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With all its media attention on the Bondi Beach unit measuring just 16 square metres, 14/68 Gould Street's auction offering ended up as a no-bid auction.
Marketed as Sydney's tiniest apartment, it had $270,000 price hopes -  about $17,000 a square metre.
It has been recently rented at $300 a week, and RP Data records show at around $190 a week five years ago.
At $270,000 it would represent a gross 5.7% yield.
The property last traded for $165,000 in 2001, and before that $100,000 in 1999 and $96,000 in 1996.
The block's most recent studio sale was January when the 16-square-metre unit 9 sold fetched $220,000, having initially sought $300,000 – and it was available for rent recently at $280 a week. It had been available for rent at $190 a week five years ago.
Before that the 18-square-metre unit 22 sold for $210,000 in August 2010; the 18-square-metre unit 8 fetched $230,000 in 2010, and the priciest of 16-square-metre units, number 15, sold for a record $240,000 in 2009.
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/Studio/NSW/Bondi-Beach/?adid=2009930696" target="_blank">The listing, </a> described as ''intimate'', was through Kiel Glass of Ray White Balmain, who had previously worked in the Bondi region.
"Some of the media might have scared off interest," he said yesterday, confirming just the two registered bidders attended the auction.
The kitchen space comes with a sink, a brown bar fridge, a plywood box pantry with a curtain, a couple of cupboards and an electric oven with two hotplates.
The mirror on the back of the door adds to the illusion of space. The laundry is communal, as is the rooftop terrace.
"This is an ideal chance for the first-home buyer or an astute investor seeking a beach pad and looking to enter a blue-ribbon beachside locale," Glass says.
Off-the-plan Bondi Beach prices tipped $45,000 a square metre last weekend in sale at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/pacific-bondi-beach-buyers-riding-the-property-wave-through-to-the-2015-tide/2012090956465">Campbell Parade Pacific Bondi Beach </a> development.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Old-fashioned studio fails to ride the Bondi Beach property wave

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 Greenfield suburbs – the fastest-growing parts of our cities – must be built to meet the needs of future generations, not just initial residents, according to  the Grattan Institute.
Launching the Grattan’s new report, Tomorrow’s suburbs: building flexible neighbourhoods,  Jane-Frances Kelly, the cities program director at the institute, suggested within a generation these new developments would have residents with very different profiles and needs.
"If these suburbs are to thrive in the long term we should make them flexible and able to change right from the start."
"Yet greenfield suburbs are overwhelmingly dominated by family-sized detached houses when they are first built.
"If, unlike older areas, these suburbs can't change over time, they will lack the flexibility to meet the changing life circumstances of their residents.
"If a suburb cannot change as households change, then residents' quality of life will be diminished," she says.
Kelly saus that flexible suburbs contain land that can be used for different purposes, shopping centres that suit a range of businesses and shops, and buildings and homes that can be adapted as people’s needs change over time.
"But the communities being established in greenfield areas lack these qualities – even when they work well for current residents," Kelly says.
Instead, land tends to be strictly separated into commercial and residential uses, shopping centres lack diversity and offer limited scope for setting up local businesses, and there is a predominance of similar lot sizes with detached houses built on them, often right to the edges of the lot.
"A uniformity of housing options can make it difficult for residents to move house – into a smaller home, for example – as their needs shift over time," Kelly.
"If housing cannot adapt, a suburb may struggle to attract new residents, and new businesses. It will miss out on the process of renewal that is essential to successful cities."
Grattan’s report recommends ways to make new suburbs, shopping centres, buildings and homes more adaptable. It shows how a capacity to change has proved enormously valuable in existing urban areas, especially the older core of our cities.
"By pure chance, certain characteristics of these older areas made inner urban renewal easier," Kelly says.
"We are not saying we can reproduce these qualities in greenfield areas, but we can plan for flexibility right from the start."
The five suggested measures for new suburb developments that will enhance adaptability are recommended as:
<ul>
<li> a joint sale option that lets owners sell their land together if at least 90 per cent of them agree, starting 25 years after the initial purchase</li>
<li>town centres that can grow and change, surrounded by a variety of buildings that face the street</li>
<li>a 15-year limit on restrictive covenants</li>
<li>broader, mixed-use zones, with regular reviews of zoning across the city</li>
<li> new standards for connectivity based on how long it takes residents to get to a mix of jobs, shops and services.</li>
</ul>
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Adapting to demographic change will be the key to greenfield suburb longevity: Grattan Instititute

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The Retford Hall, Darling Point, penthouse of the late retailer arts philanthropist Mollie Gowing has been sold for $5.7 million.

Occupying the entire 18th level of the Thornton Street high-rise tower,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/doublebaybondibeach/properties/234920"> the four-bedroom penthouse </a> was on the market for the first time in 30 years.
It sold at auction last night through Cooley Auctions. There were three bidders after five contracts. Bidding opened at $4 million, with two bidders taking its passed the undisclosed reserve.
It has about 260 square metres of indoor-outdoor living space with harbour views.
It had overly ambitious $7 million expectations when listed for November auction last year.
It was listed by Tony Barron at Barron &amp; Dowling Real Estate.
"This dream blank canvas combines house sized proportions with panoramic point blank views of Sydney Harbour," according to Daphne Sauvage, the Raine &amp; Horne Double Bay conjunction selling agent.
 
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Gowing's Retford Hall, Darling Point, penthouse gone 

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Chinese property buyers have the potential to create top-end housing market momentum in key cities across the world, including Sydney, according to international real estate group Savills.
But not until Chinese currency and offshore investment rules are relaxed, says Savills global research director Yolande Barnes.
“Emerging markets, and Chinese buyers in particular, still have the potential to move other world city markets,” the report, Savills World Cities Review Index, suggests.
“The unleashing of high-net worth Chinese investor monies could boost London’s prime markets by 15% and the same must be true of other top cities, but this will require the relaxation of currency export controls and overseas ownership restrictions.”
Meanwhile China-based buyers have continued their acquisition of prestige Sydney property, the latest being a mainland Chinese family who've spent $9 million plus on Elysium (pictured below), a Hunters Hill waterfront, through Savills agent Adam Ross last month.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/elysium2.jpg">
The six-bedroom, five-bathroom Le Vesinet Drive, Pulpit Point, property on a 992-square-metre block has a Turkish steam bath.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/elysium1.jpg">
It was briefly listed for sale in 2005 with $10 million hopes. it was built in 2002 with its Sydney Harbour Bridge views in mind, with attention to detail paid to its design and construction. 
White marble floors greet guests in the grand entry vestibule, which leads to the elegant formal living and dining rooms and on to a covered terrace capturing north-easterly views. An opaque glass and timber door, framed by tall rosewood architraves, leads into the kitchen, where antique Chinese doors conceal a huge pantry. Next to the kitchen is a casual dining area that flows into an informal living room opening to another viewing terrace.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/elysium3.jpg">
The billionaire property and media tycoon Chau Chak Wing, who is an Australian citizen, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/international/china-s-property-bubble-billionaires-getting-richer-but-face-government-cooling-efforts/2011090851473" target="_blank">has owned on the same street since paying $3 million </a>in 1995 to buy within the Comrealty-developed Pulpit Point estate.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/elysium4.jpg">
Sydney ranked among the international cities showing positive prestige price growth, although Hong Kong led the Savills World Cities Index for the first?half of 2012 with a price rise of?just over 7%.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/elysium5.jpg">
<table style="width: 470px;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" valign="top" width="111">
CITY 
</td>
<td rowspan="2" valign="top" width="113">
Capital growth Jan-June 2012
</td>
<td rowspan="2" valign="top" width="113">
Capital growth
June-Dec 2011
</td>
<td rowspan="2" valign="top" width="94">
Capital growth since June 2005
</td>
<td colspan="2" valign="top" width="151">
Rank by capital value
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="76">
June 2012
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
June 2005
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Hong Kong
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
7.4%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-3.4%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
105.9%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Moscow
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
5.5%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
4.1%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
113.5%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
8
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
8
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Sydney
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
3.7%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-2.0%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
31.7%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
9
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
London
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
2.8%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
1.0%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
34.7%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
2
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Singapore
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
1.5%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
3.6%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
110.3%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
4
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
New York
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
1.1%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
2.0%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
10.5%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
7
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Tokyo
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-0.3%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-0.2%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
42.9%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Mumbai
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-1.7%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
0.0%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
149.7%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
10
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
10
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Shanghai
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-2.6%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
0.1%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
137.3%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
6
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
9
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="111">
Paris
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
-3.4%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
4.4%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="94">
47.6%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
5
</td>
<td valign="top" width="76">
4
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Source: Savills
 Sydney was up 3.7% in a period when the residential markets of the world’s leading cities had become more localised.
"The strongest price growth has been seen in those world cities that were buoyed by domestic demand, while international investor cash has retreated to a few core markets with established, long-term investment credentials," the report says.
Paris was the worst global city in the Savills index, with prices falling because of the ongoing eurozone crisis and proposed increases to taxes on high-end property and investor gains that followed the election of President François Hollande, who's set to impose taxes on the rich. 
"Paris is the biggest loser of 2012 and faces a period of uncertainty," the report notes, adding further price falls now seem unavoidable in the French capital. London is the potential beneficiary as international money seeks an alternative haven within the geography of Europe, but outside the eurozone.
London remains the second most expensive world-class market, but it too faces uncertainty regarding the impact of new stamp duty rules, announced in the March budget, which has already slowed activity and price growth at the top of the market.
"A period of flat prices now seems likely, though market fundamentals (high occupier demand and limited supply) favour growth longer term," the report notes.
Barnes says that New York is poised for a strong recovery with steady price growth, low mortgage rates, short supply and growing offshore demand.
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Hunters Hill mainland Chinese prestige property purchase signals emerging international trend

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The red brick Cronulla house used as the location of the Vickers' family house in the Channel 10 series Puberty Blues sold at weekend auction for $1,382,500.
It's been bought by Debbie and Bill Sawtell, who outbid four other groups with plans to live in the the home, last sold 47 years ago. They will live there with their four children.
It was among the 245 sales from 361 weekend Sydney auctions, according to Australian Property Monitors.
Sydney's clearance rate was 60.6%, with Melbourne agents securing a 61% success rate.
The Cronulla house was very much in mint 1970s condition, including the seven different types of wallpaper, patterned carpet, coloured bathroom and wood light fittings.
The series location manager Peter Hicks scoured for months to find the right house with authentic '70s interiors.
It went to auction with $1.2 million-plus hopes through Dax De Traubenberg and Justin Ressler of Ressler Property.
The television series had the property as the home of Debbie, played by Ashleigh Cummings, the daughter of Judy and Martin Vickers, played by Claudia Karvan and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor.
The high-rating series tells the story of two girls growing up in The Shire in the 1970s.
It is based on the iconic 1979 novel by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey.
The property was sold by three sibblings, Toni Bowden and her brothers, Graham and Warren Callender.
''I did the puberty blues here; poor mum and dad, the things they don't know,'' Bowden told Fairfax Media.
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No blues for the property market as '70s icon sells

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Acclaimed for its eclectic European-styled interiors amid lush gardens with sweeping ocean views, Rae's on Wategos Beach at Byron Bay has been put on the market for the first time in 20 years.

It's been listed by the entrepreneur Vincent Rae.
Located on a prized 1,049-square-metre beachfront Marine Parade block, the property is set for October 26 auction through Ray White Hotels agents Tony Bargwanna and Andrew Jolliffe in conjunction with Gerald Delany of Kay &amp; Burton in Melbourne. The agents have declined to give any indicative pricing.
The agents expect interest from hoteliers, but it would mostly likely attract considerable residential buyer interest. There is recent approval for a new underground car park, cocktail bar, lift, sub penthouse, spa area and a 200 square metre entertaining terrace.
It charges between $600 to $1380 a night.
Rae's is opposite the 1,406-square-metre record-setting holding bought by property developer Danny Goldberg for $15.68 million in boomtime 2006.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/april26watermark]}
Marine Parade's most recent beachfront sale has been the<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/watermark-at-wategos-beach-sells-five-years-after-initial-listing-for-just-shy-of-%2410-million/2012042654431" target="_blank"> Watermark at Wategos</a> (pictured above), a duplex apartment building on a 656-square-metre block, which sold quietly earlier this year for $9 million through Graham Dunn of Byron Bay Property Sales to David Knappick, who made his fortune from his shareholding in Felix Resources.
Rae's guesthouse was built by Ruth Harris who established a restaurant there called Argentine Ant Cantina and then La Belle Epoque, neither of which were especially successful although Liberace did play the piano at the then French medieval-styled mansion around which Salvador Dalí had a hand in its early 1970s tropical garden design, presumably a sketch or two done from afar.
Wanting $2 million at its June 1994 auction, Harris later sold for $1,375,000 in 1994 to Rae, who developed it into an iconic luxury retreat once rated by Conde Nast Traveler magazine in its "Top 25 Hotels in the World" in 1997.
Over the years its guests have included Richard Branson, Harvey Keitel, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, Keith Richards, Pink, Elle Macpherson and Nicole Kidman.
Rae says that at 50 he's ready to move on.
"I've had a lot of interest over years but I've never wanted to sell," he told News Ltd.
"I've had discussions with Richard Branson over the last year or two, he loves the place.
"You would love to think it will continue on. She is a great old dame, that building.
"But at the end of the day I'm looking for the best result, and if a Packer came in and wanted to pay top money and turn it into a house I could walk away with a smile on my face."
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Eclectic Rae's for sale as coal tycoon David Knappick picks up Watermark at Wategos

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The off-the-plan sale of 74 apartments in the Pacific Bondi Beach has been credited as Sydney's most successful post-global financial crisis apartment sales marketing campaign.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/pacificbondi.jpg">
The sales, which included $1.9 million for a 70-square-metre one-bedroom apartment, grossed $164 million.
Some speculators secured apartments as a long-term property option given construction will not be completed until November 2015 at the earliest. Exisiting hotel bookings at the Swiss-Grand Resort &amp; Spa mean construction won't begin until mid-2013.
The Campbell Parade apartments – to be developed by Eduard Litver of the Capit.el Group and Allen Linz of Rebel Property Group, who paid $135 million in 2007 – were launched simultaneously on the weekend in Sydney and Hong Kong, with 80% of sales eventuating in Sydney. Buyers were queuing half an hour before sales office doors opened at 8am Saturday morning ready to put down a deposit. The project was also launched at CBRE’s Hong Kong office, and 14 apartments were sold to Hong Kong-based buyers, who were mostly expatriate Australians.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/bondipac1.jpg">
The cheapest sale started at $575,000 for a 35-square-metre studio, with prices peaking at $10.3 million for one of the seven penthouses.
Price per square sales ranged from about $15,000 to $45,000, according to CBRE agent Ben Stewart.
CBRE chairman Justin Brown told News Ltd and Fairfax Media he was negotiating with a local empty-nesters for the $15 million penthouse, with hopes to secure the sale this week.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/bondipac2.jpg">
"It will break the Bondi record for in excess of $50,000 per square metre," Brown says.
It is one of four lighthouse penthouses that remain for sale.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/bondipac3.jpg">
Co-agent Steven Chen of McGrath says there were 3,000-plus inquiries leading up to its launch.
Ceiling heights will typically range between 2.7 metres and 3.1 metres, although some lower floor ceilings in the refurbished Swiss Grand complex will be 2.4 metres.
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Pacific Bondi Beach buyers riding the property wave through to the 2015 tide 

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Businessman Simon Tripp has been identified as offering $45 million for Fernhill, a Georgian mansion in Mulgoa, the former home of property tycoon Warren Anderson.
The unsourced, unconfirmed report was written by The Australian Financial Review reporter Gretchen Friemann, who has written eight articles on the property saga since the listing by Colliers International in April 2011 with $50 million plus hopes.
The article noted that Tripp, a former investment banker, was a close business associate of Lend Lease boss Steve McCann.
The two men worked together at Ord Minnett stockbrokers and established a property vehicle that once held a stake in IMAX’s Australian operations.
Last November Colliers International confirmed Anderson had exited the historic Fernhill estate, making way for its sale with vacant possession.
Last week Anderson told Property Observer he had no idea what the receivers were doing with Fernhill.
"Ask my wife," he advised.
It's been suggested in earlier AFR reports that the property, placed on the market by receiver KordaMentha, had drawn widespread interest from developers, high-net-worth individuals and horse racing identities within Australia, Europe and Asia.
Colliers International NSW development director of residential Guillaume Volz, who was handling its sale, is not quoted in today's article.
The holding comprises <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/property-developer-warren-anderson-goes-quietly-this-time-departing-fernhill-after-three-decades/2011112452520?source=flicker2" target="_blank">15 lots totalling 653 hectares, of which 404 hectares form part of Fernhill.</a>
“Fernhill is arguably one of Australia's grandest estates,” Volz said last year.
Tripp has a long association with trophy homes mostly notably, the Chilton Parade, Warrawee house, Bremon.
Tripp and his wife, Brenda, paid $3 million in 1999 for the mansion known then as Pantugeul and spent about two years completing it. They sold for $10.1 million in 2005.
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A $45 million reputed offer by Simon Tripp for historic Mulgoa estate Fernhill

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The listing of Burrwang West Station in the central west NSW will be an interesting indicator of the capacity of  Australians to retain its rural treasures.
Ironically the property is actually the product of the hard work of English, American, Scottish, Chinese, Japanese and indigenious forebears, although it's the quintesentially Australian outback offering. 
It's the 4,673-hectare farm – with five star resort – of Graham Pickles, a whitegoods distributor, and his wife, Jana, an American-born banker turned marketing executive.
The then private resort was actually established in the early 1990s by the Japanese corporation Kajima Corporation as a retreat for its executives and favoured clients, but had been dustily mothballed for many years and several ownerships when the Pickles acquired the property in 2000.
The property was acquired by Dr Schoichi Kajima, president of one of Japan's largest construction companies, to create an authentic Australian bush retreat with architecture reflecting a contemporary interpretation of traditional Australian farm buildings coupled with a Zen-like sentiment in the self-sufficient remote location.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/burr1.jpg">
Its main striking building is its quintessential Australian homestead with wrap-around verandas, high ceilingsand twin chimneys amid a rose garden.
There are four boutique lodges, designd by Denton Corker Marshall, which resemble woolsheds on the outside, that accommodate 12 guest suites. They are known as The Barn, Woolshed, Jackaroo Cottage and Jillaroo Cottage. There's also along with a 20-metre swimming pool, tennis courts, saunas and conference facilities.
It's two hours from Dubbo or Orange and has its own airstrip. The garden now comes with an attention-grabbing concept – Utes In The Paddock – some 12 colorfully painted utes. The first ute – a 1971 Holden HQ series – by the Lightning Ridge artist John Murray.
Kajima's fate is outlined in the <a target="_blank" href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=tPotHoKD7pwC&amp;pg=PA129&amp;lpg=PA129&amp;dq=Kajima+Corporation+australian+property&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=KkNFBwPWXQ&amp;sig=NerZsx09JnQEPSaw3Ghu3PZoysc&amp;hl=en#v=onepage&amp;q=Kajima%20Corporation%20australian%20property&amp;f=false">book</a> A Yen for Real Estate: Japanese Real Estate Investment Abroad – From Boom to Bust by Roger Farrell. It was amng the Japanese investment, which left some amazing property assets especially in the east coast capitial cities, which fizzled with amazing losses in the early 1990s recession. 
The farm, where the Pickleses have run an Angus beef herd and a white Dorper sheep stud, dates back to the days of <a target="_blank" href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/edols-thomas-341">Thomas Edols</a>, the Bridgewater, England-born farmer who in 1873 bought the 520,000-acre (227,000-hectare) sheep station from Messrs. Francis and Martin having arrived in Tasmania aged 13 years in 1832.
He oversaw the improvements – hiring a workforce of local Wiradjuri people and Chinese – that cleared more than 20,200 hectares of native vegetation, built the fences, sunk wells, built a canal from the Lachlan River, and installed its rabbit proof netted fences. They constructed the 101-stand Big Burrawang shearing shed, which in its heyday employed more than 250 men and shore 270,000 sheep. It had 88 sheds of electric machine shears. 
Edols had failed with rams introduced from James Gibson, of Belle Vue, Epping, the doyen of Tasmanian breeders, but succeeded with rams purchased from Austin and Millear, Wanganella with the ram known as Bestwool laying the foundation for the high reputation of the flock, which were periodically sold to South African interest like Messrs. W. D. Hilder and Co., of the Transvaal. Of equal importance Thomas Edols was a generous and hospitable host – never known to refuse a man a job or meal to the travellers and itinerant workers passing through Burrawang.  When he died his sons carried on but the property was continually decreasing in size due to the governments  "closer settlement " policies and by 1920 no one named Edols remained on any part of the original property.
Amazing feats by all who have had an input into the farm over the deacdes.
Now it's for sale through <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meares.com.au/property/burrawang-west-station/gallery/burrawang-west-station.htm">Meares &amp; Associates Rural Property agents  Hugh Brownbill, Sam Triggs and Chris Meares</a>.
It presents an opportunity for new owners who, no matter what nationality, won't need to be quite as brave as their forerunners. The owners expect about $8.5 million.
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Upmarket and outback Burrawang West Station listing to test our acquisitive nationalistic bona fides

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The 94 apartments in the $440 million Pacific Bondi Beach development (pictured below) are being brought to market tomorrow, with some 30% expected to be sold to investors.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/pacificbondi.jpg">
Eight-foot timber veneer surfboards have been sent to VIP customers as part of the preliminary marketing. Much has been made of Ben Quigley, a lifeguard on Channel Ten's reality series Bondi Rescue, having registered his interest in buying an apartment. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/bondipac1.jpg">
The developer is Capit.el Group's director Eduard Litver in partnership with Allen Linz of Rebel Property Group.
The residential, hotel and retail project has been designed by Andrew Andersons of PTW Architects. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/bondipacad.jpg">
Pacific Bondi Beach will comprise 94 apartments, a 69-apartment hotel and a two-level retail and restaurant complex.
Buyers have a choice of units starting from beach pad studios of 35 to 44 square metres starting at $550,000.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/bondipac2.jpg">
The priciest on offer are the three-bedroom-plus-study lighthouse penthouses, which range in size from 152 to 282 square metres. There have been four registrations of interest for the lighthouse apartments which are expected to sell for between $8.5 million and $14 million.
Prices range from about $14,000 non-view to $30,000-plus a square metre. 
The developers Allen Linz and Eduard Litver, who were also responsible for another upmarket block, The Bondi, have engaged three interior designers: SJB, Koichi Takada and PTW.
"Everyone recognises that this is very unique almost an entire block of the beachfront," says Allen Linz.
"It won't happen again in our lifetimes."
Its forecast weekly rents for studios are estimated at $600 to $700 for the studios, one-bedroom apartments between $850 and $1,200 and two-bedroom apartments from $950 to $1600.
The selling agents are Ben Stewart at CBRE and the head of projects at McGrath, Steven Chen.
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Pacific Bondi Beach to test the tide 

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

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