<html><body>
Kenwood, John Lennon's former home in the United Kingdom, where his first marriage ended, has been listed for sale through Knight Frank for £15 million.
The six-bedroom 1920s stockbroker Tudor-style house outside Weybridge, Surrey, is 24 miles (39 kilometres) south-west of London.
Lennon bought the property in 1964 and lived there with his first wife,  Cynthia, and son Julian until 1968, when the two split and John linked up with Japanese artist Yoko Ono.
Cynthia Lennon wrote in her 2005 book John' that she returned early from her vacation to find Ono wearing her bathrobe at the property, which was sold in the divorce settlement. Lennon married Ono in March 1969, and moved to Tittenhurst Park in Ascot in south-east England. Two years later he moved to New York, where he lived until the fatal shooting in December 1980.
The <a target="_blank" href="https://search.knightfrank.com/cho110077">house</a> occupies a plateau position set around St George’s Hill’s renowned golf course, tennis club and leisure amenities.
Kenwood enjoys uninterrupted views of the Surrey Hills.
The 6,000-square-metre garden, with a new indoor swimming pool complex, features York stone, split level entertaining terraces, low box hedging, specimen plants and herbaceous borders.
It was listed for sale in 2006 at £6 million.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

John Lennon's former stockbroker Tudor-style Surrey house listed for sale

<html><body>
A Western Australian buyer has paid $10.1 million for a Mosman waterfront home with views up Middle Harbour towards Bantry Bay.
The Shellbank Avenue property was sold by Richard Simeon of Richardson &amp; Wrench Mosman.
The deep waterfront home has four bedrooms with ensuites, three of them opening to terraces with views.
It's a three-level Gelder Architects-designed home connected by lift.
The 740-square-metre property comes with jetty and pontoon.
The property last traded for $7.3 million in 2005 when it was a 1940s house renovated in 2000 with then Peter Fudge gardens. It traded for $1.5 million in 1992.
The north-facing location, which protects it from the searing east-west heat and shelter from winter's southerlies, now comes with Conzept Landscaped-designed grounds.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/bankers-are-supposedly-bailing-but-mosmans-mandolong-house-reputedly-sells-for-bullish-%2418-million/2012031853893">Mosman's highest sale this year was Mandolong House</a>, one of Mosman's most coveted non-waterfront estates, which sold for a bullish $18 million to Markus and Sally Kahlbetzer from the polo playing pastoralist family headed by John Dieter Kahlbetzer.
</body></html>

Western Australian buyer pays $10.1 million for Mosman harbourfront

<html><body>
Melbourne bookmaker Mark Read and wife Shari are still awaiting $3.7 million buyers of Beauty Falls, their Sunshine Coast acreage retreat at Cooroy Mountain.
It was passed in at $3.6 million at its <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/melbourne-bookie-mark-read-tries-again-to-sell-cooroy-mountain-horse-retreat-on-the-sunshine-coast/2012052454819">June auction</a> through Ray White Rural agents Peter Douglas and Barry Quinn.
Read, who’s been involved in the sports betting industry for about four decades, once run his business out of the property.
The 10-year-old, double-story Queenslander homestead has 1,340 square metres of space across 16 rooms.
The 44-hectare cattle stud property, known as Beauty Falls, sits in the foothills of Cooroy Mountain in the Noosa hinterland.
Horse lovers will be attracted by its Olympic dressage arena, 18 seven-metre stables with four full-size horse boxes, separate tack room, wash bay and a 75-square-metre holding yard and water.
With 15 paddocks and a three-bedroom cottage, the farm improvements include a set of 125-head steel yards, loading ramp, veterinary handling crush, calf cradle and floodlights.
In the previous marketing campaign around $4,875,000 was sought. There were $7 million-plus hopes on its initial 2009 listing.
 Peter Douglas told Property Observer it was passed into a Melbourne family for $3.6 million at its June auction.
</body></html>

Bookie Mark Read awaits $3.7 million buyers for Sunshine Coast acreage retreat

<html><body>
A substantial landmark retail building on High Street, Armadale, is scheduled for August 16 auction.
Located opposite the Armadale Railway Station, the building has been occupied by the art dealers Sotheby’s for the last two decades.
But the listing agents say its being offered subject to flexible lease arrangements providing flexible opportunities for investors, developers and or owner-occupiers.
It's tipped to fetch more than $5 million through Chris Kombi and David Bourke at Fitzroys.
Sotheby’s current lease dates from October 2008 and is three years at $300,760 per annum plus outgoings.
The lease was varied by agreement between the landlord and tenant to extend for a further 12-month period to September 2012.
Its current total rental of $352,760 per annum plus outgoings includes Zetta Florence at around $52,000 per annum plus outgoings.
The site area of 1,221 square metres has dual frontages to High Street and Morey Street.
It's a substantial two-storey building of 1,400 square metres with rear car parking.
</body></html>

Sotheby's building on High Street, Armadale, for auction

<html><body>
Mirvac's proposed 37-storey Sydney commercial building now faces its final approval processes after its public exhibition closed yesterday. 
Mirvac anticipates permission soon to demolish the existing George Street office block as its seeks construction to begin by December. 
Mirvac Group is reportedly set to include the new tower in a mooted $1.3 billion unlisted office trust, which will offer a 50% stake in four assets in a bid to attract more equity into its funds management business from international investors, according to a recent report by the Australian Financial Review.
The George Street project has been designed by Johnathan Redman of Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, which won a design competition for the scheme.
The $250 million FJMT-designed development (architectural impressions below) will provide 43,270 square metres of floorspace including ground-level retail.
It emerged after six selected architects – Architectus; Bates Smart; Collins and Turner; Fitzpatrick + Partners; FJMT; and Woods Bagot – were invited in September 2011 to partipate in a competition for its architectural design to meet the target construction cost budget of $215 million.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/mirvac1.jpg">
It was concluded by the judging panel that its achieves warmth in materiality and character in the podium and tower forms that will result in definitive and elegant architecture.
"The building’s podium is one of its key strengths and recognises the site’s mid-block character by providing a respectful and strong street wall.
"The curved tapering end to the street wall also provides a strong reinforcement at the human scale of the ‘kink’ in George Street at this juncture (opposite Essex Street) and also purports to draw pedestrians along the site and through into the future public square," the judges concluded.
It comes with a through-site pedestrian link between George and Underwood streets, an enhanced Crane Place, along with the allowance for the future connection of a laneway between Dalley Street and Herald Square.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/mirvac2.jpg">
The site has frontages to George Street, Dalley Street, Underwood Street and Crane Lane.
The SMH commercial property editor Carolyn Cummins initially reported last year that Westpac might take the space, but more recently she's noted its likely leasing by Ernst &amp; Young.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
The site, near Circular Quay opposite the Four Seasons Hotel, has been consolidated by Mirvac over the past decade since paying $17.5 million for the initial Dalley Street holding. The 188 George Street office block cost $43 million in 2003 when bought from AMP Life and the 190 George Street premises cost $24 million in 2003.
The 190 George Street office premises were associated with the Equitilink team, led by Brian Sherman and Laurence Freedman, who took up space in 1995.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/mirvac3.jpg">
Mirvac's application says the proposed development will contribute towards strengthening Sydney’s role as a globally competitive city by supporting business activities and ensuring adequate capacity for new and upgraded office accommodation in the CBD.
Upon completion, the final project will replace existing buildings with poor ESD performance with a new building that will achieve a five-star green star rating and five-star NABERS energy rating.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/mirvac5.jpg">
It will enhance the physical appearance of the site by providing a new building that achieves design excellence, "in place of outdated 1970s/1980s buildings".
It enhances the building’s relationship with the ground plane and surrounding public domain fostering the vitality of Sydney's historic network of laneways.
Click to enlarge
<a href="/images/stories/2012/08/mirvac4.gif" rel="shadowbox" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/08/mirvac4thumb.gif"></a>
Set some 200 metres south of Circular Quay, the site has an area of 3,147 square metres and contains a former Telstra exchange building.
The design follow a September 2008 council-commissioned NSW government Architect’s Office urban design study for the entire block bounded by Alfred, Pitt, Dalley and George streets (referred to as the APDG block/site).
It notes the proposal incorporates commercial and retail uses and therefore assisted with restricting residential development to the northern end of the APDG site.
The proposal provides for the development of one of the three high-rise towers earmarked for the APDG site, however the proposed tower footprint does exceed the 42% building envelope control in order to achieve a typical floor plate net lettable area (NLA) greater than 1,200 square metre.
Its notes providing a minimum 1,200-square-metre NLA floor plate is required to meet the "premium-grade office building" classification in accordance with the PCA design specification for new buildings (2006).
Mirvac's consultant, JBA Design, maintains development proposed contributes towards reinforcing Sydney as the best place to work through establishing a new commercial office address that offers a dynamic and flexible work environment.
The developers suggest public transport patronage will be maximised through locating infill commercial development at appropriate density within walking distance of extensive public transport connections.
“Walking and cycling will be encouraged as a result of the proposed development through provision of a significant numbers of bicycle parking spaces (workers and visitors) and provision of end of trip facilities for workers,” the application says.
Mirvac was granted approval for a stage 1 development application by the City of Sydney Council for the 190-200 George Street and 4 Dalley Street site in November 2008.
For more on Sydney's present and future, download our free eBook <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-sydney-embracing-the-world-of-tomorrow" target="_blank">Sydney: Embracing the World of Tomorrow</a>
</body></html>

Mirvac's 37-storey, $250 million Sydney office block proposal awaits final approval

<html><body>
Western Australia's well known Clairault Vineyard has been sold to American entreprenuer John Streicker.

<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/clairault.jpg">
The confirmed freehold land sale price was $12 million.
Streicker, who owns other vineyards in the region, is the NYC-based Sentinel Real Estate Corporation chairman. He also operates the Yallingup Protea Farm, which exports Margaret River flowers to Japan and China.
The Clairault vineyard is one of the oldest in the region, having been originally planted in 1976.
The 222-hectare property includes a restaurant, cellar door, 200-tonne winery and a residence.
The winery is situated on the main wine tourist route of  Caves Road in the heart of the Margaret River region.
HTW valuers recently noted the Clairault name had been developed into a very strong brand.
The local media has speculated the Martrin family's sale price was understood to be $14.5 million dollars including stock, brand and plant and equipment.
"This sale is considered to be good news for the local wine sector which has been struggling now for some years," HTW notes.
</body></html>

John Streicker buys more Margaret River vineyards

<html><body>
Interior designer Jane Duncan-Weaver secured the weekend's highest auction sale when $3.25 million was paid for her Paddington home. The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-paddington-nsw-2021/155232" target="_blank">four-bedroom terrace</a> has a north-facing garden, plunge pool, self-contained studio and a double lock-up garage on its 242-square-metre block.
It was listed through Ben Collier at McGrath with initial expectations around $3 million.
Some 160 people attended its first open inspection, and there were five registered bidders at its well-attended auction.
The bidding opened at $2.6 million and at $3.16 million it was announced on the market by McGrath auctioneer Scott Kennedy-Green.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-terrace-nsw-paddington-104983022.pdf?10562789e312f8f0bc073073014c35dd" target="_blank">unrenovated Gordon Street</a> terrace previously traded at $2 million in mid-2008.
It was was the first time the former television producer took on the tasks of an architect in the terrace redesign.
She had left the world of television when she contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite five years ago.
She recently launched a by-appointment-only shop, Studio B at Castle Cove, which assists with furnishings in home makeovers.
The $3.25 million sale is the highest-priced Paddington auction since $4,906,000 on Goodhope Street in March.
 
</body></html>

Paddington bears the mantle of Sydney's weekend top auction seller

<html><body>
Sydney's weekend auction clearance was its highest weekend result since 2010, with 68% of listings selling under the hammer.
There were 134 sales from the 196 reported results amid the 248 overall listings, suggesting the final tally may differ when the late reported results are added.
While fewer houses and apartments went under the hammer than the previous three weekends, Australian Property Monitors senior economist Dr Andrew Wilson says the result augur well for the upcoming spring selling season.
The result was up 14 percentage points on the same weekend last year, when 54% was secured from the overall 261 listings,  and eight percentage points up on the 60% last weekend, when there were 321 scheduled auctions, the APM figures show.
The average Sydney clearance rate since the start of July was 62%, compared with the mid-50% range in the same period of last year, Wilson says.
“It’s a very strong result. It’s been following an upward trend in the past four to six weeks,” he says.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/paddington-bears-the-mantle-of-sydney-s-weekend-top-auction-seller/2012080555868">The highest sale was $3.25 million in Paddington.</a>
But Tanderra, one of Sydney’s few remaining houseboats, didn't get to weekend auction after legal complications triggered its withdrawal.
Dating back to the 1920s, its one of just four houseboats moored in Middle Harbour near The Spit at Pearl Bay.
It last traded for about $150,000 in 1983 and was then rebuilt, its listing agent Sandie Dunne says.
Dunne, of Dunne Mosman, says the value of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/tanderra-the-middle-harbour-house-boat-%E2%80%93-that-dates-back-to-the-1920s-%E2%80%93-has-been-listed-for-auction/2012070455433">the houseboat</a> is  not in its structure but in the length of its lease and existing use rights status.
But she emailed clients on Thursday that the Saturday auction "has been cancelled due to legal issues to be resolved".
The weekly Real Estate Institute of NSW figure of 65% is the highest weekly clearance rate mid-May, the institute's Tim McKibbon says. The REIV report on a slightly different time line, from July 30 through to August 4, hence, in part, the difference between the results. The REINSW had 111 properties reported as passing in and 210 reported as sold.
"We have seen a steady improvement in New South Wale’s auction clearance rate over the past few weeks," he says.
Melbourne agents secured a clearance rate of 59% compared to 60% last weekend and 55% on the same weekend last year, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
In the month of July there were 1,590 auctions with an overall clearance rate of 58%, according to the REIV.
This compared with 56% in June from 2,390 auctions.
The national auction results are available at propertydata.com.au.
There were 384 auctions reported to the REIV this weekend, with 227 selling and 157 being passed in, 92 of those on a vendor bid.
The highest-priced home sold was a four-bedroom, two-bathroom property on a 1,133-square-metre block on Hawthorn’s Wellesley Road, which sold for $2.51 million.
Wilson describes the Melbourne clearance rate as “so-so” to the Australian Financial Review, noting that while the Melbourne market was not weakening, it was posting similar results to the same period last year.
With the number of auction properties falling to a seasonal low, the south-east Queensland auction clearance rate has peaked, according to the Jason Andrew Group.
Additionally the JA group reported an overall average of 2.07 registered buyers per auction, up from the previous week’s result of 1.38.
 The year-to-date clearance rate for 2012 now sits at 49%, compared to the 2011 result of 34%.
Andrew says he is  witnessing a level of confidence across all price segments and locations that had not been evident for some time.
“Crowd sizes continue to rise, with the average at 19 last week.
"We are seeing strong buyer interest teamed with a shortage of quality stock in an increasing number of areas, which has resulted in an outstanding clearance rate last week.” Andrew says.
 He says it will be interesting to see what happens to the equation once supply increases.
</body></html>

Sydney auction clearance rate hits two-year high 

<html><body>
<img alt="55lavander_0000_55lavander.jpg" height="300" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/55lavander_0000_55lavander.jpg.jpg" width="400">

Actor Nicole Kidman has not just enlarged her Milsons Point 21st-floor penthouse space in her recent acquisitive property purchasing.

A search of the Latitude building apartment records indicates she has also spent $2.68 million on a 19th floor apartment which is utilised in part as a home office.

The previously unrevealed 2011 home office purchase was through a holding company not previously associated with the international celebrity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=32227]

Last week the actor settled on the purchase of her adjoining <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/nicole-kidman-expands-her-milsons-point-penthouse/2012073055775">Milsons Point penthouse</a> space at a reputed $7 million outlay on the 21st floor. It improved her Sydney Harbour Bridge views being at the southern end of the block. Kidman's earlier purchase was in 2009 at around $6 million.The initial 21st-floor penthouse acquisition was bought from the Wizard founder Mark Bouris, whose family company bought it off-the-plan in 2005 for $4.75 million.

She's altogether spent about $15.6 million high above Lavender Bay.

Nicole lovers her water views as she's on the Hudson in New York. Her initial condominium investment is on the 12th floor of the West Village's renowned Richard Meier-designed twin Perry Street towers (below left) complex. The 350 square metre fishbowl cost about $US8 million when bought off-the-plan in 2003 in the name of her trustee, sister Antonia. It was reported Kidman had unsuccessfully begged the developers to install a secret passage between the apartment and the garage.

<img alt="nicole-kidman_420" height="300" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/nicole-kidman_420.jpg" width="400">

Just two kilometres along West Side Highway from West Village, Kidman subsequently spent $US9.67 million in Chelsea, the heart of Manhattan's art district.

Her two-level, 220 square metre fourth-floor digs (above right) are diagonally across the road from the Gagosian Gallery, and its enormous southern walls are an art collector's dream. The development was marketed as the first high-rise with own-floor garages, which are accessible via a car lift.

Blainey North, the Sydney interior decorator of the moment, has scored the dream decorating design job of the combined 798 square metre penthouse. She’s billionaire James Packer's preferred decorator.

North was first spotted by the mainstream press when shortlisted in the 2005 The Interior Design Awards, but has since barely rated a mention in the Sydney newspaper columns other than when she married Russell Crowe’s personal assistant, Keith Rodger in mid-2011.

North is known to be a fan of art deco with a restrained colour palette, and the use of wood panelling and chrome accents.

Indeed her first home – sold in 2010 to model Lara Bingle at $882,000 – was in an art deco Darling Point apartment complex.

It was a renovated, one-bedroom unit with city and harbour views from most of its 65 square metre space, which North had secured for $700,000.

It featured elegant American oak parquetry flooring.

Her bespoke projects have included the 54 Park Street spa where Nicole Kidman is known to work out.
</body></html>

Actor Nicole Kidman secures third apartment in Milsons Point Latitude high-rise complex: Title Tattle

<html><body>
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/08/38oceanave]}

The jeweller Robert Clerc has relisted his circa 1830s Double Bay residence for August 28 auction through Di Jones Real Estate agents Gary Sands and Jane Schumann, who are pitching its as a fusion of colonial charm and contemporary design. Its most recent asking price indication remains at above $5 million being sought.

At last August’s auction the duo hopes for around $6.5 million for one of Double Bay’s earliest homes, Mort's Cottage.

The original sandstone house built in the Gothic Revival style has been extended with a modern addition of glass and steel designed by Thomas Jacobsen architects after its 2005 purchase for $3.02 million.

Its set on a 620 square metre holding on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Cross Street.

</body></html>

Mort's Cottage, the 1830s Double Bay residence, back for auction

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

Buying into a masterplanned community often means committing to a vision still years from taking shape. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>, that vision is already visible.

Residents have moved into the completed first stage, landscaped spaces are established, and the next chapter is now underway. Stage 1 has been completed and settled, with Stage 2 now selling off-the-plan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> combines attainable apartment living with sustainability initiatives rarely seen at this price point, including rooftop solar, battery storage and a resident EV-sharing program.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6RNt3AvtBpI?si=JUhuCV2ZRXsYaoJZ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Located on Schofi​elds Road, just moments from Tal​lawong Metro Station and Schof​ields Train Station, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been designed to appeal to a broad mix of buyers, from first-home purchasers looking for a foothold in Sy​dney's property market to downsizers seeking a connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been conceived as a thoughtfully planned masterplanned community that will evolve over multiple stages, with buyers now able to secure one, two and three-bedroom apartments within a neighbourhood that is already beginning to establish its identity.

One of the project's defining features is its focus on sustainability. Solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure have been incorporated throughout the development, reflecting a long-term approach to both environmental performance and everyday convenience.

Sustainability sits at the centre of the development's vision, with solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure integrated throughout the community.

That emphasis on future-ready living extends beyond the technology. Landscaped communal gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and plans for a future retail precinct aim to create a neighbourhood where residents can access daily conveniences without travelling far from home.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351027]

The apartments themselves have been designed with liveability front of mind. Rather than chasing maximum density, the focus has been placed on creating practical homes with generous natural light, usable layouts and strong connections to outdoor space.

Importantly, these design principles have been applied consistently across the one, two and three-bedroom apartment offerings.

The appeal of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> is also closely linked to its location within Syd​ney's rapidly evolving north-west growth corridor. Over the past decade, major infrastructure investment has transformed the area, with new transport links, business precincts and community facilities reshaping suburbs like Talla​wong and Schofiel​ds.

The agent says buyers are increasingly recognising the area's long-term potential.

"Typical buyers that we're finding across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> especially are your first-home buyers, your investors, your upsizers as well as your downsizers," Hawes says.

Connectivity remains one of the project's strongest drawcards. Residents have access to both Tallaw​ong Metro Station and Schofi​elds Train Station, providing links to the Sydn​ey CBD, Norw​est Business Park, Macquari​e Park and other major employment hubs. Retail centres including Rous​e Hill Town Centre and Sch​ofields Village are also nearby, alongside schools, parks and future healthcare infrastructure.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351031]

For Stage 1 resident Roji, it is the balance between convenience and comfort that has defined the experience of living at Kew.

"For me, it's a balance of quality and convenience," she says. "Everything I need is right here."

"If I wanted to catch the train, Scho​fields Station is just around the corner. Tallaw​ong Metro connects me to the city."

More importantly, she says, the development has delivered something that cannot be measured in floorplans or specifications.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> feels like home."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351024]

As Stage 2 enters the market, that lived experience may be one of the project's strongest selling points. Buyers are not purchasing into an untested concept or a future promise. They are joining a community that is already taking shape.

Ongoing investment in transport, retail, healthcare and public open space continues to strengthen the appeal of Syd​ney's north-west growth corridor, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>'s established first stage provides buyers with a tangible sense of the community's future direction.

For a limited time, buyer can secure a new home at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> with just a $10,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149637]

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

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

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

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

Jonathan Chancellor

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News