 million for the home on 610 square metres of the late Patricia Flynn, which had been unoccupied for several years when listed by the NSW Trustee and Guardian through Ray White Lower North Shore.
The latest acquisition through Ray White Lower North Shore last traded in 2001 when bought by the Balicki family.
No plans yet lodged with Mosman Council, so just what Coffey wants awaits. The two smaller purchases give him both sites in front of his main residence holding, which has a slight covenated building restriction.
Elsewhere at <a href="/news">Balmoral</a>, the Manassen family spent $7.5 million on one place, then $6.4 million on the adjoining clifftop harbour property in 1998 and 1999. Ditto Urs Schwarzenbach, the Swiss-born financier based in Britain, and his Australian wife, Francesca, who bought their first Balmoral clifftop house for $3.9 million in 1988 and then $11 million for the neighbouring sandstone cottage in 2010. The Schwarzenbachs currently have a $2.3 million demolition and works project by architect Ian Little before council.
The Karedis family spent $19.05 million on their two-block Balmoral acquisition in 2005 and 2006.
Topping the outlay was the Oatley family, who spent $15 million for Rivendell in 2001 through Richardson &amp; Wrench, and then $19 million in late 2011 for the adjoining holding.    
Ros Oatley-Lambert, the former wife of the former Southcorp wine chief Keith Lambert, snapped up her neighbouring Balmoral harbourfront property, Kahala, to improve her garden and boating facilities.
The 1,485-square-metre Hopetoun Avenue acquisition was sold by Albert Bertini, the flamboyant property developer. The adjoining Rivendell was a 2,000-square-metre double block.
Of course one doesn't have to buy more than one holding to make an impression.  Mosmanites are marvelling at the deep excavation at the recent Kirkoswald Avenue acquisition of Kimberly Simpson-Morgan, the wife of UBS boss Matthew Grounds. They are replacing a large Federation house on a 1,680-square-metre block that cost $14.05 million. The council were advised the newBKH-designed house would cost $3.9 million with the construction being undertaken by Todd Grounds at Grounds Construction Pty Ltd. It was approved but only after the potential heritage significance of the house was queried by near neighbour, Emeritus Professor David Carment.
Sydney's most noteworthy compound surrounds the main Packer family residence, Cairnton in <a href="/news">Bellevue Hill</a>. Although there's been no acquisitions for a decade, it totalled nine separate acquisitions in the decades following the first purchase in 1935 by James Packer's late grandfather Sir Frank Packer, costing about $9.1 million, at yesteryear price levels, but obviously worth much more in today's market.
Credited as reshaping London's financial district, the City, Coffey initially lived in relatively humble London homes.
From 1999, Coffey and his wife, Ania Brzezinski,resided just off Clapham Common in a suburban Tudoresque semi with attic that was worth about £1 million freehold, based on Title Tattle's 2006 kerbside appraisal.
He then moved to the pricier Chelsea, which the Australian Financial Review described as culminating a dazzling career that catapulted had him from Cabramatta in Sydney’s western suburbs to Chelsea in west London.
In October Coffey hit international headlines when he announced his retirement aged 41 from his London hedge fund, taking with him as estimated fortune of $400 million to enjoy.
His resignation letter at Moore Capital Management said he intended to spend more time in Australia with his wife, Ania, and their children.
Shortly after Title Tattle heard the rumour that swept the Pittwater peninsula that the Coffey's spent $13 million-plus to be the buyers of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/geoff-cousins-snappily-secures-%2413-million-plus-whale-beach-buyers/2012101957317" target="_blank">adman Geoff Cousins' weekender</a>, adjacent to their own Whale Beach retreat.
But this wasn't the case.
Instead they had their eyes on their Balmoral neighbour.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/10/harrison1.jpg" width="470">
Coffey also has grand plans for his sprawling Ardfin estate (pictured above and below) in the Hebridean Island of Jura, Scotland, for a golf course.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/10/harrison2.jpg" width="470">
</body></html>

Greg Coffey gets his Balmoral residential compound for $17.8 million: Title Tattle

<html><body>
This one really offered the prospect of sand between the toes regularly over summer, but also bringing plenty of it inside the Newell Beach house.
<a href="https://www.homehound.com.au/11+olive+street+newell+qld+4873/" target="_blank">It sold for $965,000 a few months ago</a>. The four-bedroom Tony Driscoll-designed beach house is positioned to maximise the view and cool sea breezes.
Set on the edge of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef, there's also the rainforest and mountains of the Daintree in the hinterland.
The casual beach house, which is absolute beachfront on secluded Newell Beach, is set just 20 minutes north of cosmopolitan <a target="_blank" href="/news">Port Douglas</a>.
It was being sold fully furnished with the holiday letting business already in place and running.
Mark Flinn of Ray White Port Douglas had the listing from March 2010 until August 2012 when it sold.
The initial asking price was $1.9 million, and this time last year they'd have taken $1.3 million.
The 912-square-metre holding last sold at $566,000 in 2002.
There had been three sales above $1.1 million on the strip of five homes in 2007.
There's the chance to<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/portdouglas/properties/240851" target="_blank"> buy next door </a> at $795,000 through Raine &amp; Horne Port Douglas Mossman agent David Cotton.
It's The Treehouse, an elevated, two-bedroom holiday home.
</body></html>

Aussie beach homes with allure: Countdown to the summer holidays

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.

<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/6RNt3AvtBpI?si=JUhuCV2ZRXsYaoJZ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351027]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351031]

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

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News