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The Albany and Bloomfield boutique motel, located on Millswyn Street, South Yarra has been sold for about $13 million.
Property Observer understands the buyer intends to entertain plans for its residential future. Its been reportedly sold to Oakton computing chief Paul Holyoake, according to Fairfax Media
<img src="/images/stories/albanyhote.jpg">
The 2,152-square-metre holding with Toorak Road frontage includes the 1890s Bloomfield Hotel, which is part bound by heritage overlay controls. It sold after KordaMentha appointed CBRE's Mark Wizel and Scott Orchard to market the property in conjunction with Kay &amp; Burton's Michael Gibson and Nicole Gleeson. Sally Bloomfield, billed as a social doyenne since the 1980s, was the vendor company director, with Ian Robinson its only shareholder.
In 2010 it was reported by The Weekly Review that the hoteliers Ian Robertson and Sally Bloomfield were changing their lifestyle deciding to pursue hotel interests in Bali.
The site had 81 rooms, restaurant and bar, 24 car bays and roof top pool. It was marketed as having suitable use as a low-density prestige quality development with potential refurbishment of the historic mansion and subdivision. The 1890s mansion was originally owned by a businessman who imported panama hats, according to Robertson, who pioneered the Q-Bars of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
The Albany and adjacent flats were built during the late 1950s or early 1960s and were owned by the Gishen family, who operated a guesthouse. Robertson has a background in architecture, including retrofitting 1960s hotels in the United States.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

South Yarra’s Albany boutique hotel sells for about $13 million

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Shane Warne has taken to Twitter to deny the Fairfax Media report that he and fiancée Liz Hurley had spent $1.6 million on a Healesville property.
Shane Warne? (@warne888) tweeted on Sunday: “So... @ElizabethHurley and I have apparently bought a property in Melbourne's Yarra Valley WOW, wonder what it looks like Sadly not true.”
He tweeted another denial today to the MMM Hot Breakfast team, with Mick Malloy and Eddie McGuire suggesting estate agents were using Warne to bump up prices.
<img src="/images/stories/warnetweets.jpg">
It was suggested in the now-denied Saturday story that the property, described as a private winery and farm, would be their wedding venue.
It follows the visit by the celebrity couple and their children to the Healesville Sanctuary in a much-publicised day trip last October.
Fairfax Media reported that a veteran Healesville agent “would only confirm that the couple had bought in the Yarra Valley”.
 
 
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Shane Warne denies buying Healesville property

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Capital city auction clearance rates firmed, but agents suggest there’s no sign of rising prices.
Melbourne’s clearance rate was 61%, up from the previous 54% result, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
Sydney’s clearance rate was 58.9%, up from the previous 55.3% result, according to Australian Property Monitors.
There was a $770,000 median house price sale in Sydney and a $674,000 median in Melbourne.
For units it was a $610,000 median in Sydney and $494,000 in Melbourne.
The market could get a boost in May were the Reserve Bank of Australia to reduce the cash rate by a widely expected 50 basis points.
“The increase in the Melbourne clearance rate is a positive sign that confidence in the residential market may be starting to improve,” REIV Enzo Raimondo says.
“If the next interest rate movement is a reduction, as is speculated, and that is actually passed on by the retail banks to borrowers it may further increase activity over winter,” he anticipates.
Noel Jones agent Adrian Jones says his agency sold five out of its six auction listings in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, but there was no sign of rising prices.
"It's not a market where prices are going up much," Jones told Fairfax Media.
Agents <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/buying-property-in-early-winter-demands-a-change-of-tack-mal-james/2012041654302" target="_blank">including buyers' agent Mal James have commented on the lack of new stock on the market</a>, with more sales taking place off-market and out of the public eye.
 
 
 
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Melbourne and Sydney auction clearance rates firming, but no sign of rising prices

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The 1950 and 1960s fashion model Margot McKendry and her American plastic-surgeon husband, Michael Hogan, who typically have split their time between Santa Barbara, California and New York's Upper East Side, have listed their occasional Sydney base.
It’s a three-bedroom Darling Point apartment listed for May 8 auction through Brad Caldwell-Eyles of 1st City Hasesmer+Caldwell Eyles with $3 million-plus hopes. The whole-floor 225-square-metre unit is on the fourth floor of Torrington, the tightly held 1986 Mirvac-built Darling Point Road block of nine apartments, where the last recorded sale was in 2004.
It has north-westerly views across Elizabeth Bay towards the city and Harbour Bridge. It cost $900,000 when bought in 1986.
<img src="/images/stories/margotmckendry.jpg">
During the 1950s and 1960s, McKendry modelled and even did a few film tests when she worked overseas, with works including a session with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://h-rust.livejournal.com/267818">Cary Grant photographed by Bob Willoughby</a> (pictured above). Her portrait in a Tommy Harrison hat <a href="https://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=150264&amp;search=Fashion+models&amp;images=&amp;c=&amp;s=1">taken by Helmut Newton on a Flinders Lane, Melbourne</a> rooftop in 1954 (pictured below) is held at the Powerhouse Museum.
<img src="/images/stories/margotmckendry2.jpg">
In 1960, after being discovered internationally following an Australian Women’s Weekly cover, McKendry was earning £27 an hour while modelling in New York.
Hogan, who often visited Tasmania to fish, periodically hit the headlines himself, given his clients included Jackie Onassis and Kerry Packer.
 
 
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Sixties fashion model Margot McKendry lists Darling Point apartment: Title Tattle

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Some 24 apartments had been sold during the initial three-week marketing of Vaughan Constructions’ recently unveiled Carlton project, Bravo by selling agents Oliver Hume.
Located between two parks, Lincoln Square and Argyle Square, the $65 million Pelham Street residential development has 118 apartments over 11 levels. Demolition of the current warehouse is scheduled for October with completion by 2014.
<img src="/images/stories/bravo1.jpg">
It’s been designed by the architecture and interior design practice Hayball, with architect Ann Lau saying she drew inspiration from the mid-20th-century Milan, when a new urban lifestyle was embraced and driven by multi-level apartment buildings near the city centre.
She sought the Modernist creed of utility with “raw materials and a sense of theatre”.
<img src="/images/stories/bravo4.jpg">
Hayball has sought from ground floor up to create a vertical village, including two-storey street-level apartments and a garden wall deep into the foyer creating a conservatory-like ambience.
“Upstairs corridors, vestibules, foyers and stairways are light-filled, spacious, internal ‘streets’ designed to encourage interaction between neighbours,” Lau says.
<img width="300" src="/images/stories/bravo2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">
The street-level Soho-style offerings – five one-bedroom dual-key terraced apartments – are priced from $640,000. They have 76 square metres space plus 11 square metres of terracing.
The 108 two-bedroom apartments all come with flexible rooms capabilities. The rooms can be modified via full-height, extra-wide sliding timber panels adapting rooms to suit their functional requirements or aesthetic moods.
 
They are priced from $430,000 to $585,000 being sized from 53 to 61 square metres, plus terracing from eight to14 square metres.
There are five split-level penthouse apartments with private rooftop terraces located on levels 10 and 11, the first of which sold at its mid-week launch night.
The pricing is from $1.1 million to $1.25 million. The three-bedroom penthouse apartments range in size from 105 square metres to111 square metres plus terracing from 37 to 86 square metres.
There will be 54 car parks within the building via a car stacker system, being included with apartments from the sixth floor up.
Oliver Hume exective director Jamie Kay says the pricing of apartments without car spaces had been aimed at the investor market.
"Yields are stronger without car spaces in this village location," Kay envisages.
Secure storage will be available for 60 bicycles.
The developer and builder of Bravo is Vaughan Constructions, whose family business links in Victoria can be traced back to the 1850s, now being run by the fourth generation of the family.
<img src="/images/stories/bravo3.jpg">
It is one of Australia’s top 400 private companies, with an annual turnover of over $200 million with Vaughans currently building 19 sites across Melbourne, four in Sydney two in Perth and a project in South Australia.
Construction projects along the way included work on the Shrine of Remembrance in partnership with stonemasons Lodge Bros.
Vaughan Constructions Pty Ltd business was established in 1955, however the family business in Melbourne dates back to 1858, when Daniel Vaughan migrated from County Clare, Ireland and established a cartage business.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Carlton parkside project Bravo sells 24 apartments in first three weeks

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<img src="/images/stories/porteous2.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Having<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/rose-porteouss-toorak-home-passed-in-at-weekend-auction-title-tattle/2012040154110" target="_blank"> placed a $4.5 million vendor bid at its March auction, Rose Porteous</a> has now secured about $5 million in post-auction negotiations on her redundant Toorak abode. The Perth socialite bought the Irving Road house (pictured above and below) for $4.75 million in 2007. The Georgian-style residence comes with a double-height entrance hall. It was listed with Phillip French and Jeremy Fox at RT Edgar. The three-bedroom, four-bathroom house comes with lift access. The sale draws the curtain on Porteous's plentiful Toorak property plays, which have filled the city's society columns for much of the past decade.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/march9rose]}
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">
The five-time winning skipper of Sydney to Hobart yacht race winner Wild Oats XI, Mark Richards, and wife Gaenor Meakes have listed their Mosman semi-detached house (pictured below), with plans to build a larger house for the family. Richards told the Mosman Daily that with four children, it’s time to upsize. It’s been the home of the managing director of Palm Beach Motor Yachts since he paid $750,000 in 2003. The three-bedroom, two- bathroom 1910 house is set for May 5 auction through Stewart Gordon of Belle Property Neutral Bay. More than $1.3 million is tipped for the Rangers Road two-storey Federation semi, which was fully renovated in 2005. The Richards were briefly looking for $1.5 million late last year.
<img src="/images/stories/rangers.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">It’s like motherm like daughter when it comes to Chippendale warehouses. No sooner had Judith Neilson, the founder of the White Rabbit Collection, one of the world's most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art, splashed out $7,975,000 (including GST) on what will be her residential warehouse, but daughter Beau, a curatorial assistant at the gallery, has gone and bought herself a nearby warehouse. The 310-square-metre space cost $3.1 million. The White Rabbit Gallery, a converted former knitting factory on Balfour Street, which has four floors of exhibition space as well as a theatrette, a library and a teahouse, cost $4.6 million in 2007.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">The Darling Point home of the late Roddy Meagher, who was perhaps the most loquacious of latter-day judges, has been sold. It went to auction with price hopes of $3 million plus, having been his home for 40 years. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/darling-point-terrace-of-the-late-forthright-judge-roddy-meagher-on-the-market-title-tattle/2012021353348">The three-level Darling Point Road terrace</a>, which sits on a 322-square-metre block, sold through LJ Hooker Double Bay agents Alain Waitsman and Emma Barbour. Roderick Pitt "Roddy" Meagher, AO QC, died aged 79 last July.

<img src="/images/stories/pbutler.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Peter Butler, the former managing partner at Freehills and one of the nation’s top litigators, and his wife, Jillian, have secured $7.9 million for their Mosman waterfront on Sydney’s lower north shore. Kallaroo (pictured above), the contemporary four-bedroom house towers above the harbourside pool with pavilion, which predated more restrictive planning regulations. There is also a deep-water jetty and a pontoon. There’s lift access to each level from the four cars garage. McGrath agents Michael Coombs and Scott Thornton had been hoping for $9 million plus since last November. It cost $6.4 million in 2003.
<img src="/images/stories/minkarard.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">The former Val Morgan chief executive Terry Savage, chairman of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, and his wife, Cheryl Wannell, the general manager of the secretariat of the Screen Advertising World Association, have sold their Bayview estate for $3 million. It had been listed through LJ Hooker agents Ryan Petrie and Gordon Spring with $4.6 million expectations in May 2010. Set on a 4,125-square-metre block, the residence has a tennis court, heated pool, spa and children's playground. The property on Minkara Road had been their Sydney base since 1999, when it cost $2.25 million. They intend to maintain a smaller property near the waterfront on the Pittwater peninsula, which cost $3.35 million in 2010.
<img src="/images/stories/bawley.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Canberra restaurateur Paulie Higgisson has listed her contemporary NSW south coast retreat. Higgisson, who owns Tilley’s Devine Cafe Gallery in Lyneham, has the Bawley Point, had the house designed by architect Alan Greene. The four-bedroom house set about two hours’ drive from Canberra, has easy beach access, being at the edge of Batemans Marine Park. Daily visits from whales and dolphins to your front yard has been the sales pitch by Damian and Bill Lyristakis of Berkely Residential. With offers due by April 27, the price guide is about $1.5 million. She tried to sell it through Sydney agents in 2010 with $1.68 million hopes. Higgisson recently sold her nearby 778-square-metre Harrington Crescent vacant oceanfront block. It had been listed at $849,000.
<img src="/images/stories/stirling.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Dubbed as one of Orange pick rural properties, the Hattersley family’s Stirling and Bellview Farm offering (pictured above) was passed in at its mid-week auction at $3.7 million through rural property agency Meares and Associates. Agent Sam Triggs said there were 40 enquires and a large number of inspections. The homestead was constructed in 1991, with 700 square metres under roof, to a design by local architect, John Blackwood. The farm has an established 58 ha vineyard, most planted between 1997 and 1999, at an average density of 1,854 vines per ha, which produces for the Hattersley’s Belgravia wine label. 
 

<img width="470" src="/images/stories/albanyrd.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">And Title Tattle likes to tell readers of sales as soon as they happen, if not before, so the word is that Little Milton (pictured above), the Toorak house of late Corona group executive John Batkin, has apparently been sold by his widow, Monika, almost a year after hitting the market last May. The heritage-listed 1926, five-bedroom Albany Road house sits on the corner of Whernside Avenue, with a tennis court atop a 12-car underground garage on its 2,476-square-metre block. It is English Arts and Crafts style by architect Muriel Stott in landscaping by Edna Walling. RT Edgar's Jeremy Fox was marketing Little Milton with some $13 million price expectations reported at the time. But it’s seemingly been sold by Michael Gibson of Kay and Burton for certainly more than $10 million. Perhaps even more than $11 million is the guess of buyers’ agent Mal James who's noticed that while price at the top end might be iffy, buyer interest isn't.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">There's also been a reputed $12 million-plus sale of one of the many homes listed on Kooyongkoot Road, Hawthorn. It was an off-market private sale, so only Marshall White agent Marcus Chiminello knows anything about the sale by Craig Parsell, who was Hong Kong based when he bought it in 2002 for $3.45 million. It's got a tennis court on its 2,788-square-metre offering.
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Rose Porteous draws the curtains on Deco Toorak property excitation: Title Tattle

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Oatlands House, the early-1800s residence turned reception centre on a 1.43-hectare Oatlands holding, has been sold by its Ferrier Hodgson receiver Morgan Kelly.
The land was sold for $4.45 million - with an undisclosed extra amount for the business - to John and Sal Navarra, who head the family who operate three event centres: Le Montage, Curzon Hall and its foundation venue, Conca D’oro, dating back to the early 1970s.
<img src="/images/stories/oatlands.jpg">
Their latest acquisition dates back to the 1830s when the house was built by Captain Percy Simpson, an army officer and former governor of Paxos. In 1840 Oatlands was sold to James Brindley Bettington, best known for his contribution to the growth of wool in New South Wales.
Bettington was involved in sheep breeding with William Lawson, the explorer, whose daughter he married. Their son James Brindley the second inherited his estate and continued to reside at Oatlands until he died in 1915 at the age of 78.
Oatlands House was originally a low sandstone cottage and in 1840, architect Ambrose Hallen built the two-storey additions with the aid of convict labour. Oatlands still has cellars reputedly used for the storage of rum during Rum Rebellion era.
<img src="/images/stories/oatlands2.jpg">
The house comes with a marble fireplace obtained from the home of Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame, to replace a similar one removed from Oatlands House by vandals.
It can cater for group sizes of 30 up to 450 guests. An application for a 98-room motel and major function room extensions costing $8 million was withdrawn after strong local opposition to the council in 2008. The vendor was Babindo Pty Limited, directed by William and Qki Chan, as trustee for Oatlands Property Trust.
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Oatlands House, toasting brides since 1830s, sells to Navarra family for $4.45 million

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The Goodman Group's hopes for quick approval for its inner-city Sydney residential high-rise development site have been further dashed, with the site failing to get through the first stage of state government fast-tracking approval initiative.
It had been among the 43 properties nominated by landowners seeking special consideration by the NSW Department of Planning.
Goodman failure to secure the amber light this week from the Planning Minister Brad Hazzard was ontop of earlier bad news when the department determined to limit the site to nine storeys, down from the 19 storeys granted by the former Labor state government.
The site is a nondescript Erskineville industrial estate set on Mitchell Road between Erskineville Oval and Sydney Park.
Lord mayor <personname ns1:w:st="on">Clover Moore</personname> told Property Observer the minister’s decision would allow the council to finalise appropriate planning controls for the Ashmore site. 

“Our planning controls, developed after thorough research and community consultation, limit Ashmore’s buildings to nine storeys or less, and deliver new streets, bike lanes, a small supermarket and 15,000 square metres of open space.

“I was extremely concerned about how the increased height and density approved by the previous government would impact the area, and the process by which the changes were made. 

“The City did the work to show how those changes would affect residents, including increased traffic, loss of regional views and significant overshadowing.” 

“We organised a public meeting on Ashmore and consequently received more than 500 public submissions complaining about these impacts.” 

“Ministers Hazzard and Berejiklian have also responded to community concerns about parking and traffic impacts by agreeing to increase public transport for the Ashmore precinct as development proceeds and residents move in," Moore says.
 <img src="/images/stories/metters.jpg">
The site was once headquarters of the Metters factory, producing ovens and boilers. Its best-known brand was the 1930s Kooka range of gas cooking appliances. The Metters factory site dates to 1906, when the firm, established on Rundle Street in Adelaide in 1891 by Frederick Metters, moved from its small factory on Alice Street at Newtown. Metters stayed there until the early 1970s, about the time it was taken over by Email.
It had an $81 million book value as at June, with the site's tenants including Toll Priority and Ausdoc.
The entire Ashmore precinct has been identified for urban renewal since 1998, with Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore recently suggesting the city’s second largest industrial area offered a rare opportunity to create a sustainable new neighbourhood.
"We want to create a neighbourhood which includes the right infrastructure and sustainable design to improve the lives of current and future residents," Moore says.
She says the City of Sydney has been working with the community on the future redevelopment plans.
Under the <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=G29rsFcvki8%3d&amp;tabid=561&amp;language=en-AU">latest state government initiative</a>, some 31 sites face further review on the basis of government-endorsed objectives by the review committee, chaired by the Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
 
 
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Nothing oversized cooking at Goodman's Sydney Metters site, as Planning Minister agrees with council 

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Laing+Simmons, the 47-office NSW-based franchise group, has been acquired by Canberra’s largest real estate company, Independent Property Group. No sale price has been given.
Independent Property Group chief executive John Runko hopes it’s a good cultural fit, which would help bolster his company's geographic reach, especially when it comes to services such as strata management, project marketing and commercial real estate.
Leanne Pilkington, the general manager at Laing+Simmons having been with the group since 1995, says the deal originally started as a discussion around sharing resources.
Laing+Simmons, which will retain its name and presumably all its self-owned franchisees within the expanded network, has been working with Independent Property Group for nearly 10 years. IPG says it has about 40% of the real estate business in Canberra.
Laing+Simmons was established in 1967 by Doug Laing and Spencer Simmons, and purchased by its current owners Robert Farrell and Tony Anderson in 1997. Previous owners included corporate entreprenuer Lee Ming Tee's HDFI group whose acquistion of a 76% stake in 1986 was billed as the first real link between a real estate group and a major financial services organisation in Australia.
The HDFI purchase included the freehold of its headquarters building in Ward Avenue, Kings Cross.
 
 
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Laing+Simmons bought by Canberra agency Independent Property Group

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Stockland has sold its 50% holding in 7 Macquarie Place in Sydney to its joint venture partner, UniSuper, for $55 million.
The half-stake in the 13,940-square-metre office tower was at a premium of $2.7 million, or 5.2% to Stockland’s book value.
 
 
 
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Stockland sells half-stake in 7 Macquarie Place, Sydney, to UniSuper for $55 million

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jonathan Chancellor

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