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The large Northern Territory cattle station holding Killarney and Birrimba stations were passed in at auction last Friday.
The 5,414-square-kilometre landholding passed in on an auctioneer's vendor bid of $30 million.
The property was offered stocked with 41,000 brahman cattle, with the potential to stock 55,000 head.
Ray White Rural agent Russell Wolff had noted pre-auction interest in buying the properties. The local ABC Radio reported rumours in the territory suggesting buyers from the Philippines had taken a strong interest n the property, as well as interest from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Europe and New Zealand.
The titles are being sold by Wallco Pastoral Company, which paid $21 million for the property in 2001.
The property's failure to sell continues a trend for major station sales in the NT as three other properties in the Victoria River District have also passed in at auction in recent months – Inverway Station at $15 million, Riveren Station at $19 million and Bunda Station at $10 million.
All three leases that make up the original Inverway Station are on the market, which includes the Bunda and Riveren leases. The three leases have been in the Underwood family since 1956, when Pat Underwood bought Inverway.
Wollf has previously rejected suggestions there was a lack of confidence in NT's top end cattle industry due to the restrictions in the number of export permits released by Indonesia.
Herron Todd White valuer Terry Roth recently noted the Indonesian government decided to issue 98,000 live cattle import permits for the second half of the 2012 calendar year - in stark contrast to the 193,000 head permits that were granted in the corresponding period of 2011.
Adding further to the industry’s woes, Indonesia has also imposed a 5% tariff (retrospective to January 2012) on live cattle imports.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Large Northern Territory cattle stations continue auction sales impasse

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Milne House, the single-colour Robin Boyd-designed Toorak house, was passed in at its weekend auction on a $2.3 million vendor bid.
It’s a four-bedroom courtyard home last traded unrenovated in early 2006 for $1.63 million.
The Bennison Mackinnon agents Hugh Hardy and Andrew Macmillan had listed it with $2.5 million-plus hopes.
Marketed as a Boyd masterpiece, Milne House comes with steep skilling roof forms in opposing combinations, bagged brick walls, separate wings, simple features and a near windowless front facade on its 640-square-metre block set on the corner of Toorak and Glenbervie roads.
The Malvern Heritage Study puts its date at 1970. It is acknowledged as one of Boyd’s last homes by heritage authorities, as he died aged 52 in 1971.
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Milne House, the Robin Boyd-designed Toorak house, passed in at weekend auction

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Channel 7's new reality series, The Renovation Show, is currently casting for teams of two from all over Australia to compete in its home renovation television series. They want DIY stay-at-home renovators.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/casting.jpg">
To be eligible contestants must own their own home, and it must be their primary place of residence.
<a target="_blank" href="https://au.tv.yahoo.com/casting/">The application</a> can include a video to introduce themselves and a tour of their homes.
They must include before and after floor plans illustrating how they would like to see it laid out, preferably within the home’s existing footprint.
Successful applicants must be able to commit to a filming period of up to three to four months.
For real-life property lessons from reality TV shows, download our free eBook <a target="_blank" href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-lessons-from-the-block-and-other-property-reality-television-shows">Lights, Camera, Auction!</a>
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Channel 7's new Renovation Show seeks teams of two from homes in the suburbs

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Some 9.5% of all Australians who bought and sold a property during the last 12 years suffered a loss, according to an analysis by Rismark International of 3.25 million sales.
The analysis includes the gross purchase-and-sale return – ignoring the crucial aspect of rental incomes.
It also excludes the issue of the cost of borrowing money to fund an investment property purchase.
Factoring in transaction costs, including stamp duties, agents’ fees, council payments and other charges, the net loss tally jumps to about 15% of the sellers since 2000.
Around 5% of all owners who sold homes for less than their purchase price had an annual capital loss of higher than 3%, the reserch found.
The study was undertaken by Rismark International for the Australian Financial Review and looked at all the purchases and then resales of Australian homes between 2000 and 2012.
Suggesting a slight deterioration in the past year, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/the-home-buyers-losers-club-joye/2011072650914">similiar survey</a> undertaken in July 2011 for Property Observer by Rismark indicated 9.3% of all home owners traded their properties for a loss in the 21-year period from 1990.
AFR colmunist Christopher Joye concluded the research found the typical investor did quite well during the period.
The median compound annual capital return is about 7% before rents and transaction costs.
It was 7.8% per year in the Property Observer study for the 21-year period.
The latest analysis suggests that 62% of all buyers since 2000 have generated annual returns of more than 6%.
"So many have experienced excellent results," Joye says.
"Importantly, the numbers also presume you owned the home outright.
"If you were geared, your underlying equity returns would have been far higher," Joye adds.
Brian White from Ray White told the AFR it was dangerous to talk down the value of property investment.
“I think that it’s misleading to say that if you buy a property, you’ve got a 15% chance of it being a bad investment,” White said.
Joyes notes Australia’s $3.6 trillion private housing market accounts for nearly two-thirds of total household wealth.
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One in 10 sellers are likely losers: Rismark 

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Historic Buring House, built in the early 1920s by iconic winemaker Leo Buring and wife Nay, has been listed for sale.
The landmark three-bedroom house in the Sydney suburb of Leonay on 2,203 square metres has been meticulously restored to maintain its original character.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/buringcellar.jpg">
There's three-metre ceilings, open fireplaces and solid hardwood polished timber floors at the Leonay Parade house with 1,296 bottle cellar. 
It's been listed through David Reeves and Andrew Reeves at Jim Aitken and Partners Emu Plains for September 8 auction, who expect around $1 million.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/buring2.jpg">
The restoration was undertaken in 2010 by <a href="https://www.integrateddesign.com.au/heritage" target="_blank">Integrated Design Associates</a>.
The couple described their home as "so 'beautiful here with the Nepean River in front and the mountains at our back door, with an abundance of emus and wallabies". The Burings actually maintained a zoo at the then 160-hectare property supplying Australian animals to zoos around the world.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/buring3.jpg">
Around 1936 the Burings built a 19-hole golf course on their property.
Dignitries to have dropped by the house included Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in 1948. The property was sold after Buring's 1961 death, along with other holdings including Chateau Leonay at Tanunda in the Barossa Valley.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/leonay.gif">
Source: Penrith City Council
Leonay is bordered by the Nepean River on one side and a nature reserve on the other.
It was named after the winemaker and his wife.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/buring4.jpg">
He was born in 1876 in Adelaide but studied at Geisenheim Viticulture College in Rhine, Germany, and in 1898 attended the Viticultural College at Montpellier in France. It was in 1902 when he married Ida (Nay) Sobels from another great vigneron family.
 They secured the Edinglassie Estate (376 acres) for £2,200 in 1916. The bulk of the property was sold to off for residential development after his death.
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Iconic winemaker Leo and Nay Buring's 1920s Leonay house listed after restoration

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The former Equititrust executive Mark McIvor has lost control of his remaining two block Cronin Island holding.
The 2,217-square-metre offering comes with an original single-level house and vacant block.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/cronin.jpg">
McIvor, who founded the Gold Coast's own merchant bank, Equititrust, in 1993, consolidated the offering about a decade ago.
It cost $3.6 million in 2002 and $1.7 million in 2003.
Michael Willems and Robert Graham at <a href="https://myproperty.raywhite.com/PropertyDetails.aspx?id=826415">Ray White Prestige</a> has the receivership listing, which will be auctioned September 6 in one line or as two separate parcels.
Equititrust, which became known for using a Roman voussoir arch as its marketing logo to suggest structural stability, was among the many unlisted mortgage funds to take a battering following the 2008 financial crisis.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/mark-mcivor-s-former-cronin-island-gold-coast-back-up-for-auction/2012072955758" target="_blank">McIvor's own residence was also on Cronin Island</a>. It was a two-storey riverfront home designed by Sydney-based architect Alex Popov on a 1,736-square-metre block with 50-metre frontage onto the Nerang River and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/trophy-homes/mark-mcivor-s-house-sales-%E2%80%93-cronin-island-and-double-bay-%E2%80%93-keep-everyone-guessing/2012071055508" target="_blank">was sold off earlier this year amid some intrigue</a>. It is currently up for resale.
McIvor built the house on the $1 million block, which he bought in 1994.
It sits in landscaping by international garden designer Andrew Pfieffer.
There are just 33 houses on the island.
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Mark McIvor loses controls of another Cronin Island property

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<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">
Rathgar, the 1886 Victorian mansion (pictured below) situated at possibly the highest point in Hawthorn, has been listed for auction with $5 million-plus hopes.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/08/aug10rathgar]}
It was built with two tiers of elegant verandas that offer extensive views across Melbourne.
The landmark five-bedroom, two-bathroom Italianate property is thought to have been designed by architect John Edmund Burke, whose works include mid-1890s shops near the Hawthorn Town Hall which was designed by John Beswicke who also designed Auburn Village shops.
In the past it's been the residence of the Consul for Belgium and a period as Woodhouse Grove' Girls' School.
Set within 1,650-square-metre landscaped gardens created by Jack Merlo, the house comes with solar/gas heated pool and spa and a flood-lit north-south mod-grass tennis court. It comes with bathrooms designed in 2010 by Jane Riddell.
There are traces of a late 1980s bold renovation by Jane Scally that enhanced the rich period details inside.
At its 1993 auction it was priced with $900,000-plus hopes and sold at $1.36 million.
Its been listed for private auction on September 20 through Jock Langley at Abercromby's Real Estate Armadale.
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Sales this year in Hawthorn have included the $5.75 million Friesia (pictured below), an 1888-built Italian Renaissance-designed house and one of Melbourne’s most captivating residences.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october11isabella]}
The single-storey mansion was designed for the German consul William Brahe by architect John August Bernard Koch, who later designed Labassa in North Caulfield.
It’s been bought by Caulfield North couple Valeri and Irma Danilova. He hails originally from Makhachkala in the Russian Federation and resided in Sydney’s North Bondi in the early 1990s. He heads Australia's Quality Sheepskin Pty Ltd, whose core business is to supply raw sheep and lamb skins to tanners and dressers worldwide from its processing plant at Leongatha North in Gippsland.
The Hawthorn house was last traded in 1970 for $49,000 totally derelict – with no electricity, no hot water, no internal toilet, and the sky could be seen through most rooms.
It was sold by Kay &amp; Burton agent Scott Patterson, who <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/hawthorn-house-built-for-19th-century-german-consul-on-the-market/2011101051871" target="_blank">on its listing last November</a> hoped to secure $6.5 million plus.
The property was inspired by the works of Filippo Brunelleschi, father of Italian Renaissance architecture in Florence.
It was been sold by Warwick Forge and his wife, Sue, who have been running the biennial Australian Landscape Conference for 10 years in a bid to bring together creative landscape designers from overseas and Australia.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="margin: 5px; float: left;">Another comparable was $5.66 million last November on Kinkora Road when an 1895 Victorian mansion sold at Jellis Craig auction, with the Salter family outbidding three other bidders vying for the Batrouney family property. Set on 1,256 square metres in the Grace Park Estate, the two-storey house featured four bedrooms and two bathrooms.  
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Kate Aujard from Pulse Pharmacies also sold her imposing Hawthorn residence (pictured below) earlier this year. With a tennis court in its 2,800-square-metre grounds, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom English-style house is set on Scotch Hill. It last traded at $9.1 million in 2007 when bought from head hunter David Dick and wife Sandra, so it represented a good test of Melbourne’s prestige market.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/march14pulse]}
Tim Picken and Scott Patterson at Kay and Burton never revealed the sale price, but Title Tattle quickly reckoned its was likely to have sold at around the realistic quote price of $8 million since its sold within two days of offers being due. Title Tattle has subsequently gleaned it sold to the O'Brien family for $7.9 million.  
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">In June a Victorian-style home sold for just under $13 million on Kooyongkoot Road, the prestigious address within the coveted Scotch Hill zone. It’s spread over a 2788 square metre block which includes a tennis court and swimming pool. But its seems the sale was on extended settlement terms. The property was last sold for $3.45 million in 2002. 
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/08/aug10kooyongkoot]}
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">There was another sale on Kooyongkoot Road (pictured above) in June, which was snapped up by Robert Steele and his wife, Kristen. Looking like it was built in 1880 it was actually built in 2001, thereby having the older-style grace but with all the mod-cons of today's living.
It was listed by Peter George, human resources director of strategic accounts at Talent2 recruitment agency, and his wife, Linda, a cookbook producer and food stylist, who were seeking expressions of interest over $6 million through Kay &amp; Burton's Michael Armstrong. Mal James, the buyers' agent, reckon there was one oversight – when he suggested the vendors were obviously not car people. "Yes it has a double car garage, but it's a tight fit and it feels like the garaging for a $2 million home, not a $6 million home. But hey if you haven't got three Maseratis then you won't even notice what we are saying. Even though it's early days this will be one of the better rating homes of 2012 – great big family home on a very good block in a great position, " James noted. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/elmiest.jpg">
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Meanwhile the former newspaperman-turned-adman Stuart Simson, and his wife Anne, are selling their Hawthorn home (pictured above), Hartland, with reported $3.3 million-plus Marshall White August 25 auction hopes.
Dating back to the 1880s, the Victorian mansion on Elmie Street has boasted high-profile residents being the family home of Major Lady (Winifred) MacKenzie, the first woman doctor of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, whose husband, Sir William Colin MacKenzie, was the founder of Healesville Sanctuary. A 1943 Argus report noted the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/11796121">family's residency </a>on Elmie Street in a funeral report of her mother, Mariannie Smith. Her father, Arthur Norman Smith, had been the mayor of Hawthorn in 1898. He also authored the book,  The History of Hawthorn to 1895. A first edition with original red cloth and gilt title that addressed Hawthorn's early settlement to the 1880s land boom was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timebooksellers.com.au/ANZAAB%202012%20Book%20Fair">for sale</a> at last month's Melbourne Rare Book Fair for $500.
The grand residence features impressive period detail through a formal sitting room, formal dining, study and five bedrooms. There’s also a well-equipped country-style kitchen. They have undertaken the extensive renovation after they bought it almost 20 years ago. The Simson couple reportedly intend to downsize to an East Melbourne apartment.
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Who will ever forget Avon Court in Shakespeare Grove, purchased by Autobarn boss Garry Dumbrell in 2009 for $20,250,000? It really was Hawthorn's highpoint when sold by the former Richmond Football Club president Clinton Casey and his wife, Leslie. Ross Savas at Kay &amp; Burton hired Jo Silvagni to be the face of its print and video campaign. Avon Court had traded for $5.7 million in 2003 with a rumoured $9 million or more spent on building two new wings, a cinema, gymnasium, sauna, 10-car garage and replacement tennis court.
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Rathgar, almost the highest home in Hawthorn, listed with $5 million-plus hopes: Title Tattle

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A Mosman residence, nicknamed Cannons Hall in respect to its dance hall days past, has been listed for sale. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/mandolong.jpg">
Set on a level 718-square-metre Mandolong Road block, it last traded when bought by the Hewson family in 1998 for $1,375,000.
It was once home of Gavin Souter, the author of Mosman, a History and his wife, Ngaire.
In the book he writes about the dance hall that John Cannon operated there in the late 1890s.
In 1905 there was a move by the Methodist Church to shut down the dancing saloon from operating – especially on Sundays – through it continued until around 1912.
“My wife and I moved to Mosman in 1965 and we lived in Mandolong Road down near Balmoral, No 28,” Souter told <a href="https://mosmanfaces.net/stories/gavin-souter" target="_blank">Mosman Faces</a> a fascinating 12-minute vidoe prepared in 2010.
“It used to be quite a long while ago, Cannon’s dance hall," Souter recollected.
"There was no trace of it left in our back garden, but we knew it had been there and it sort of interested my wife, Ngaire, in Mosman’s early history.
"She lived in Mosman since the age of three and she soon after we arrived in Mandolong Road, started doing articles for the Mosman Daily about the streets of Mosman, and that ran in 1966/67.
"There were a lot of them and that was quite a good introduction for me as well too – the history of Mosman.
"But I didn’t really get involved in doing Mosman’s history for quite a few years after that.”
Offers on the five-bedroom house close with Richardson &amp; Wrench agent Stephen Patrick on September 5 with $3.75 million plus hopes.
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Mosman dance hall days property that triggered Gavin Souter's historical passion listed for sale

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CBD hotels enjoy the strongest price growth outlook in the commercial property sector, but an uncertain economic climate is negatively impacting the timing of recovery expectations in all commercial property markets by varying degrees.
CBD hotels enjoy the strongest forecast upturn, expected to be up 1.6% by quarter two 2013 and 3% by quarter two 2014, according to the NAB quarterly Australian commercial property survey.
Office values are predicted to rise 1.1% and 2% in next one and two years respectively.
Industrial values are expected to fall 0.9% over next year and rise 0.9% by June 2014.
Retail values are expected to fall 1.2% in the next year and 0.2% in the next two years.
For the office property market recovery expectation timeline, about 32% of respondents expect the market would begin recovering by quarter four 2012, down from 50% in the NAB last commercial office survey.
In the retail property market, only 25% of respondents to the NAB survey said the recovery would begin by late 2012, compared with 51% in the previous survey.
The biggest change in expectations was noted in the industrial property sector, where the timing of recovery was pushed back significantly.
Some 56% of respondents now see the recovery in the industrial property sector commencing between quarter two 2013 and quarter four 2013, compared with 33% in the last survey.
The bank launched the NAB Quarterly Australian Commercial Property Survey in April 2010.
Around 300 panellists participated in the June 2012 consisting of real estate agents/managers, property developers, asset/fund managers and owners/investors.
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CBD hotels best of a weak commercial property bunch, NAB survey 

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Actor Nicole Kidman has sold her redundant 12th-floor New York apartment at 176 Perry Street, the Richard Meier-designed building in the West Village.
The high-rise apartment, with a nine-metre-wide entrance gallery with sweeping views of the Hudson River, fetched $US16 million (A$15.2 million).
The deal for the property closed July 10, according to public records filed this week and reported by <a target="_blank" href="https://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/08/06/nicole-kidman-sells-w-village-spread-for-16m/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+trdnews+%28The+Real+Deal+-+New+York+Real+Estate+News%29">The Real Deal</a>.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/perry.jpg">
Title Tattle recently reported the Moulin Rouge star purchased the 350-square-metre apartment for about $US8 million when bought off the plan in 2003 in the name of her trustee, sister Antonia.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/nicole-kidman_420.jpg" alt="nicole-kidman_420" height="300" width="400">
Kidman was upset by construction of another tower that partially blocked her views so she and husband Keith Urban, who are based in Nashville and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/actor-nicole-kidman-secures-third-apartment-in-milsons-point-latitude-apartment-complex-title-tattle/2012080355848" target="_blank">Milsons Point, Sydney</a>, bought another New York apartment (above right) in early 2011, paying $10 million.
Kidman placed the Perry Street apartment on the rental market in 2010, <a href="https://streeteasy.com/nyc/rental/711731-condo-176-perry-street-west-village-new-york">asking $45,000 a month</a>.
The Herald Sun speculates the recent property shuffle could signal the couple was planning a move back to Australia on a more permanent basis, although it notes Kidman and Urban spend most of the year in Nashville.
 
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Nicole Kidman offloads her redundant New York condominium

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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