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A mid-century Modernist Wahroonga home has been scheduled for June 2 auction through the agent that just sells architectural gems, Marcus Lloyd Jones at Modern House. The architect of the 1955 Kintore Street home isn’t known despite the best efforts of its current Queensland-bound owners, Andrea and Paul Banner, who bought the rundown yet heritage-listed house for $940,000 in 2009. Despite having since liaised with the Ku-ring-gai Council and Ku-ring-gai Historical Society, the research is still missing that crucial detail. But the home did cost £11,000 to build, which was more than double the cost of most homes being built in the area at the time.
<img src="/images/stories/wahroonga1.jpg">
NSW Heritage: Image by:	Robert Moore, Penelope Pike, Helen Proudfoot
Image copyright owner:	Ku-Ring-Gai Council
Anecdotally there are vague recollections of a 1950s Home Beautiful or Woman’s Weekly magazine article. The original owners, Richard and Jaqueline Hayden, commissioned the local builder, George Perry. Some in the area recall it originally having a grey exterior, black-framed windows, bright yellow front door and a vivid orange garage door evoking comparison to the Mondrian House’s colour scheme.
The current owners bought the home almost three years ago and have sympathetically modernised the home which is being marketed as a rare surviving example of a single-storey, mid-century house. Stylistically it bears strong resemblance to the work of the Australian modernist architect Arthur Baldwinson, with the opulence and optimism of the Palm Springs Internationalist style, say the listing agents, noting the low profile design, flat-roofed house featuring wide eves.
It sits on a 1,536-square-metre corner site at Kintore Street and Eastern Road, through invisible from the street given the mature landscaping. With 230 square metres of space, the double-brick home features four large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a modern eat-in kitchen and spacious open-plan living area and floor-to-ceiling steel-framed windows that opens out to the garden from both sides.
It comes with restored spotted gum parquetry.  More than $1.2 million is being sought.
There is a current Sydney lecture series that traces housing styles in Australia hosted by the Historic Houses Trust as part of the Sydney Open program.
The <a href="https://www.hht.net.au/discover/highlights/articles/sydney_open_talks_house_bios">Thursday evening talks</a> run weekly until June 14 held at The Mint on Macquarie Street, Sydney.
Architects can claim informal CPD points by their attendance. The remaining series Mansion Thursday, May 17, 6pm - 7.30pm Dr Charles Pickett, curator of design and built environment at the Powerhouse Museum Jonathan Chancellor, managing editor, Property Observer Beach shack Thursday, May 24, 6pm - 7.30pm Dr Michael Bogle, design historian Peter Stutchbury, Peter Stutchbury Architects Terrace Thursday, May 31, 6pm - 7.30pm Keri Huxley, social and political scientist and former mayor of Woollahra Council Hannah Tribe, founding principal, Tribe Studio Architects Project home Thursday, June 7, 6pm - 7.30pm Dr Judith O’Callaghan, senior lecturer, The University of New South Wales Tone Wheeler, principal architect, Environa Studio Portable Thursday, June 14, 6pm - 7.30pm Megan Martin, head of collections and access Sean Godsell, Sean Godsell Architects
 
 
Photography: © Tamara Graham Photography
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Palm Springs California Modernist style with Sydney upper north shore heritage status

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Kennebunkport, the Western Australian beachfront retreat of the property developer Warren Anderson and his former wife, Cheryl, has been listed with revised $5.2 million-plus hopes.
The six-bedroom home has direct beach access, high ceilings and jarrah floors. It has an upstairs sitting room with fireplace and library. The 2,261-square-metre Fern Road grounds come with a tennis court. Its wide balcony takes in the views of Eagle Bay.
Peter De Chiera of Stocker Preston has the listing, which takes its named from the historical harbour and resort town in Maine, USA, which is the summer home of the US presidential Bush family.
The property was put in the hands of receivers after the internecine collapse of the Anderson family trust, Owston Nominees No 2. The house had $12 million initial hopes on its 2009 listing. The trust paid $420,000 in 1989 for the block.
Anderson <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/property-developer-warren-anderson-goes-quietly-this-time-departing-fernhill-after-three-decades/2011112452520" target="_blank">vacated Fernhill</a>, his historic mansion at Mulgoa in Sydney's outer west, under court order after being <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/property-developer-warren-anderson-goes-quietly-this-time-departing-fernhill-after-three-decades/2011112452520" target="_blank">declared bankrupt</a>.
<img src="/images/stories/eaglebay1.jpg">
Eagle Bay's record price stands at $5.9 million when Brent Allan bought Jahangir (pictured above), his non-beachfront hillside five bedroom house on a 2,000-square-metre holding in 2009.
 
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Warren Anderson’s WA beachfront retreat Kennebunkport's revised pricing: Title Tattle

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One of Richmond’s oldest homes – a 154-year-old bluestone cottage – was passed in at weekend auction on a $900,000 vendor bid.
The Bosisto Street house was built by a stonemason in 1858, when the inner-Melbourne locale was rural. It was well before the town hall tower, the St Ignatius spires, Dimmeys, trams or trains. At the time Richmond's big attraction then was entrepreneur George Coppin's Cremorne Gardens, a 4.5-hectare pleasure park with the Pantheon Theatre, a zoo, a lake and bandstand plus a hotel. It was the location in 1858 with Australia's first successful hot air balloon flight taking off from Cremorne Gardens, the start of aviation in Australia, 50 years before aeroplanes.
The cottage comes with rear garden on the 343-square-metre block, which includes mature eucalypts.
Set between Bridge Road and Victoria Street, it last traded about four decades ago.
Jellis Craig agents Hayden Reed and Clayton Smith had been quoting between $900,000 plus for the three-bedroom house which now has a $975,000 asking price.
Local historian Robin Jackson suggests it is among the oldest half-dozen properties in the inner-Melbourne suburb.
There were nine weekend sales and two passed in at Richmond on the weekend. Across Melbourne the clearance rate was a healthy 63% compared to 61% last weekend and 52% this weekend last year, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
There were 591 auctions reported to the REIV with 370 selling and 221 being passed in, 135 of those on a vendors bid.
Next week the REIV estimates 600 auctions will be conducted.
Sydney’s auction market posted slightly improved results its 61.8% clearance rate up on 61.1% previous weekend and the 57.7% last year, according to Australian Property Monitors.

 
 

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Richmond 1850s bluestone charmer passed in at weekend auction: Title Tattle

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Two Northern Territory mahogany plantation farms – among the last remaining operational assets of the failed Great Southern Group – have been put up for sale by administrators.
Ferrier Hodgson has advertised the holdings Theyona and Blackbull, which comprise a combined 14,342 hectares, on behalf of Great Southern HVT Pty Ltd (in liquidation.)
Theyona is the larger of the two Douglas-Daly district holdings, at 9,400 hectares.
Offers are due by June 13 with Andrew Gray at Colliers and Angelo Castorina at Ferry Property.
Great Southern, which ran as many as 45 managed investment schemes covering cattle, pulpwood, almonds and vineyards, was placed in administration and subsequently receivership in 2009 owing its bankers $600 million.
More than $1.8 billion was raised from its investor growers to help fund it schemes.
GSHVT is a landholding company with respect to 38 teak and mahogany properties that were leased to GSMAL for the purposes of the GSMAL HVT 2007 and 2008 schemes, and seven unencumbered properties that are not subject to these schemes.
Following their appointment on May 18, 2009, the R&amp;M of GSMAL assumed control of the scheme properties by virtue of their control of the lessee, GSMAL.
GSHVT recently entered into a contract to sell another NT holding, Mentabie.
It is among the five properties that have been sold, totalling around $3.8 million.
Ferrier Hodgson advised the funds realised from sales been utilised to make payment of GSHVT’s pre-appointment land tax liability which was required to effectuate the transfer of these properties.
“The balance of these funds have been utilised to meet ongoing operational and realisation costs for certain GSHVT properties, and issues associated with resolving the default notices issued to Lowell and the completion of the Lowell ASA,” the recent report noted.
It also noted that an interim dividend of 1.23 cents in the dollar was distributed to admitted creditors on January 12, 2012.
 
 
 
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Administrators list two NT mahogany farms, among last assets of failed Great Southern Group

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The five-bedroom contemporary Sydney Harbour home of Stephen Brown, the boss of the troubled 1st Fleet trucking company, and his wife, Corrine, comes with a $16 million asking price.
Featured in the latest June issue of Australian Home Beautiful magazine, apparently it’s a mix of the sophistication of Scandinavian design interiors blending with patio Balinese influences.
Of greater importance Property Observer can reveal Stephen Brown only owns 1/1,000th of the property – with wife Corrine holding the remaining 999/1,000 equity.
And a $9.2 million CBA mortgage was taken out in late March this year.
The Pacific Street property occupies a 1,062-square-metre block that was bought for $3.6 million in 1996 with the couple’s purchase showing the 1/1000-999/1000 equity split.
The Browns have been regular in refinancing their mortgage, with the latest mortgage being their eighth on the title since 1996.
The latest CBA mortgage replaced a BNY mortgage, which was taken out in June last year when transferred from Allco Managed Investments.
The Browns had previously lived next door, selling it for $2.9 million in 1996.
It’s listed through Michael Pallier of Raine &amp; Horne Double Bay who is seeking about $16 million for the property which has been for sale since October 2010.
<img src="/images/stories/1stfleet1.jpg">
The house and its decor, along with photos their Maltese dog, Lily, feature in the latest issue of Australian Home Beautiful magazine (pictured above and below). The house's two-year renovation was completed in 2008 to a design by Lesiuk Architects with interior decor by Fiona Goss.
<img src="/images/stories/1stfleet2.jpg">
The house comes with the largest private jetty in the Watsons Bay hamlet.
Brown’s company was ranked as one of the largest privately owned logistics supply chain solutions providers in Australia.
But earlier this month hundreds of workers arrived at their workplaces to find 1st Fleet's depots in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia were locked.
The 24 year old company employed about 700 full-time workers, including 300 in NSW, and more than 300 contractors who drove trucks as owner-operators.
The weekend’s Sunday Telegraph reported Brown flew to the United States last week opting not to attend the first meeting of creditors last week, at which the appointment of administrator Antony de Vries of de Vries Tayeh was confirmed.
Property Observer understands the couple flew to the United States to attend the wedding of their son, doing so after the administrator was advised of the prior travel arrangements of Stephen Brown.
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1st Fleet's Stephen Brown owns just one-thousandth of his recently refinanced $16 million harbourfront Watson Bay property listing

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<div><img src="/images/stories/aman.jpg"></div>
The proposed sale of the former Palm Beach home of Tony Morris, the ex-principal of GP Noble currently on trial in the UK over fraud allegations, and his soon-to be-ex-wife, Vanessa Morris-Jackson, has stalled.
There was an application to the Australian Federal Magistrates Court by his bankruptcy trustee Andrew Wily to sell it - for reputedly about $4.6 million. But Magistrate Rolf Driver ruled yesterday against Wily’s application to delete the requirement for Vanessa’s consent to any sale of the northern beaches clifftop house. It had been passed in on a $5 million vendor bid at its March Raine &amp; Horne auction.
<div><img src="/images/stories/tonyvanessa2.jpg"></div>
<div>The couple were married at nearby Jonahs in 2008 in a Moroccan-themed wedding party – she was in a dress by Monique Lhuillier.</div>
<div><img src="/images/stories/tonyvanessa.jpg"></div>
<div>Tony Morris, who was extradited from Sydney last April to face charges of defrauding the fund, had paid $7.45 million, with Vanessa as joint tenant, in 2006 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/bankruptcy-trustee-lists-ex-gp-noble-boss-tony-morris-former-palm-beach-home-as-morris-faces-fraud-charges/2012021553393">for the clifftop property he named Aman</a>.</div>
<div><img src="/images/stories/tonyvanessa3.jpg"></div>
Peter Gosnell’s <a href="https://sydneyinsolvencynews.blogspot.com.au/2011_10_01_archive">Sydney Insolvency News</a> reported last October that the mortgage was running at about $25,000 a month, with the National Australia Bank owed more than $5 million and accumulating penalty interest as Vanessa, was unable to meet them. During the course of Wily's application last Friday Gosnell reported the court heard that the unserviced mortgage was now accumulating at around $30,000 per month with its secured lender NAB owed $5.187 million. Gosnell reported Vanessa, who was initially bankrupted along with her husband, managed to have the order overturned, restoring her right to 50% of the north-facing home.
Valuations for the property mentioned in the court last October ranged from $6.2 million to $6.5 million, hence the hesitation to accept the current highest offer which doesn't cover the bank debt.
The court was told this week that the offer came from a Dr Gregory.
Wily had been appointed trustee in bankruptcy to the estate of Tony Morris after Morris failed to pay $50,000 in legal fees owed to this lawyers, HWL Ebsworth.
Tony Morris now of the rural village, Chiltern Polden, Somerset, denies conspiring to defraud, two counts of theft and two counts of aiding and abetting fraud.
<img src="/images/stories/tonyvanessa4.jpg"><div></div>
This week's UK trial at Southwark Crown Court heard allegations that Mr Morris raided nine retirement schemes, managed by GP Noble, to fund a lavish lifestyle is currently underway in the United Kingdom. Morris was alleged to pocketed the cash to invest in Thai luxury resorts, online bookmakers and pay off his first ex-wife, it was claimed by the prosecutor David Farrar QC.
Farrar told the jury he believed that Morris had orchestrated the alleged disinvestment of the funds held by Nottingham-based firm GP Noble in tranches of £30 million and £22 million between April 2007 and July 2008.
It was alleged the cash was siphoned out of the UK through British Virgin Islands-registered company Fareston and another offshore company associated with Mr Morris, called Multiple Unilateral Financial Futures.
The court heard Morris had been chief executive of TMP until 2005. In 2007, he moved to Australia, with his former business partner Richard Craven telling jurors he had given Morris £14.9 million after he left.
Farrar added: "Mr Morris intended to use part of the funds for his own substantial personal needs, such as settling his wife's substantial claim in their divorce proceedings."
In a 2010 interview with Channel Seven at his clifftop home Morris said he was innocent and would return to England to speak to police to clear his name.
"I've got a lot to lose, a lot to lose. I'm confident I won't be charged, but that's what terrifies me," he said.
David Egan of Raine &amp; Horne is marketing the property.
The wedding photography was by Blumenthal Photography with a story by Sheriden Rhodes on the <a href="https://www.weddinglistco.com.au">www.weddinglistco.com.au</a> website.
 
 
 
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Mrs Morris stops Palm Beach clifftop sale of ex-GP Noble boss Tony Morris’ former Australian home

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The ANZ has announced it will reduce its variable rate by 0.37 percentage points to 7.05%.
Joining other lenders following last week's rate reduction by the Reserve Bank, it hasn't passed on the full rate cut.
The new mortgage rate will be effective from May 18.
 
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ANZ finally reduces rates by 0.37 percentage points to a variable rate of 7.05%

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<img width="470" src="/images/stories/domain1.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">No sale this week of an $18 million Vaucluse harbourfront. The SMH's Domain.com.au report of the purported sale on Sydney Harbour proved inaccurate as the Mayo family has yet to sell Green Gables, its Coolong Road residence, for $18 million. Today's report thereby also wrongly identified hotelier Bob Berger as its buyer. Rumours aplenty yes, but emphatic denials. No doubt there will be a fascinating backstory as to what did and didn't transpire in the negotiations over the property on Thursday, let alone the hasty attempts to remove all cached versions of the premature publication from the Fairfax websites this morning. Title Tattle recalls Green Gables was last in the headlines in somewhat greater controversy when in the 1980 its then owner, Frank Nugan, shot himself shortly before his merchant bank Nugan Hand went into receivership and was involved in the odd Royal Commission or two. The Mayo family paid $1.15 million in 1981 for the Vaucluse waterfront, which Nugan bought in 1976 for $450,000.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/elizst.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">
Actors' agent Ann Churchill-Brown has listed her nine-metre-wide Paddington residence (pictured above). It’s being marketed by McGrath agent Ben Collier as having immaculately retained period details and sophisticated contemporary design. Occupying a prime corner position on Elizabeth Street, the three-bedroom property with three levels has been scheduled for June 2 auction. It comes with a private entertainers’ courtyard garden. It last traded at $3.2 million in 2007, so its ought fetch a little more given its renovation.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/colindia.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">
Alastair Provan, the long-time Bell Potter Securities executive, and his wife, Jan, have listed their 1920s Neutral Bay residence (pictured above) for May 31 LJ Hooker auction. It has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a study and several living rooms. It’s set in 1,184 square metres of parklike gardens. It comes with city skyline and Harbour Bridge views from both levels. Title Tattle seems to recollect it was briefly listed through Ray White late last year with $5 million hopes. They paid around $1 million in 1993. The Provans have spent $8.8 million on their high-rise apartment in newly completed complex The Residence overlooking Hyde Park. The one-time headquarters for the NSW Police has been gutted and refurbished by architectural firm Scottcarver to accommodate 87 upmarket apartments. The College Street complex was marketed by CBRE with the initial sales through Laing Real Estate, Pagdens, and Christies Great Estates.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/woles.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">At Point Piper the media advertising buying agency veteran Jill Waddy has listed the family’s long-held four-bedroom apartment (pictured above). It’s been owned by the Waddy family since the early 1970s. Offers of more than $3 million are expected by May 24 through D'Leanne Lewis of Laing+Simmons Double Bay. The apartment occupies a floor in a Wolseley Road triplex with big rooms and views across the harbour to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/cammeray.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Alcatel’s former South Asia Pacific president Ron Spithill, and his wife, Patricia, have sold their north-facing Cammeray waterfront house (pictured above) before this weekend’s scheduled auction. The modern Cowdroy Avenue house sits on a 472-square-metre block with jetty and deep-water marina berth. The house cost $2.4 million when newly completed in 1999. Ron has an extensive background in the telecommunications industry and is a former president of the Telecommunications Industry Association of Australia. He joined Alcatel in 1962, when it was called ITT and was with the company until his 2005 retirement. The couple spend much of their time in Europe with regular trips to New Zealand, where he’s on the board of Telecom NZ. It sold through McGrath agents Piers van Hamburg and Priscilla Ouvrier who secured a tad higher than their $3.9 million plus hopes.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/november15osborne]}
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">The former Parramatta Eels chief executive Paul Osborne offloaded his Byron Bay property investment (pictured above) for $1.14 million at auction last weekend. Highlighting the perils of quick sale turnarounds in already negative markets, the price reflected a 40% decline in 16 months. His foray into the northern NSW town cost $1.9 million in January 2011, with the property having previously sold at $1,475,000 in 2007. It failed to sell at its December 2011 auction, when Osborne had $1,499,000 hopes, and was subsequently listed at $1.395 million. It was last October when Osborne's stressed financial situation was made public by SMH investigative reporter Kate McClymont after leaks that the Kenthurst-based Osborne had borrowed money from the Parramatta chairman Roy Spagnolo. The then chief executive was on a salary rumoured to be $270,000. The Massinger Street, Byron Bay property sold through Ray White Byron Bay agent Brett Connable who had advised his extensive email list that the offering would be definitely sold at the weekend auction. Set opposite the Top Shop Cafe in Massinger Street, it comes with ocean views to the north over Byron Bay. It has three upstairs bedrooms plus downstairs is a one-bedroom guest quarter.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Don’t say that Title Tattle told you, but the aged care nursing home operator Keith Mathies is likely to emerge as the buyer of South Yarra's Saint Cloud, the Kensington Road house that sits on a large estate. The property has apparently been sold through Andrew Baines at Kay &amp; Burton for about $10 million. When initially listed in 2005 it was described as 5,437 square metres of land, 100 squares (930 square metres)of living, six bedrooms with ensuite, north-south championship tennis court and botanical gardens. The prominent semi-circle late 1980s home was sold by Peter Clark, who co-founded management consultant Clark Hummerston Group, and when Title Tattle last enquired a few years ago, was splitting his time between homes in Lorne, Mount Macedon, the Mornington Peninsula and the United Kingdom.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">And the whisper is that the prestige sales doyen Gerald Delany has resumed the mantle as Kay &amp; Burton's chairman. He sold his equity last year and briefly cut his ties with the prominent Melbourne estate agency and went on a well-earned vacation. But after eight months away, last Saturday he had the auctioneer's gavel in hand selling the week's highest price property.
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Publican doesn't spend $18 million on the still unsold Green Gables: Title Tattle

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Kubba Roonga, the Blue Mountains guest house where Sir Donald Bradman took Jesse for their 1932 honeymoon, has been listed for sale.
It’s a rambling 1915 Blackheath guest house now with seven ensuited bedrooms.
Normally associated with Bowral, Australia's most famous sportsman had a soft spot for Blackheath, having knocked up his fastest century – off 22 deliveries – at the local cricket oval shortly before his 1932 stay.
<img src="/images/stories/kubba1.jpg">
Kubba Roonga has a AAA fours-star rating.
Set about 120 kilometres from Sydney, Kubba Roonga sits on 1,315 square metres of English-style gardens close to the spectacular Grose Valley.
The house has open fireplaces, polished timber floors, and stained glass windows. There’s a commercial kitchen and restaurant dining space for house guests.
Ray White Blackheath agent Peter Torok has it for July 1 auction, along with the adjoining 695-square-metre Arcadia Road property, which after its 1915 construction served as the manager’s cottage.
The guest house is tipped to fetch more than $800,000 and the manager's cottage more than $380,000.
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Kubba Roonga, Sir Donald Bradman’s Blue Mountains honeymoon destination, listed

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The Melbourne inner-suburban investment property market is in recovery mode, with a perceptible shift in the balance of power from buyers to vendors, according to property investment adviser Monique Sasson Wakelin.
She maintains the latest data suggests the inner-suburban investment property market is in “recovery mode.”
“You won’t see it in the statistics published in our metropolitan daily newspapers because they concern themselves with city-wide data, which, as the table shows, only indicate a flat market.”
<img src="/images/stories/moniqueswmay8.gif">
The Melbourne inner-suburban investment property market is in recovery mode, with a perceptible shift in the balance of power from buyers to vendors, according to property investment adviser Monique Sasson Wakelin.
She maintains the latest data suggests the inner-suburban investment property market is in “recovery mode.”
“You won’t see it in the statistics published in our metropolitan daily newspapers because they concern themselves with city-wide data, which, as the table shows, only indicate a flat market.”
But she suggests investment-grade assets two to 12 kilometres out from Melbourne’s CBD are improving.
“The feedback from our team of property advisors who are in the market six days a week is that prices for this category have clawed back around half of the decline in prices experienced since the previous market peak in 2010 – a testament to their resilience and quality even in a challenged market,” she says.
Sasson Wakelin blogged that another illustration of the “two-speed Melbourne market” was auction clearance rates.
“Melbourne-wide, these are sitting at around 60% for 2012.
“That in itself is good news, being several percentage points higher than the corresponding numbers for the second half of 2011.
“Nevertheless, we are finding a higher clearance rate for top quality investment property – it is back at around 75%.”
She concedes the pace of the upswing was measured.
“The market isn’t exhibiting the volatility that can appear when it really takes off – at least not yet.
“That’s good news, as it provides more certainty and transparency about what is fair value for market participants,” she says.
“Another positive for the market was the reasonable level of quality stock at the moment.
“If you’re looking for a quality asset, now is a time you can be confident of finding it.”
“Similarly, those who are seeking to sell can expect growing interest from buyers,” she says.
With this backdrop of an already recovering market, she expects the 50-basis-points drop in the cash rate by the Reserve Bank last Tuesday, plus the prospects of further cuts in coming months, to provide further support.
 
 
 
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Inner-suburban Melbourne market in recovery mode: Monique Sasson Wakelin

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."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351024]

As Stage 2 enters the market, that lived experience may be one of the project's strongest selling points. Buyers are not purchasing into an untested concept or a future promise. They are joining a community that is already taking shape.

Ongoing investment in transport, retail, healthcare and public open space continues to strengthen the appeal of Syd​ney's north-west growth corridor, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>'s established first stage provides buyers with a tangible sense of the community's future direction.

For a limited time, buyer can secure a new home at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> with just a $10,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149637]

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

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

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

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

Jonathan Chancellor

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