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Brownlow medalist Jobe Watson's investment property play hasn't been as stellar as his 2012 onfield performance.
His three-bedroom Albert Park investment cottage lingers unsold on the market, having been initially listed in early August and passed in on a vendor bid of $970,000 at its September 1 auction.
The Richardson Street was purchased for $930,000 in December 2007, having previously traded at $880,000 in mid-2007.
Recent inspectees were told there was a flexible $980,000 asking price on the attractive freestanding double-fronted Edwardian brick residence.
"It has exquisite period features is ideally positioned to enjoy the desirable Albert Park lifestyle," says the Cayzer Real Estate Albert Park marketing details.
No asking price has been officially given on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/75a-richardson-street-albert-park/Property-Details-buy-residential-4276135">websites</a>. 
Watson lives elsewhere in Albert Park, where he paid $780,000 in 2009.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Jobe Watson takes home Brownlow but can't unload Albert Park investment cottage

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The Balwyn home of the Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson now has a $2.1 million asking price.
Jackson had the four-bedroom house listed with an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/health-services-union-secretary-kathy-jackson-s-balwyn-home-%E2%80%93-presumably-without-the-infamous-pool-pump-%E2%80%93-listed-for-auction/2012082956294">initially reported </a>$1.8 million-plus expectations.
It was passed in at weekend auction on a $1.85 million vendor bid through Fletchers agents Jeremy Desmier and Daiman Kane.
The tree-lined property is being marketed as a "developer's dream", given it's a 1,452-square-metre block.
The four-bedroom house comes with three bathrooms. The house sits on part of the holding, easily allowing some land to be sold or redeveloped.
It was transferred into Jackson's full ownership by her former husband, Peter Jackson, in March 2010.
It last traded at $1.15 million in 2004. Jackson was caught up in the Craig Thomson matter as the union whistleblower.
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Kathy Jackson's Balwyn property fails to sell

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Jabulisa, businessman Simon Tripp's impressive 6.9-hectare Sydney northern beaches acreage,  has been listed for sale.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept25jabulisa]}
The Tripps have reportedly spent millions of dollars developing Jabulisa, described as the "ultimate family resort", since they paid $6.3 million to amalgamate the land between 2006 and late 2007.
The listing agents, Richard Simeon and Mark Manners of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.rwm.com.au/139938" target="_blank">Richardson &amp; Wrench Mosman</a>, expect Jabulisa to sell for more than $20 million.
"Its the ultimate family resort with championship tennis court, swimming pool, spa, gym, small lake, horse riding and nearby golf, fishing, shooting, swimming and much more," the marketing spiel says.
"Excellent feng shui throughout the property is a design feature, even the three street addresses have the ideal numbers 116, 118 and 88."
Jabulisa's inside photos on page 2
 
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They also suggest it has comes with potential for redevelopment and subdivision, subject to council approval.
Tripp is tipped to interested in <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/property-developer-warren-anderson-goes-quietly-this-time-departing-fernhill-after-three-decades/2011112452520?source=flicker2" target="_blank">Fernhill, the Mulgoa rural estate that was the former home of property tycoon Warren Anderson.</a>
Last year Fernhill was placed on the market by receiver KordaMentha with $50 million hopes.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept25insidejab]} 
The Tripps, who have two keen equestrian daughters, relocated to Duffys Forest after selling their Warrawee mansion for $10.1 million in 2005.
The couple bought the Warrawee property for $3 million in 1999 and spent two years completing building works.
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Simon Tripp hopes feng shui prompts $20 million Duffys Forest acreage sale

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Lexington, at Moyston near Ararat, the childhood home of Tom Wills, the inventor of the Australian rules game, has been listed for sale with $5 million-plus hopes.
The 785-hectare holding, with the grandeur of the Grampians in the background, has been listed through <a href="https://www.eldersrealestate.com.au/rural/buy/property-mixed-farming-vic-moyston-510927" target="_blank">Elders agent Garry Todd </a> with offers due by October 19.
The property was established in 1840 by Horatio Wills, whose son, Tom, inspired by a game he played with the local indigenous children, is credited as inventing the country's most popular sporting competition.
Tom grew up on the Moyston property before attending the Rugby School in England from 1852, where he excelled in all sports.
On his return to Australia in 1857, he adapted a winter game of football incorporating aspects of rugby and marngrook – a sport the Djabwurrong Aboriginal children played with a skin stuffed with charcoal.
At the time, Lexington spanned more than 20,000 hectares from The Grampians towards Great Western in the north and Ararat in the east.
Horatio Wills mostly ran sheep.
When the goldrush prompted the departure of many of his shepherds, he imported netting fencing and strychnine to control the dingoes.
The wool-press he imported – believed to be Australia's first – is still at Lexington.
Lexington's gracious 1850 colonial Georgian homestead has been refurbished throughout including re-plumbing, re-wiring, hydronic heating and ceiling insulation. 
Its period features include three-metre-high ceilings with ornate cornices, cedar architraves, six open fireplaces and a return veranda overlooking Rick Eckersley-designed English gardens of sweeping lawns, mature specimen trees and scented plants.
The 60-square (558-square-metre) homestead has four bedrooms, study, library, sitting room, dining room, large central bathroom and modern kitchen.
It also comes with heritage two-storey barn, built of  hand-made red bricks and local pit-sawn timber.
It's been listed by Peter Crauford and wife, Elizabeth, who bought the property in 2005.
They told Stock &amp; Land they had have sown most paddocks to lucerne following a crop in the past seven years, put in new bores, an electric submersible pump, seven to eight kilometres of pipe, new fences and troughs. The new water system is automatic.
The property supports a herd of 300 self-replacing Angus cows, 1,500 ewes with prime lambs and produces ample fodder crops.
 
 

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Lexington, Tom Wills' childhood home ground at Moyston, for sale 

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The China Investment Corporation is negotiating a stake in Australia’s largest dairy operation, the Van Diemen’s Land Company, which operates in Tasmania, Fairfax Media reports.
Van Diemen's Land is in Tasmania's north-west has 25,000 dairy cows and 6,500 beef cattle on about 19,000 hectares in 27 farming operations, most of them dairying.
The dairy company, which was established in 1825, has been interested in doubling the Tasmanian enterprise’s milk production along with an expanded workforce with a $180 million injection of investment funds.
It's reported there have been preliminary consultations with the Foreign Investment Review Board about the mooted acquisition by the Chinese sovereign wealth fund. 
China Investment Corp, which has about $US190 billion to invest internationally, sent four executives to Tasmania early this month, the Australian Financial Review reported.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings held a lengthy meeting with CIC’s president, Gao Xiqing, during a recent visit to Beijing.
“We would welcome a Chinese investment in our dairy industry,” she said in a speech in Shanghai.
<a href="https://www.vdlfarms.com.au/about">Van Diemen's Land </a>is 98.42% owned by New Zealand company Tasman Farms, whose major shareholder is the New Plymouth District Council.
According to intodairy.com.au, Tasmania’s dairy industry is the only dairy industry in any Australian state to show growth in production over the past year, with a 19.5% increase, compared with a national decrease of 15%.
The Tasmanian Dairy Industry Strategic Plan targets a 25% growth in production by 2015.
<a href="https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2644">Highfield House</a>, which was built in the early 1830s as a residence for Edward Curr, chief agent of the Van Diemen's Land Company, was acquired in 1982 by the Tasmanian government, with funds from the National Estate.
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Chinese eye off NZ stake in Tasmania's biggest dairy company

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Stud cattle breeders Peter and Margie Mullins are selling St Clair, their 1882 Victorian homestead on 101 hectares at Lake Bathurst.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept24stclair1]}
The mansion, located on Braidwood Road some 80 kilometres north of Canberra, has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms. 
It was built for the Badgery family, who left the property in 1904.
The property has had four owners since including the Coombes family until the early 1920s during, which it was known as Font Hill.
The story goes that the Coombes spent half the year in Italy and introduced the Italian influence of the terracing in the garden.
The Maple-Brown family took over from the Coombes for the next 20 years and developed the Font Hill merino sheep bloodline.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/09/stclair1.jpg">
Upstairs pictures on page 2
 
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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept24stclair2]}
The Crace family purchased the property in 1944 after selling the last leases of their family property, Gunghalin Station, in the ACT.
The Craces renamed the property Bongalabi in 1959 as the Maple-Brown family took the name Font Hill when the family and merino stud moved to Springfield some 10 kms away.
The current owners purchased the property in 1985 and developed one of Australia’s leading poll Devon cattle studs.
The garden comes with more than 400 rose bushes amid seven acres (2.8 hectares) of parkland-style grounds developed over 120 years, and for two decades part of Australia's Open Garden Scheme.
The grounds comes with ant-bed tennis court built in the 1920s, original coach house comprising tool shed, garages, tack and feed rooms, along with three stables, large sand round-yard, standard sand dressage arena, machinery shed and six horse paddocks.
There are two weatherboard 1940s cottages that are currently tenanted.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tronnalstergren.com/index/stclairlakebathurst">St Clair </a> is listed with Helen Cheetham and Tronn Alstergren of Tronn Alstergren Real Estate at $2.85 million.
They suggest while the offering is currently home to a Devon cattle stud, St Clair would be an equally fine sheep property. A further 927 acres (375 hectares) is available on separate title, including cattle yards for 300 head and a four-stand woolshed.
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St Clair, an 1882 grand Victorian homestead listing at Lake Bathurst

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The Hermitage, the 1840s Denistone colonial homestead built for merchant John Blaxland, the eldest son of the explorer Gregory Blaxland, has been listed for auction.
The seven-bedroom, five-bathroom house has all the classic hallmarks of Georgian colonial architecture, including high ceilings, ornate cornices and marble fireplaces.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept21penout]}
The John Bibb-designed house, conserved with input over the years by Clive Lucas and Partners and Perumal Murphy Wu, is a rare survivor from the early settlement period of Ryde, being one of about five pre-1850 buildings surviving in the municipality, which ranks as the second oldest farming settlement area near Sydney, after Parramatta.
"The Hermitage has weathered well," says the NSW Heritage website.
The hilltop house, with views to the Blue Mountains, sits on a 7,096-square-metre holding that's been subdivided off its larger holding by developers Maksim Holdings and Denistone Corp.
More pictures on page 2 
 
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It was in 1813 when Gregory Blaxland led the first known European expedition across the area of the Great Dividing Range, now known as the Blue Mountains along with William Lawson, and William Charles Wenwtorth, on a journey that opened up the inland of the continent.
The property developers, who have restored the homestead over the past three years, expect more than $3.5 million through <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-denistone-nsw-2114/151160">McGrath</a> agent Wayne Vaughan at its September 29 auction.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept21penin]}
The development site was initially sold by the CSIRO in 2000 for $3.1 million. It had previously been the home of the Scobie family for a long time. 
The colonial homestead was built between 1838-42 and sits on a high point in the Denistone/Ryde area.
It has its own <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hermitage,_Ryde,_Sydney">Wikipedia</a> page outlining that John Blaxland was born in 1799 in Kent, England.
The family immigrated to Australia in 1805 and John's father, Gregory, bought land in Ryde and built Brush Farm, which also still stands.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/hermitage3.jpg">
Shortly after The Hermitage was built on its 48-hectare holding John Blaxland married in 1845.
John and Ellen Blaxland had six sons and three daughters, all of whom were born at The Hermitage.
The Hermitage was the residence of the Blaxland family until the death of John Blaxland in 1884, as his widow, Ellen, took up residence with her daughter Lucy at  Minimbah in Longueville.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/hermitage4.jpg">
The Hermitage lay virtually unoccupied until 1905 – two years after Ellen's death.
Professor James Pollock, who held the chair of physics at the University of Sydney, bought The Hermitage in 1910 and lived there until his death in 1922.
The Nicholson family bought it in 1923 and sold it on two acres in 1952 to the CSIRO, and the house became its wool textile research laboratory unit.
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Blaxland's well-weathered Hermitage still gets Blue Mountain views

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Commercial property investors James Dawson and Anthony?Pangallo are selling Koreelah, their five-bedroom 1905 Byron Bay hinterland farmhouse. 
It's an original Arts and Crafts-style house nestled on the hill below St Helena at Skinners Shoot.
All its rooms home featuring mahogany and teak floors and rosewood detailed ceilings open onto verandas.
The location was first settled in 1890, with the 1905 house trading for the only time in 1998 when bought from the original owners, the Raywards, one of Byron’s oldest families .
It had a sympathetic renovation to make it all quite luxurious.
There's a pool in its  two-hectare Skinners Shoot Road grounds. 
Its short stay rates are from $750 per night in the low season to $1,500 per night in the peak.
The property is listed through <a href="https://www.uniqueestates.com.au/Homes/Detail.aspx?id=ue277&amp;wlid=ea8be237-2fbf-4c6e-b7b1-b3632ce8033f">Nicolette van Wijngaarden of Unique Estates </a> with $5 million-plus hopes when expressions of interest close October 31.
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Koreelah, authentic Arts and Crafts home at Skinners Shoot

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<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="margin: 5px; float: left;">
Loch Maree, the latest Vaucluse harbourfront listing with ambitious $30 million expectations, comes with very special 1970s Leonard French stained-glass windows.

<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/lochmaree3.jpg">
It offers colourful views across the tennis court towards Vaucluse Bay. 
The window is a two-metre by eight-metre stained-glass feature window behind the main staircase.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/lochmaree2.jpg">
It was undertaken by Leonard French in a similar style to his windows in the Arts Centre of Victoria and the Australian National Library.
There are several other smaller complementary stained-glass windows throughout the now contemporary house.
An update – the only one since its original incarnation in the late 1970s – was undertaken for the current vendors, the Saville family.

<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/lochmaree.jpg">
It was Gordon Barton, the late business entrepreneur, who had the 1970s house built - with stone floors quarried from a 14th-century convent in France by Burgundian monks - along with the Leonard French stained-glass feature windows.

The cul-de-sac residence on a 2311 square metre block comes with self-contained boathouse with slipway.

It's been offered by Michael Pallier at Sydney Sotheby's International Realty in conjunction with <a href="https://bradfieldcleary.com.au/3289276/1A-Loch-Maree-Place-Vaucluse">Bob Guth at Bradfield Cleary</a>.
It last traded at $4.75 million in 1993 when bought from Gordon Barton, the entrepreneur who started Interstate Parcel Express Company (IPEC) while still <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Barton">studying at university</a>.
It was listed in the early 1990s after Gordon Barton and his wife, Mary Ellen, decided to remain and retire in Europe.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/maree2.jpg">
The original Loch Maree – which up to the 1950s had been a private girls' school that once hit the headlines when a raw milk enteritis scare broke out – changed hands when society photographer Joe Fallon purchased the site. 
Fallon's visitors to the then house included Prince Philip, whom he'd met in 1946 as a naval officer.
Prince Philip occasionally visited the historic limed-redwood boathouse situated next to the now heated harbour's edge pool. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/maree3.jpg">
The Sydney Morning Herald reported two unofficial visits by Prince Philip to Fallon's house in 1954.
On one, he slipped out of Government House to a private pool-side party, where "a gramophone played Hawaiian music" and 50 guests danced until 11pm. Kitty Kelley's controversial book The Royals mentioned Prince Philip's visits.
Fallon later subdivided the property and sold a large waterfront to the diamond merchant Albert Joris. Joris in turn sold it to Gordon Barton in 1966, who remained in Morella Place, Castle Cove, until the Michael Dysart-designed residence was completed in 1972 at a cost of $280,000. They Barton couple moved into the boatshed when they renovated the big house.
"It had a beautiful boatshed which had a magical quality," Mary Ellen Barton recalled in the late 1990s. 
"It was the perfect love nest. Gordon and I moved in there when we renovated the big house and rather wondered why we weren't living in it permanently," she said.
In the 1970s the Fallon main house, which had been bought by Barton from Fallon's widow, Desiree, disappeared.
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Leonard French windows at Vaucluse's Loch Maree: Title Tattle

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Mosman's historic Musgrave House has been listed for sale with $10 million-plus hopes through Darren Curtis at Christies International.
The sandstone mansion dates back to the 1880s. It currently sits on a 1,840-square-metre holding of beautifully landscaped grounds designed by Paul Bangay.
Set above Mosman Bay, the house has been fully restored by the current owners.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept20msomanout]}
Four of its six bedroom have ensuites.
The estate was once leased to the international singing star Diana Ross during her late 1980s tour. 
In 1990 it was subject to a high-profile court case when the prominent orthopedic surgeon John Bannister took Supreme Court proceedings against his defaulting $9.75 million purchaser, the bankrupt businessman Kahlil Piscopo.
At the time it had been combined with a 1,000-square-metre McLeod Street waterfront holding.
Bannister had bought Musgrave House in 1976 for $40,000 and then paid $2 million in the late 1980s for the adjoining property providing waterfront access.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/john-james-sydney-school-mosman-harbourfront-listed-but-without-heritage-protection/2012083056330">Neighbouring property </a> is currently for sale.
Inside pictures on page 2
 
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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/sept20mosmanin]}
The Mosman prestige residential market got some recent momentum when the Macquarie Bank boss Nicholas Moore and wife Helen secured a $13 million contemporary home on Middle Harbour, having lived elsewhere in a Federation Mosman house that cost just over $1 million in 1991.
Their new home had been <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/after-three-years-on-market-mosman-house-sets-shellbank-avenue-price-record/2012081756092" target="_blank">on the market</a> for three years. Shane Smyth, CEO of Cover More Insurance, was the seller, having renovated after paying $9.2 million in 2007, and then listing it with $14 million-plus hopes.
Property Observer revealed earlier this year <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/chinese-buyers-playing-property-pick-a-box-but-record-mosman-price-unlikely/2012030653723" target="_blank">it was a Chinese buyer who topped recent Mosman sales</a>.
It was the $20 million sale of the home of the retired car dealer Laurie Sutton, at 5,154-square-metre on Bay Street it also ranked as the suburb's largest harbourfront estate. It was bought by Ying Li.
Mosman’s first big test in 2012 <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/bankers-are-supposedly-bailing-but-mosmans-mandolong-house-reputedly-sells-for-bullish-%2418-million/2012031853893" target="_blank">came with the sale of the 1885 Mandolong House</a>, the renovated hillside residence listed with $17 million reported hopes – which sold for $18 million and represented a suburb-record price for a non-waterfront residential property.
The Mandolong Road property situated in a 2,909-square-metre location high on the slopes of Balmoral with a north-south tennis court and swimming pool was sold by the Woollahra-bound businessman Barry Roberts-Thomson and his wife, Victoria. It was bought by the Kahlbetzer pastoralist family.
Last year’s top Mosman sale was the $19 million sale of a Hopetoun Avenue waterfront property to neighbour <a href="/news">Ros Oatley of the Oatley wine family</a>. Its price reflected a serious price weakness, since it had traded at $22.5 million in pre-global financial crisis 2007.
Ros Oatley recently lodged plans with the council  to utilise the extra space with a small single-storey addition to her own home, including a new dining room, along with a pool and landscaping, plus a sprawling lawn.
It came with a $2 million development application price tag.
Oatley had bought her existing home, Rivendell, a mansion complete with tennis court and pavilion, for $15.5 million in 2001 through Richardson &amp; Wrench.
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Musgrave House in Mosman listed with $10 million-plus hopes

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."

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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.

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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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