The Gold Coast economy has grown by 25 per cent since 2020/21 to surpass $55 billion, but perhaps the more significant story is what sits behind the headline number.

For decades, the Gold Coast has been viewed through the lens of tourism, lifestyle and population growth. The latest State of the City Report suggests that perception is increasingly out of step with reality.

Released by Invest Gold Coast, the report ranks the Gold Coast as Australia's largest non-capital city economy and, perhaps more notably, second nationally behind Sydney for Economic Complexity, a measure that assesses the diversity and sophistication of an economy.

It's a result that places the Gold Coast ahead of Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, highlighting the extent to which the city's economic base has broadened beyond its traditional industries.

Today, the Gold Coast supports more than 350,000 jobs, is home to over 83,000 businesses and generates $19 billion in annual exports. Manufacturing now accounts for 62 per cent of international export growth, while sectors including health, education, advanced manufacturing, technology and professional services are becoming increasingly important contributors to the local economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the report confirmed the city's evolution into one of Australia's most significant economies.

"The Gold Coast economy continues to grow at an incredible pace. This is no surprise to those of us who have watched the evolution up close," Mayor Tate said.

"As one of the most entrepreneurial, investment driven and opportunity focused economies in the country our ambition has been realised and possibilities are endless.

"The Gold Coast has built a reputation as the city that says yes. We say yes to investment, yes to opportunity and yes to people who want to build something.

"It's this mindset helping us drive major growth across health, advanced manufacturing, screen production, marine, technology and the knowledge economy."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360975]

While population growth has been one of the defining stories of the past decade, the report points to a broader economic transformation taking place.

The city's knowledge economy now contributes $7.9 billion annually and supports around 31,000 jobs, while the health and wellbeing sector contributes $5.2 billion and employs more than 42,000 people. Together, the six priority sectors identified in the report account for almost $24 billion in economic output and more than 145,000 jobs.

One of the strongest examples is the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct at Southport. The 200-hectare precinct now contains more than $5 billion worth of health, education, research and innovation infrastructure and supports over 16,000 jobs.

The report also highlights the growing role of advanced manufacturing, particularly in aerospace, defence and modular construction.

Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies recently became the first Australian commercial company to attempt an orbital launch, while companies including Modscape and ModnPods are helping establish the Yatala-Stapylton corridor as one of Australia's fastest-growing advanced manufacturing hubs.

The city's entrepreneurial culture is also translating into business growth.

Since 2019/20, the number of businesses operating on the Gold Coast has increased by 22 per cent, while firms employing more than 200 people have grown by 80 per cent. The report suggests the next challenge is converting more local start-ups and medium-sized businesses into nationally significant companies.

Development activity remains another key indicator of confidence.

There are currently more than $23 billion worth of major projects underway across the Gold Coast, supported by a record 75 active cranes, a figure that now exceeds Brisbane and represents a 150 per cent increase since 2016.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112024 project_image_fid=343235]

Importantly, the report notes the next phase of investment will need to extend beyond residential development.

While 93 per cent of crane activity is currently tied to housing, Invest Gold Coast argues future investment will increasingly need to focus on cultural, civic, infrastructure and industry-enabling projects that strengthen the city's long-term economic resilience.

Invest Gold Coast Chair Will Hodgman said the city was now benefiting from years of economic diversification.

"What is happening on the Gold Coast is the result of the city's economic base broadening, fuelled by industries with long-term, high-growth potential," Mr Hodgman said.

"This is no longer a secondary Australian economy, the Gold Coast is becoming a globally connected city with deeper capability across health, knowledge and creative industries, advanced manufacturing, technology and exports."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365786]

Looking ahead, the Gold Coast's population is projected to exceed one million residents by 2046.

For a city that was once largely defined by tourism and lifestyle, the latest figures suggest the Gold Coast is becoming something more significant, one of Australia's most diverse and economically sophisticated urban economies, and increasingly one that national and international investors can no longer afford to overlook.

Joel Robinson

75 cranes, $23 billion pipeline and a $55 billion economy: Inside the Gold Coast economic boom

Ron Bakir's Homecorp has sold more than 75 per cent of the apartments in its wellness-driven Florence Residences in Surfers Paradise following its first weekend release.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/florence-residences-24-monte-carlo-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">26-storey project on Monte Carlo Avenue</a>, which commenced construction earlier this year, has seen a flurry of buyers secure their slice of the Gold Coast's latest wellbeing-focused offering in one of the nation's most competitive property markets.

Since the pandemic, the Gold Coast's population has grown by more than 11 per cent, a rate approximately four times faster than Sydney's, driven largely by lifestyle changes and interstate migration. While buyer activity has moderated in some markets nationally, demand for newly built dwellings on the Gold Coast continues to gain momentum as purchasers increasingly prioritise lifestyle, amenity, wellbeing, liveability and long-term investment potential.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150414 project_image_fid=372743]

Homecorp CEO Ron Bakir says buyers today are looking for more than just a home.

"What we are seeing is a shift in how people define value in property," Bakir says.

"What attracts residents to new developments is a desire for more than just a residence. They are looking for a place that complements their lifestyle, supports their wellbeing and reflects the way they want to live into the future.

"Lifestyle, longevity, proactive health, wellbeing, connection and a sense of community are increasingly shaping purchasing decisions, particularly on the Gold Coast, where these factors continue to be a major drawcard."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150414 project_image_fid=372744]

Bakir says Homecorp is responding to this shift through an approach that places greater emphasis on design, amenity and experience working together to create places that feel considered, connected and enduring in value.

Inspired by Eastern European design, Florence Residences will comprise 120 apartments alongside a private residents-only wellness club featuring a resort-style rooftop pool, hot and cold plunge pools, a spa retreat, contemporary gymnasium, and a spacious yoga and Pilates studio.

The development will also feature a residents-only lounge with private dining facilities and a rooftop bar, premium outdoor entertaining areas, a hotel-style lobby lounge, generous bike parking, and pet-friendly amenities including a heated dog wash.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150414 project_image_fid=372742]

A limited number of apartments remain available, with an exclusive collection of four-bedroom sub-penthouses set to be released in the coming months.

Florence is one of the latest additions to Homecorp's expanding multi-billion-dollar property portfolio, which also includes plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/homecorp-lodges-plans-for-260-million-moroccan-bathhouse-inspired-tower-in-budds-beach">$260 million development in Budds Beach</a> tailored to the growing wellness market.

A development application has been lodged for a 27-storey, 156-residence tower at 8–10 Acacia Avenue and 25–27 Oak Avenue, featuring a residents-only Moroccan spa-inspired sanctuary.

Apartments at Florence Residences are priced from $1,249,000, with construction expected to be completed by late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150414]

Buyers rush to Homecorp's Florence Residences as Gold Coast wellness trend gains momentum

The NSW Government has expanded its $1 billion Pre-sale Finance Guarantee program, broadening access for affordable housing providers and smaller residential developments as it seeks to accelerate housing delivery across the state.

The Minns Government says the program has already helped bring forward more than 600 homes across Sydney and regional NSW since launching in September 2025, with similar models now adopted in South Australia and Western Australia.

The latest changes, announced by Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully, are designed to improve access to finance for projects that have planning approval but are struggling to secure funding.

Among the key changes is an expansion of support for community housing providers. The program will now support up to 100 per cent affordable housing projects valued at up to $30 million when delivered by not-for-profit providers, while support for larger affordable housing developments will increase for projects worth up to $80 million.

The government says the changes will help accelerate the delivery of housing for low-income workers, older people, people living with disability, and those at risk of homelessness, while reducing reliance on direct grants or subsidised loans to bridge funding gaps.

The eligibility criteria for smaller residential developments have also been broadened. The previous $5 million minimum project value threshold has been removed and replaced with a requirement that projects deliver at least four homes.

Support has also increased for projects delivering fewer than 20 homes, with the guarantee now able to cover up to 75 per cent of dwellings in a development, capped at $30 million per project.

The changes are expected to particularly benefit smaller-scale and regional developments, which often face greater challenges meeting pre-sale requirements imposed by lenders.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the scheme demonstrates how government can use its balance sheet to stimulate housing supply without relying solely on taxpayer-funded grants.

"The Pre-sale Finance Guarantee shows how this Government is using its balance sheet to reduce risk and unlock private investment, enabling new homes to move from design to construction faster," Mookhey said.

"This landmark reform allows us to deliver homes for working families at a lower cost to taxpayers, while also maintaining strong financial discipline."

Planning Minister Paul Scully said the program had already proven effective in bringing stalled projects to market.

"The Pre-sale Finance Guarantee has already proven it can unlock stalled projects and accelerate housing delivery by giving lenders the confidence they need to back good developments," Scully said.

"These changes will allow more affordable housing and smaller developments to access support so more homes can be built faster where communities need them most."

Housing Minister Rose Jackson said the expansion would help community housing providers overcome financing barriers that often delay projects.

"We know community housing providers are ready to build more homes, too often they're held back by barriers to finance," Jackson said.

"Expanding the Pre-sale Finance Guarantee helps remove those barriers so more affordable homes can get off the ground sooner."

The announcement was welcomed by the Property Council of Australia, which has long advocated for measures aimed at improving project feasibility and access to finance.

Property Council NSW Executive Director Katie Stevenson described the expansion as a practical intervention that addresses one of the most immediate constraints on housing delivery.

"This is exactly the kind of practical intervention we need right now, focused on getting projects out of the ground, not just approved," Stevenson said.

"It builds on a model the Property Council has worked closely with government to develop following calls for such a scheme ahead of last year's NSW Budget, so it's great to see it being expanded."

Stevenson said the reforms would help unlock projects that are ready to proceed but have been delayed by financing challenges. However, she noted that broader feasibility issues remain a significant barrier to increasing housing supply.

"The biggest challenge in NSW housing today is delivery. Too many projects have planning approval but are simply not financially viable to proceed under current settings," she said.

Speaking at the Property Council's NSW Housing Summit, Housing Minister Rose Jackson acknowledged that feasibility and financing pressures continue to constrain housing delivery, while reaffirming the government's commitment to work with industry on solutions.

Stevenson said the government's recognition of those challenges was encouraging ahead of next week's state budget.

"It's positive to see the government clearly recognising that feasibility pressures are now a binding constraint on supply," she said.

"With the Budget just days away, the focus must be on backing delivery, making sure projects stack up, finance can flow, and more homes can move from approval to construction."

The expanded Pre-sale Finance Guarantee forms part of the NSW Government's broader housing agenda, which also includes planning reforms, the NSW Housing Pattern Book, and a series of rezonings intended to increase housing capacity across the state.

NSW expands Pre-sale Finance Guarantee to unlock more affordable and regional housing

Design-led developer-builder Lowe Living has unveiled its latest residential development, Jardin House, marking its first foray into Melbourne's blue-chip City of Boroondara.

Located a short walk from Camberwell Junction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House</a> has been designed to appeal to affluent local downsizers and established families seeking a low-maintenance alternative to the large homes that have long defined Camberwell and surrounding suburbs.

The project will comprise a collection of two and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 92 sqm to 280 sqm, alongside a limited number of penthouse residences featuring rooftop terraces spanning more than 100 sqm, with optional private pools.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372212]

Lowe Living Co-Founder and Managing Director Tim Lowe said Camberwell represented a natural next step for the developer as it expands into some of Melbourne's most tightly held residential markets.

"Jardin House is an important project for our team as it marks the next evolution of our portfolio into different well-established blue-chip pockets of Melbourne," Lowe said.

"Camberwell, with its incredible walkability, family-led neighbourhood feel and superb access to education and transport, makes it a natural choice for us."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372227]

Designed by Tristan Wong Architects, with interiors by Hecker Guthrie and landscaping by Acre, the development takes inspiration from the Art Deco architecture that remains a defining feature of many of Camberwell's established streets.

A curved facade, arched openings, textured brickwork and sculpted forms reference the suburb's architectural heritage, while extensive landscaping softens the building's presence and creates a strong connection to the surrounding tree-lined streetscape.

The project will be set behind a secure gated entrance, with residents arriving through landscaped gardens designed to create a transition between the public realm and private residences.

Inside, the residences feature natural stone and timber finishes, full-height glazing, Miele appliances and generous open-plan living areas designed for long-term owner occupation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372225]

While the apartments themselves have been designed to attract discerning owner-occupiers, it is the amenity offering that sets Jardin House apart from many other boutique projects currently launching across Melbourne.

The centrepiece is a 350 sqm private bathhouse curated in partnership with Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse founder Lyndall Mitchell.

The wellness precinct includes mineral pools, hydrotherapy experiences, a Himalayan salt room, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pools and dedicated relaxation spaces, creating what Lowe Living describes as a private wellness retreat exclusively for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372222]

The collaboration follows Lowe Living's recent partnership with Aurora at Maison Savoy in Brighton, although Jardin House is the first project to incorporate both indoor and outdoor wellness experiences.

Emma Lowe, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lowe Living, said wellness was becoming an increasingly important consideration for apartment buyers.

"Collaborating with Lyndall Mitchell from Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse for a second time is an intentional nod to creating residences that are more than just homes, but a way to enrich the lives of our residents through wellness and longevity," Lowe said.

The amenity offering is complemented by a Technogym fitness studio, residents' lounge, private dining spaces and concierge services.

The launch comes as developers increasingly target Melbourne's established eastern suburbs, where rising land values, ageing housing stock and growing downsizer demand are creating opportunities for boutique apartment projects.

Lowe said the company expects significant generational wealth transfer across suburbs such as Camberwell in coming years, creating further demand for luxury apartment living.

"Camberwell is a blue-chip suburb where homes regularly transact for multiple millions of dollars," he said.

"The generational change of wealth in these locations expected in the coming years is significant, so we see an opportunity to create exclusive residences that appeal to older families and downsizers in order to meet this demand."

Apartments at Jardin house start from $1,195,000. The project forms part of Lowe Living's near-$1 billion portfolio of new developments across Melbourne.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=146717]

Lowe Living launches Jardin House in Camberwell

As <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/north-sydney-nsw-2060">North Sydney</a> continues its transition from a commercial centre into a more layered residential and lifestyle precinct, a new generation of apartment developments is reshaping expectations around scale, amenity, and long-term liveability.

Improved transport connections through the Victoria Cross Metro, continued investment in dining and public spaces, and a constrained supply of new luxury apartments have sharpened demand for homes that combine proximity to the CBD with the privacy and outlook traditionally associated with harbourside houses.

At 177 Walker Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a>’s new apartment development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-177-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> enters the market with a distinctly residential approach to high-rise living. The 30-level tower will deliver 161 residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to sub-penthouses and a full-floor penthouse, all oriented to capture uninterrupted views across Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and out toward the Pacific Ocean.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6395]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, the project takes advantage of the site’s natural topography and elevated position above the harbour. Rather than relying on density alone, the architecture focuses on outlook, orientation, and spatial flow, with every apartment occupying a corner position to maximise natural light and cross ventilation.

Rothelowman says the site itself shaped much of the architectural response.

“The site has a long history in terms of its inevitable transformation and when we came in, we took inspiration from the idea of reestablishing a sense of the site’s natural terrain and fall. Our scheme aims to integrate with the terrain and the landscape, using the undulating site to slowly reveal glimpses and views of the harbour. The rotation of the tower off grid means every apartment has a view and is naturally cross ventilated. The building's colour palette is quintessentially Sydney, with bronze and sandstone and a luminescent green colour in the glass, making it very earthy and grounded in its location.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6399]

Inside the residences, the emphasis moves toward larger-format living typically associated with standalone homes. Kitchens sit at the centre of the apartments, connecting directly to open-plan dining and living areas before extending outward into expansive winter gardens and balconies. Calacatta marble, bespoke joinery, integrated appliances, and custom metal detailing are used throughout, while three distinct interior palettes, Terrace, Opera, and Harbour, allow buyers to personalise the spaces without compromising the architectural consistency of the project.

The larger residences place particular attention on separation between entertaining and private zones. In many apartments, master suites occupy the outer corners of the floorplates, allowing bedrooms to benefit from floor-to-ceiling glazing and harbour outlooks independent of the living spaces. Dressing rooms and ensuites continue the material palette through fluted detailing, freestanding baths, and layered stone finishes.

Rothelowman says the design intent centred on creating homes that feel enduring rather than transient.

“Our philosophy is all about the way people live in these spaces, and we wanted to create homes that reflect the quality of life in this unique Sydney location. The apartments showcase expansive living spaces that are generous, sophisticated, and bold, with the ability to connect with views throughout each apartment.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=353235]

A separate four-storey amenity building known as The Pavilion expands the residential offering beyond the apartments themselves. Positioned alongside the tower, the building consolidates wellness, recreation, and social spaces into a dedicated resident retreat. Facilities include a 20-metre rooftop pool and sundeck, sauna, spa, ice bath, wellness studio, gymnasium, concierge service, wine cellar, residents’ lounge, private dining spaces, and dedicated co-working areas with meeting rooms and boardroom facilities.

The amenity mix reflects the buyer profile emerging in North Sydney, where owner-occupiers and downsizers are increasingly prioritising convenience, apartment scale, and long-term usability over purely investment-driven decisions.

The Walden also represents a significant milestone for ALAND, marking the company’s first major move into Sydney’s inner-city luxury apartment market after more than two decades delivering large-scale residential communities across Greater Sydney. Founder Andrew Hrsto says the Walker Street site stood apart because of both its positioning and its rarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6390]

“As a company, we had been searching for a site in one of Sydney’s blue-chip locations, spanning the Eastern Suburbs, the Sydney CBD and the North Shore, and when we had the opportunity to purchase this site, we immediately recognised that it could be something iconic.”

At launch, The Walden recorded more than $103 million in sales, with buyers drawn to the project’s harbour positioning, apartment scale, and proximity to the Metro, which now connects North Sydney to Barangaroo in three minutes and Martin Place in five.

ALAND has commenced construction, and is expecting a completion date in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134323]

The Walden pairs house-scale living with North Sydney connectivity

Title Tattle

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Newport on Sydney's Pittwater will be the new home of model Jennifer Hawkins and husband Jake Wall. 
Property Observer gleans they have quietly paid $4 million for two adjoining Newport properties, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-nsw-newport-2640148" target="_blank">Jacaranda Cottage</a> and the lesser, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-newport-105663970" target="_blank">Blois Cottage</a>.
The much traded properties (pictured above on 2009 marketing) were once part of the longtime estate of the former politician William Wentworth.
It was later part owned by Lynne Clarke, the daughter of Sir Russell Drysdale, who sold her 2000 square metre holding in the mid-1990s.
It was an off-market bushland listing on Newport's Prince Alfred Parade through David Watson, of LJ Hooker Avalon who had previously sold the estate at $2.6 million in 2009 to a company directed by businessman Tony Berg.
Jacaranda is a generous land holding offering privacy and ambience given its huge 2052 square metre gently sloping site to almost 37 metres of absolute water frontage.
Blois Cottage, originally the gate keeper’s cottage of Sydney’s famed Wentworth Estate, is a 1,200 square metre holding.
The two-hectare Wentworth estate in Newport set the subdivision scenario for Pittwater after the retired maverick politician Bill Wentworth sold it to millionaire adventurer Dick Smith in 1986 for $1.9 million.
Dick Smith sold the Prince Alfred Parade property for $2.7 million 15 months later. Then the property developer Mr Fred Johnston then sold it in smaller allotments.
<a href="/news/jennifer-hawkins-sells-her-curl-curl-north-home">The glamourous couple recently sold in Curl Curl North</a>, as work on their other Curl Curl home neared completion.
They took a risk buying Newport before even listing Curl Curl North.
Now they have their next ambitious eventual home ownership project.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Jennifer Hawkins spends $4 million on Newport waterfront

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Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour has sold his six bedroom Kew mansion.
Settlement documents show $7,072,500 was achieved for the Sackville Street home, set on a double block with court and pool.
<a href="https://www.sackvillestkew.com.au/gallery" target="_blank">The property was listed last August by </a><a href="https://www.sackvillestkew.com.au/gallery" target="_blank">Australia's highest-paid public servant</a>, settling earlier this year.
The three level mansion, built in 2006 after the subdivision of a former monastery site, was marketed with $7 million plus private treaty hopes through Paul Pfeiffer and Warwick Anderson at RT Edgar.
It was built by Montage Developments with "epic space and understated opulence" throughout the "resort style" estate, complete with outdoor kitchen, self contained cottage, swimming pool, spa, steam room and north/south flood lit championship court.
The estate covers 2,027 square metres. 
It is the fifth house on Sackville Street sold for $5 million plus, with the top sale being historic, La Verna at $12 million in 2007. 
La Verna, the 1880s Italianate-style residence now on 3,310 square metres, had been long owned by the Franciscan Friars who sold to developers several years earlier. 
Ahmed and Dionnie Fahour were the mystery buyers behind the $22 million sale of Invergowrie, the historic bluestone home in Hawthorn that was an exclusive finishing school for young women.
The off market sale of the imposing mansion made headlines in April 2013 on Property Observer with the buyer undisclosed using solicitors, Arnold Bloch Leibler as their intermediaries
The subsequent $22 million sale documentation has been through a holding company whose address and directors are from the office of the solicitors.
Peter Hill, the skateboarding Globe International co-founder and his wife, Angela sold the colonial-gothic style Invergowrie mansion that sits on 1.1 hectares.
It had cost $10.75 million in 2002. 
Invergowrie (pictured below) is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2013/04/invergowrieapril24one.jpg" alt="invergowrieapril24one" width="470" height="303">
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Change of address as Ahmed Fahour sells Kew mansion for $7 million

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John Watson, one of the most powerful men in the local music industry, has listed his Randwick home. 
Through the years he has managed Missy Higgins, Daniel Johns (and before that Silverchair) and Cold Chisel to name but three.
His four bedroom, three bathroom property has been listed for 7 August auction <a href="https://www.ppdre.com.au/1P0520" target="_blank">through Jason Pantzer at Phillips Pantzer Donnelly</a>.  It last traded at $2.48 million in 2005.
The renovated two storey home is in the dress circle position opposite Centennial Park on its 745 square metre parcel of level land.
The four bedroom home was designed by architect Harry Levine showcasing its classic Federation origins.
John Watson and his wife, Belinda hope for $3.75 million.
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Music manager John Watson lists Randwick home

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The Wategos Beach beachfront house of the late Sir Leslie Froggatt and Lady Elizabeth Froggatt has finally been sold.
The British-born Froggatt bought the dress circle property (centre above) on the fringe of Byron Bay for $66,500 back in 1970, the year after he became chief executive of Shell Australia.
The<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://m.domain.com.au/listing/2010759709" target="_blank"> 720 square Marine Parade property</a> sold recently for $3,735,000 through Ed Silk at <a href="https://www.edsilkbyronbay.com.au/sale/house-for-sale-wategos-byron-bay/" target="_blank">Ed Silk Byron Bay</a>, inconjuction with Martin Schiller, of Savills to the Melbourne lawyer Scott Stewart, a partner at Moray and Agnew.
It was initially listed in late 2007 when the Melbourne-based businessman, a former chairman of Ashton Mining, Pacific Dunlop and the Shell Company of Australia, had $8 million expectations. After his 2010 death, it was relisted last year with $4.5 million hopes.
The house was renovated with a dated Christine Vadez design almost three decades ago.
The sale reflected $5,180 per square metre land value, with minor access issues. 
Properties on either side have sold over the past five years at $12,600 and $13,700 a square metre.
The strip's record $15.68 million sale in 2006 was at $11,000 a square metre.
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Tide still receding at Wategos Beach, Byron Bay 

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A Canterbury trophy home has been sold for $6.66 million, having been listed in late May through hockingstuart.
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/mont-albert-road-canterbury/Property-Details-sold-residential-7182521" target="_blank">The Mont Albert Road property</a> last traded at $5.5 million in 2011.
It's a grand double-storey 2005-built house (pictured above) with 496 square metre internal space plus pool and tennis court on its 2,050 square metre block.
It was sold by Chinese vendors, Cai Huishuang. 
Sales this year include Silchester, at 106 Mont Albert Road, Canterbury, listed with $6 million plus hopes and passed in at $6.02 million at auction.
The double-storey 1920s house with pool and tennis court on its 2,161 square metre corner block, and even a croquet lawn, has been since sold at $6,475,000.
I recall it last traded to the current vendors in 1993 when sold at around $1.5 million by Brian Blythe from Spotless.
Another recent sale was <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/67-mont-albert-road-canterbury/Property-Details-buy-residential-6606521" target="_blank">67 Mont Albert Road </a>(pictured below) where a 1925 brick house fetched $2,625,000 through Box Hill agents Winny Ni and Bruce Li to Chinese buyers. It was among the 2007 sales at around $2.4 million. 
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2014/03/04/can4]}
Syme Manor, the Edwardian style Canterbury home (pictured below), was sold recently at $4.8 million to the Zhou family. It last traded at $4.8 million in 2008. 
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2014/03/04/can3]}
There's a contemporary family entertainer update to the established 1920s home set on a 1746 square metre block with tennis court, pool and sauna. The Mont Albert Road property was first listed in spring 2013 with $5.35 million price guidance.
The so-called golden mile of Canterbury produced mixed results last year when I wrote the street's highest sale was the Sisters of Mercy development site which fetched $8.78 million in September.
The highest house sale was $7.5 million for the Schwal family's 2800 square metre property at 129 Mont Albert Road. It sold through Kay &amp; Burton's Michael Armstrong, settling late last year after selling around April to Chinese/Australian buyers. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30VmFO2mZhs" target="_blank">It had been initially listed in spring 2012 with video marketing</a> (below).
{qtube vid:=30VmFO2mZhs}
Agents tell Property Observer that half of Mont Albert Road's 10 sales during 2013 were to Chinese/Australian buyers.
There was a $5.9 million sale last year at 168 Mont Albert on the road of an eight year old Dordonge-style home with trimmed Manchurian pear trees lining its driveway.
It was bought by Chinese/Australian buyers who have been especially evident on the golden mile since 2007, often then making their purchases available as rentals.
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Mont Albert Road, Canterbury trophy home sells for $6.66 million

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The Bencluna homestead on 2.42 hectares in the Byron Bay hinterland has been sold for $815,000.
The historic property last traded in 2007 at $654,000 when bought by the Tyrer-Goring family.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-eureka-117152999" target="_blank">Tim Miller of McGrath Byron Bay had been expecting more than $700,000</a>, securing the sale in the lead up to the weekend auction.
The restored and improved house comes with pressed-metal ceilings.
There is a study, attic bedrooms and a terrace overlooking the garden.
Eureka is about half an hour from the coast at Byron Bay.
Andrew Johnstone was the original owner of Bencluna.
Meanwhile the former home of Pete Murray, the singer-songwriter, has yet to sell the 1907 Eureka property, Carawatha (pictured below), <a href="https://uniqueestates.com.au/buy-residential-real-estate/house-eureka-nsw-13058110215" target="_blank">still on the market with a price guide of $1.65 million through Nicolette van Wijngaarden of Unique Estates.</a>
<img src="/images/2014/07/14/eureka%20july%2014%20two.jpg" alt="">
His former partner, Amanda Coutts, a shoe designer, bought the property in 2004 for $1.1 million.
The study in the five-bedroom property featured on the cover of Murray's 2008 album, Summer in Eureka. There is also a recording studio, which is used as an artist's workshop. 
It has been for sale since mid-2012, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2013/02/26/farmhouse-to-studio-in-australia/tab/slideshow/#slide/1" target="_blank">receiving a Wall Street Journal editorial in early 2013</a>.
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Bencluna, the 1890s Eureka, Byron hinterland farmhouse, sells

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Wine entrepreneurs Katrina and Russell Leslie have spent possibly around $12 million on Mosman's Little Sirius Cove.
Their harbourfront property purchase on Curraghbeena Road is the mansion listed by by Anne Clarke and her husband Greg Clarke, the former head of Lend Lease who moved to England in 2010.
The six-bedroom residence last traded in 2007 for $14.5 million when it was sold by Ellen and Ken Borda.
The sale was first reported by Title Tattle in the recent end of financial year top 20 house sales list, <a href="/news/eastern-suburbs-dominate-title-tattles-list-of-sydneys-top-20-sales-of-the-2013-14-financial-year">slotted in at 17th place</a>.
The Scottish-born chartered accountant, Russell Leslie is a retired Macquarie Group investment banker who launched himself into the Hunter wine industry in 2005.
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Wine entrepreneurs buy on Mosman harbourfront: Title Tattle top 20 update

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The merchant banker Jim Dominguez and his wife Suzanne have sold their Palm Beach weekender, Mandalay.
It has been bought by the hedge fund trader Daniel Droga, founder of DCM Bluelake Partners, and his wife Lyndell.
The Florida Road offering through <a href="https://66-68floridaroad.com" target="_blank">LJ Hooker Palm Beach agent David Edwards and Peter Robinson secured $6.65 million</a>. The couple initially were seeking a reported $8 million plus when they listed their 25 year long weekender last year.
Title Tattle suggests the property sale signifies the baton change at the pricey peninsula from merchant banking dominance to hedge fund traders, as now having the deeper pockets.
The merchant banking takeover of Palmie actually kicked off in 1988 when then Hunters Hill merchant banker Dominguez snapped up the double block for just $215,000. Jim Dominguez, then principal of Dominguez Barry Samuel Montagu, helped Sydney get its harbour tunnel.
Enriched old-timers were departing the peninsula, which had quaint neighbourhood nicknames like Pill Hill because of the prevalence of Macquarie Street doctors.
The injection of merchant banking buyers saw in 1990 the 2,200 square metre Moonrising property bought by Woollahra merchant banker Stephen Higgs for a record $3 million.
Woollahra merchant banker Rob Barry and wife, Mary, then spent $2.2 million in 1992.
Tehongi, on Florida Road, sold for $1.9 million to Mosman merchant banker Chris Roberts and wife, Frances, in 1993.
Merchant banker Rob Rankin bought a property in 1995 for $852,500.
Next came the wave of advertising industry types.
The first signs of hedge fund traders came around 2005 and 2006, but it was following the global financial crisis that hedge fund traders became a dominant force within the buyers highlighted in 2010 when hedge fund manager Paul Henry and his wife, Belinda paid $14 million for the Hayson family's lavish modern residence on a 1575 square metre block in Pacific Road.
Their prior Florida Road house had cost $4.1 million in 2006.
Trevor Easterbrook, a hedge fund specialist in Hong Kong, and his wife, Nikki, paid $4.1 million in 2006 for the Priory at <a href="/news">Palm Beach</a>, but stayed only briefly.
Expatriate hedge-fund operative Greg Coffey, the London spent $7.75 million on a <a href="/news">Whale Beach</a> weekender in 2006.
In 2008 Tropique, a vacant 1,874-square-metre Ocean Road holding, was 2008's coastal NSW top seller when sold after five decades' ownership by the Deaton family for $12 million to the late John Morrison, who was the Zurich-based global chief executive of Man Investments.
In 2009 John Balderstone, who was then at one of the world's biggest hedge funds, Tudor Investment Corp, and his wife, Deb, the film producer who worked on Dirty Deeds, consolidated two adjoining waterfronts totalling 1,263 square metres on Barrenjoey Road following the departure of Dagmar O'Brien, who was among the first two female racers in the 1946 Sydney to Hobart yacht race. 
Ofcourse prior to the arrival of the hedge fund traders at Palm Beach, the term hedge referred to the buxus kind, often attracting headlines when neighbours installed the fast-growing, view-blocking plants causing many a neighbourly relationship to sour.
The Dominguez's aren't actually leaving Palmie for good, just downsizing to an apartment instead in the Winten complex.
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Dominguez to Droga: Baton change from merchant banker to hedge fund trader at Palmie

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The television series Seinfeld  began 25 years ago.
Title Tattle takes a quick poke around the one bedroom apartment.
The Spanish interior designer Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/435230751458438614/" target="_blank">sells the sketches</a>.
They are as neat as Jerry Seinfeld had it. 
<img src="/images/2014/07/04/seinfeld-july-4-one.jpg" alt="">
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Jerry Seinfeld's New York apartment internals: 25 years retrospective

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Twelve weeks after its listing, Sydney glamour couple Jennifer Hawkins and husband Jake Wall have sold their luxury North Curl Curl home.
Now under contract, <a href="https://www.belleproperty.com/buying/NSW/Northern-Beaches/North-Curl-Curl/House/12P4639-18-molong-street-north-curl-curl-nsw-2099" target="_blank">the sale price is confidential</a>, and the sale wasn't even tweeted since she has dropped off that social media forum.
<a href="https://www.belleproperty.com/buying/NSW/Northern-Beaches/North-Curl-Curl/House/12P4639-18-molong-street-north-curl-curl-nsw-2099" target="_blank">Her agent, Steve Thomas at Belle Property</a> was seeking $4 million plus.
<a href="/news/jennifer-hawkins-and-jake-wall-list-priceless-north-curl-curl-home">It was listed in April</a> without any official price indication. The typical time on market in <a href="/news">North Curl Curl</a>, according to RP Data, is 101 days.
Prior sales in the Windy Drop Down gated community have ranged from $2.7 million to $6.7 million over the past four years.
The couple have lived in the Molong Street home for the past three years since the built on a former tennis court block that cost $1.375 million in 2010.
Their next nearby Koichi Takada-designed home is complete.
<img src="/images/2014/04/11/curl%20curl%20april%2011%20one.jpg" alt="">
Sportbet was taking bets on the luxury house selling price.The BRW rich lister who ranks number 22 on the Top 50 Entertainers list had her estate agents post a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhPFKHOoc5I" target="_blank">1.40 minute YouTube drone video</a> on the home where Jen and Jake have watched whales cruising across the horizon.
{qtube vid:=RhPFKHOoc5I}
Gotta love the curtains fluttering in the breeze!
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