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The Bellevue Hill house of the late charity queen Elizabeth Symonds was passed in when auctioned last night, having had initial price hopes of about $7 million. The executors placed a $6.25 million vendor bid.
The five-level, five-bedroom, five-bathroom mansion was last traded in 1996 when bought by the longtime Pied Piper Committee stalwart and her solicitor husband, the late Cedric Symonds, for $3.85 million following their $8.5 million sale of Cardigan, the now demolished Elizabeth Bay harbourfront residence.
Its 1996 vendor was rag trader Ray Pillion.
Set on both Carrington Avenue and Cranbrook Road, the house, which has elevator access and guest accommodation, has a backdrop of Sydney Harbour and the Royal Sydney Golf Course.
The house was offered this week through Elliott Placks of Ray White Double Bay in conjunction with Pillinger Property agent Brad Pillinger.
The 1,200-square-metre holding comes with a tennis court and pool.
Bellevue Hill's top recorded sale this week was on Kambala Road, when a tad over $4.6 million was secured through McGrath agent Paul Ephron for a four-bedroom contemporary house relisted recently with $4.7 million hopes. It had been listed at $5.8 million in March last year with another agent.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Late charity queen Elizabeth Symonds’ Bellevue Hill home passed in on $6.25 million vendor bid

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Despite anecdotal reports of the growing numbers of single-member households, the official data showed a slight decline in 2011 ABS census. There was an increase in the percentage of  group households.
 
<table style="width: 470px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="350">
<a href="https://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2901.0Chapter35002011" target="_blank" title="Describes the type of household within a dwelling and indicates whether a family is present or not and whether or not other unrelated household members are present.">Household composition</a>
</td>
<td width="110">
Australia
</td>
<td width="40">
%
</td>
<td width="110">
2006
</td>
<td width="40">
%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Family households
</td>
<td>
5,550,611
</td>
<td>
71.5
</td>
<td>
5,122,763
</td>
<td>
71.7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Single (or lone) person households
</td>
<td>
1,888,697
</td>
<td>
24.3
</td>
<td>
1,740,481
</td>
<td>
24.4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Group households
</td>
<td>
321,005
</td>
<td>
4.1
</td>
<td>
280,851
</td>
<td>
3.9
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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Group, not single households on the rise: ABS 2011 census 

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Of occupied private dwellings in Australia, 32.1% were owned outright, 34.9% were owned with a mortgage and 29.6% were rented, the latest 2011 census data reveals.
<table style="width: 470px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="350">
<a href="https://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2901.0Chapter55502011" target="_blank" title="Describes if an occupied private dwelling is owned, being purchased, rented or occupied under another arrangement.">Tenure</a>
</td>
<td width="110">
Australia
</td>
<td width="40">
%
</td>
<td width="110">
2006
</td>
<td width="40">
%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350" colspan="5">
Occupied private dwellings
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Owned outright
</td>
<td>
2,488,149
</td>
<td>
32.1
</td>
<td>
2,430,730
</td>
<td>
34.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Owned with a mortgage
</td>
<td>
2,709,433
</td>
<td>
34.9
</td>
<td>
2,436,118
</td>
<td>
34.1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Rented
</td>
<td>
2,297,458
</td>
<td>
29.6
</td>
<td>
2,010,451
</td>
<td>
28.1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Other tenure type
</td>
<td>
70,070
</td>
<td>
0.9
</td>
<td>
60,080
</td>
<td>
0.8
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350">
Tenure type not stated
</td>
<td>
195,213
</td>
<td>
2.5
</td>
<td>
206,717
</td>
<td>
2.9
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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Australian mortgage-free home ownership has fallen since 2006: ABS 2011 census

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Australia’s tallest private home has been sold after two years on the market.

The 10-storey Girvan Estate house in the NSW Upper Hunter has been sold to undisclosed family buyers from Singleton.

At 30 metres, it’s Australia's tallest private house, possibly the tallest in the southern hemisphere, but a shadow of  the northern hemisphere’s Antilia, the 27-floor personal home in South Mumbai belonging to businessman Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire chairman of Reliance Industries.

The Girvan tower was built at a cost of more than $2 million by local Peter Grey atop a hill on a back road between Stroud and Bulahdelah.

Approved by Great Lakes Council in 2002, the house comprises an entrance foyer with an indoor pool, a whole floor tennis court, a lift, six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Several members of the extended family occupy the various floors.

The fifth floor has a kitchen and dining area, which takes up the entire floor, while the 10th floor has been Grey's office.

It was advertised with $1.75 million hopes through Webb Bros Property &amp; Livestock, Stroud.

The tower sale is on a 33.5-hectare (100-acre) holding, along with a timber 89 hectare holding.

<h2>NSW properties on the market right now:</h2>

[smartcode_project:default project_id=32227]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=24323]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29140]
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Girvan Estate, Australia’s tallest private home, sold after two years

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Clearview, the 1885 Chatswood residence built by Alexander Simpson, exhibits some expertise with sandstone.
It was Simpson who also subsequently built the Northbridge suspension bridge across Long Gully in 1892. <a target="_blank" href="https://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-http%253A%252F%252Fwww3.photosau.com%252FWilloughby%252Fscripts%252FExtSearch.asp%253FSearchTerm%253D6542019">He went on to become mayor of Willoughby in 1889.</a>
The Mowbray Road property, which was restored in the early 1990s, has four double bedrooms, three bathrooms, a study and downstairs guest room.
Its Shead Property Chatswood listing agent Nick Separovich says it’s one of the area's finest examples of affluent late Victorian architecture.
It’s listed with $1.6 million-plus hopes, with offers closing July.
It last sold to the Chen family for $1.42 million in 2005, having sold at $550,000 in 1994.
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Alexander Simpson’s 1885 Chatswood sandstone property Clearview listed

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Led by Western Australia, Australia's annual population growth rate was 1.4% for the year ending December 31, 2011, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Over the same period, Australia's population increased by 302,600 people to 22.5 million (22,485,300) people.
Net overseas migration accounted for 55% of the growth for the year ending December 2011, with the remaining 45% due to natural increase (births minus deaths).
The preliminary net overseas migration estimate for the year ending December 2011 (184,000 people) was 9% (or 15,100) higher than that for December 2010 (168,800 people).
Based on preliminary figures, there were 296,700 births registered in the year ending December 2011.
It was 2.5% (or 7,200) more than the previous year (289,500).
The number of deaths registered was 147,000, 2.5% (or 3,600) more than the previous year (143,400).
Click to enlarge
<a href="/images/stories/2012/06/absjune20.gif" rel="shadowbox" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/06/absjune20thumb.gif"></a>
The official population estimates were derived from the 2011 Census counts and other ABS sources.
The estimates include Australian residents temporarily overseas on census night plus an estimate of people not counted on census night.
They exclude temporary overseas visitors in Australia.
Official population estimates also take into account births, deaths and migration trends.
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Australia’s population increased 1.4% in past year, led by WA and increased immigration: ABS

<html><body>
It was during the 1850s Victorian gold rush that a tent city known as Canvas Town was established in what's now known as South Melbourne. The area was home to tens of thousands of migrants, particularly from Ireland and China, who having disembarked were soon off to seek their fortunes in the central Victoria goldfields.
Some 160 years it's property speculators who are homing in on the four Dorcas Street, South Melbourne terrraces from the hit Channel 9 reality television show The Block 2012.
"They are an underlying investor’s goldmine," according to BMT Tax Depreciation boss Bradley Beer.
BMT has identified significant deductions available to property investors bidding at the June 30 auctions.
All four listing agents have used the reports in their pitch to convince investors to be among the buyers.
The depreciation reports have been prepared by BMT Tax Depreciation Quantity Surveyors, which have inspected the older properties – now renovated – and estimated what a buyer could claim in deductions in his or her tax returns.
The four properties were purchased for an average of $950,000 each, and BMT has ascertained over $700,000 a terrace has been spent in additional works.
“If an investor is to purchase one of these properties for the anticipated $1.1 to $1.2 million, they represent great value based on the overall expenditure,” says Beer.
The tax depreciation schedule advises purchasers could claim over $30,000 in deductions during the first full year leading to a cumulative total of $140,000 in the first five years of ownership.
BMT Tax Depreciation prepared the property depreciation reports for The Block’s 2011 offerings, which the investor buyers will use in their current financial year tax returns.
But research shows that 80% of property investors fail to take full advantage of property depreciation, Beer says.
“They are missing out on thousands of dollars in their pockets,” he says, as the Australian Taxation Office allows property owners to claim depreciation over items that wear out as a tax deduction.
Depreciation can only be obtained by property owners who obtain income from their property.
The<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/renovating/south-melbourne-terrace-price-sales-a-guide-for-the-block-2012-contestants-and-june-30-auction-bidders/2012061955120" target="_blank"> four terraces would need to fetch well above their price estimates to break even</a>, but the television series is content to make its money from big advertising revenues.
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The Block 2012 triggers gold mine fever return to South Melbourne as investors seek depreciation windfalls

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Soft trading conditions over the past 12 months have caused six Melbourne suburbs to drop off the million-dollar perch.
The first-quarter median house prices have revealed their medians to fall short of the $1 million mark.
These suburbs include <a target="_blank" href="/news">St Kilda East</a> ($875,000); <a target="_blank" href="/news">Port Melbourne</a> ($921,250); <a target="_blank" href="/news">Balwyn North</a> ($980,000); <a target="_blank" href="/news">South Melbourne </a>($967,000); <a target="_blank" href="/news">Carlton North</a> ($837,250) and <a target="_blank" href="/news">Prahran</a> ($940,000). Of these suburbs, St Kilda East suffered the biggest decline in median price over the year, with the median house price declining from $1,125,000 in quarter one last year to $875,000 in quarter one this year, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV).
<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/milliond.jpg">
Source: REIV *Median price is based on fewer than 30 house sales
South Melbourne's fall off the million-dollar list <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/renovating/south-melbourne-terrace-price-sales-a-guide-for-the-block-2012-contestants-and-june-30-auction-bidders/2012061955120">will no doubt worry contestants of The Block 2012</a>, whose South Melbourne terraces are going to auction June 30.
There were four suburbs in the million-dollar club in 2005, with the list steadily increasing to a peak 27 suburbs in 2011, according to the <a href="https://blog.realestateview.com.au/author/enzo-raimondo/" target="_blank">REIV's Enzo Raimondo on his realestateView.com.au blog.</a>
The current top three positions are the inner-eastern suburbs of Toorak ($1,860,000), Canterbury ($1,676,250) and Malvern ($1,585,000).
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Six Melbourne suburbs lose their million-dollar status: REIV

<html><body>
The Top Ryde Shopping Centre has been given a $350 million price valuation, according to the Australian Financial Review.
The valuation was ordered by receivers a few weeks ago for the centre in Sydney’s north-west as a prelude to its anticipated sales marketing campaign.
But it’s being held back from sale for now while the banks mull over their options, the AFR suggests.
The centre owes $600 million to its banking collective creditors after Bevillesta was placed into administration with BRI Ferrier in February 2011.
The centre had been on and off the market over the past few years with no result.
The 78,215-square-metre centre will be the first big regional mall in years to come to market as a full sale.
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Sydney’s Top Ryde shopping Centre valued at $350 million, leaving bankers short

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Packed to the Rafters star Rebecca Gibney and her husband, artist Richard Bell, have sold their Clareville home for an undisclosed price.
The couple didn’t have the time to turn it into their dream home so the four-bedroom house on a 948-square-metre block had $1.3 million hopes on its listing last year.
With views of Pittwater towards Ku-ring-gai Chase national park, it cost $1.22 million in 2009, so a small loss after costs seems probable.
The family, who sold in Tasmania last year, have suggested they were likely to upgrade to a contemporary house in the Pittwater precinct north of Sydney.
“Due to increasingly busy schedules, we have decided not to renovate our home on the northern beaches,'' Gibney has told the local press on listing the initial October 2011 property through Andrew Blake and Cathy Agosti from Andrew Blake Real Estate.
“It has been a real haven, and we will miss the privacy and great views. We love the area,” Gibney noted.
The couple’s renovation plans, which had been approved by Pittwater Council, included a new pool, enclosing the carport and first-floor additions and had been projected to cost $414,000.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/november9gibneytassie]}
Their four-bedroom Tamar Valley home, River Point House (pictured above) – which cost $650,000 in 2003 – was sold for $1.15 million in February 2011 having been listed with a $1.3 million price through Roberts Tamar agent Kerry Sanders in late 2009.
It had been available as a $1,700 weekly holiday rental since it came with private beach, boat ramp and boathouse. The couple had paid $650,000 in 2003 for the 1981 house set on seven hectares on a bend of the Tamar River at Kayena, north of Launceston.
In 2007 Gibney shot to local and national attention after attending anti-pulp mill rallies in Launceston protesting against Gunns Limited's planned pulp mill on the Tamar River at Long Reach, some five kilometres downstream from Gibney's then home.
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Rebecca Gibney packing up after selling in Clareville

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.

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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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