The final apartments in the most recently completed new development in Balwyn present some of the largest and most exclusive ever delivered in one of Melbourne’s most established and character-rich neighbourhoods.

Boutique developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/wulff-projects">Wulff Projects</a>,&nbsp;alongside partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pga-group">PGA Group</a>, has just finished <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/threadneedle-balwyn-1-5-threadneedle-street-balwyn-vic-3103">Threadneedle</a>, 17 home-sized residences designed completely for the owner-occupier.

Named after its location on Threadneedle Street, the new project has been shaped by the heritage fabric of Balwyn. It offers two low-rise buildings of eight and nine apartments respectively, designed to emulate traditional standalone homes.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355582]

John Scaramuzzino, Director at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, explains the design intention.

“Given the quiet residential character of the street with many homes dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, we approached Threadneedle wanting to appear less as a collection of apartments and more as a traditional residence. This led to creating not one but two buildings that could “breathe” with larger garden-based apartments functioning more like small homes.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355605]

The north-facing residences are nestled among extensive landscaped gardens by Ben Scott Garden Design, with over one-third of the site dedicated to greenery. The resulting setting is one of calm seclusion, where architecture and landscape work in tandem to offer immediate liveability.

With construction now complete, the final apartments include a top-floor, single-level penthouse residence priced from $2.8 million. This home offers three bedrooms, a dedicated study, two bathrooms plus powder room, and three car spaces with an oversized storage room.&nbsp;

Interiors prioritise spatial comfort and natural light, with three-metre-high ceilings, oversized internal doors and a full-width terrace oriented to the north, east and west.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355604]

Floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows ensure thermal performance across seasons, supported by automated external blinds, zoned heating and cooling, and a fireplace for added ambiance.

Each apartment has been individually designed to maximise privacy and garden outlooks. Kitchens combine refined finishes with practical considerations: stone benchtops, butler’s pantry, full-height joinery and concealed rangehoods.&nbsp;

The inclusion of dedicated home offices responds to contemporary living patterns, while bathrooms feature sculptural bathtubs and brushed nickel fixtures.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27816 project_image_fid=355590]

Threadneedle also integrates best-practice sustainability measures, achieving a 7 Star average NatHERS rating. Initiatives include solar PV systems, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing and irrigation, and high-performing building insulation. These elements enhance daily comfort while reducing ongoing maintenance and energy demand.

"We believe Threadneedle sets a new standard of design excellence and building quality for Balwyn,"&nbsp;Scaramuzzino added.

"It’s an architectural response we’re particularly proud of, and one we’re sure residents will be equally proud to call home."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=27816]

Staff Writer

Final homes remaining as Threadneedle, Balwyn completes construction

Joel Robinson

Sydney's top 15 new apartments developments set to launch in 2026

Developer-builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dasco-australia">DASCO</a> has pushed beyond the now-standard inclusions of rooftop pools and landscaped podiums at its recently launched new Epping project, Senso.

It has laid out over 4,000 sqm of resident-only amenity in a move designed to compete directly with low-density housing on livability, not just density. The result is a development that supports genuine daily use through purposeful spaces distributed across its five-building, 479-apartment precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4396]

Two rooftop pools form the anchor of Senso. One is a 27-metre lap pool adjoining a heated spa, designed for everyday fitness rather than just summer leisure. The second sits on a lower podium, allowing different buildings to share in vertical access and reducing crowding during peak times.

It is the secondary spaces that start to distinguish Senso from other large-scale suburban projects. A rooftop cinema is integrated into a landscaped terrace, offering open-air screenings with natural ventilation and passive cooling.&nbsp;

The inclusion of a “sensory walk”, an elevated boardwalk that threads through the site, suggests a rare investment in non-commercial, non-essential amenity: space for quiet movement that doesn’t double as access or traffic circulation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4402]

The gym and wellness centre, often relegated to a small ground-floor room in many builds, takes on more substance here. Residents have access to a fully equipped gym, as well as outdoor yoga areas and meditative zones that integrate greenery and natural light.&nbsp;

The Club Lounge is similarly designed to support multiple use cases, with a private dining terrace, kitchenette, workspace, and lockable wine storage. These aren’t superficial additions; their scale and spatial allocation indicate serious intent for frequent resident use.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134954 project_image_fid=4391]

Importantly, Senso’s amenities are embedded within a site that spans more than 10,000 sqm, allowing for better separation between spaces and reduced noise spillover, a critical but often overlooked factor in high-density developments. This spatial generosity also enables multiple alfresco kitchens and communal terraces without compromising individual privacy or usable space.

While many developments make claims about lifestyle, few back it with this level of built infrastructure. Senso’s mix of dedicated fitness, wellness, social and passive green spaces suggests a conscious response to the post-pandemic shift in housing expectations, especially among owner-occupiers.&nbsp;

DASCO is one of several leading developers who have taken out Resilience Insurance's Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing buyers with a 10-year structural and waterproofing warranty, and giving them the ultimate peace of mind.

Senso is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134954]

The outdoor amenities elevating life at Senso, Epping

Following the proposal by the Minns Labor Government to rezone Parramatta Road to create up to 8,000 new homes, prominent developer Ceerose has gone to the NSW Gov to increase the density of its new mixed-use residential building in Leichhardt.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/ceerose">Ceerose</a>, founded by Edward Doueihi nearly three decades ago, has filed plans for 154 apartments above ground-floor retail at 307-315 Parramatta Road, a key corner site near Norton Street, the main high street strip in Leichhardt.

It's an upsize from the previously approved scheme of 63 apartments across a seven-storey building.

<img alt="Ceerose" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ba1ae75b-5f08-43fb-b8d5-3de6d9f6ef71" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-04%20at%2010.31.39%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yA3hBBLPH4ev7MsAE0_hieXeqiFqBUb7" />

The project is being advanced through the State Significant Development (SSD) pathway, with concurrent rezoning sought to facilitate the proposal. The 10-storey development would rise over a four-level basement and deliver two retail tenancies, one a larger-format offering and the other a smaller “hole in the wall” space, addressing the Parramatta Road frontage. 21 of the apartments are dedicated as affordable housing.

According to the Urban Design Report by Architecture AND, the scheme includes a podium and tower configuration, with a fine-grain, two-storey parapet street wall that references the traditional shopfront rhythm along the corridor. “An elegant tower form is proposed, combined with a characterful two storey frontage... articulating it as two related buildings, providing consistency with the rhythm and grain of Parramatta Road,” the report notes.

The residential component is split across two slender towers set back from the street edge, a design move aimed at preserving solar access and reducing perceived bulk. This massing strategy also seeks to improve residential amenity by focusing scale toward the quieter northern interface, away from Parramatta Road’s noise and pollution.

<img alt="Ceerose" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="347f2f8f-5d36-4388-b40a-2e77380b9c19" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-04%20at%2010.31.02%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=xvyUE2ujT1lzivXTo.mHBJFF4SmfgLtz" />

Architecture AND has worked with Ceerose on previous Inner West projects, and cites a deep familiarity with the local character. Their design draws heavily on context, heritage, and sunlight access considerations, and engages with the Inner West Council’s “Our Fairer Future” strategic planning framework.

The site spans 2,712 sqm and is located near key intersections with Catherine Street, Hay Street, and Redmond Street. It adjoins a public carpark to the north and is within walking distance of Stanmore and Petersham stations. It is also flagged in state and local planning strategies, including the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, as a suitable candidate for increased density.

Ceerose recently completed The Alex Collective on McEvoy Street in Alexandria, Abbie's Lane in Annandale, and the award-winning Munro House in Elizabeth Bay.

The Parramatta Road corridor is coming to life with the proposed rezoning which is serviced by a significant number of bus, light rail and train routes.

Deicorp is progressing with its $1.8 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kings-bay-village-five-dock-53-75-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">Kings Bay Village</a> precinct on Parramatta Road in Five Dock, as is <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/toga-to-push-on-with-five-dock-mixed-use-masterplan">TOGA further down the street</a>. Those two projects alone will bring nearly 2,000 new homes to Parramatta Road.

First look: Ceerose plots mixed-use Leichhardt development on Parramatta Road

North Sydney's landmark 'SBS Building' on Alfred Street is set to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use residential tower in the booming North Sydney.

Commercial property group FiveX is behind the plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/275-alfred-street-north-north-sydney-nsw-2060">39-storey tower</a>, the latest project to advance under the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

They are proposing 184 apartments above retail spaces, which will replace the existing 20-storey commercial building. FiveX was set up more than five decades ago by Joshua and Marko Berger. It is currently led by Joshua's son Lesli.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower at 275 Alfred Street, North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2efa0980-53fa-4cca-9f9e-9c3c845d4746" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29%20%281%29_0.png?VersionId=y_YyPMq3NQLfYRs84pP4os9UgWiMLp75" />

According to the Architectural Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fjc-studio">FJC Studio</a>, the slender tower form has been deliberately designed to respect the site's transitional setting at the southern gateway to the North Sydney CBD, where high-rise towers give way to lower-scale residential precincts.

"The slender tower form and articulated podium establish a respectful relationship with nearby heritage and low rise buildings, including the Whaling Road Heritage Conservation Area,” the architecture firm noted, adding that the tower “completes a missing link in the urban fabric” while enhancing the Alfred Street streetscape.

The proposed building will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with 15 percent of the gross residential floor area allocated as affordable housing. There is an agreement already in place that those apartments will be managed by Evolve Housing.

The project aligns with broader state housing objectives, including the National Housing Accord target of delivering 1.2 million new homes by 2029. The Scoping Report filed with the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) suggests the site "presents no impediments to rapid delivery,” with construction able to commence within 12 months of receiving consent.

North Sydney has been one of the most popular suburbs in Sydney for new and off the plan apartment development, but hasn't had the supply to keep up with demand, until recently.

AURA by Aqualand was, for a long time, the only off the plan apartment building on the market. That completed last year, and has sold the majority of its 386 luxury apartments. Recently ALAND launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-173-179-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> on the same street, selling over $100 million within just a few hours of its launch, while developer CASA also launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-mclaren-north-sydney-45-mclaren-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The McLaren</a>&nbsp;in the same precinct.

First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower in booming North Sydney

Celebrity Sale

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Racing couple Gai and Robbie Waterhouse have finally secured the sale of their longtime former Mosman family home.
It was pulled from February auction then given a steadfast $5.4 million asking price.
The four bedroom property, which has been in the Waterhouse family for 32 years, had come with an initial price guide of $6 million plus.
No sale price has emerged but it sold through 2088 Realty listing agent Sally-Anne Lawlor who advised most of the buyer interest has come from developers.
But with a late start the buyers were a family from Kogorah Bay.
The racing couple will make a tidy gain from the Clifton Gardens home having paid $457,500 in 1983.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-mosman-121723666" target="_blank">Burrawong Avenue</a> property was designed with wall to wall windows highlighting the harbour views over Shark Island and beyond.
The master bedroom suite comes with an impressive hat display cabinet filled with Gai's hats and fascinators from past race days.
They now prefer the Balmoral aspect along with their Mittagong retreat, Dunsinea.
Their bookmaker son, Tom and his wife Hoda were $13 million buyers at Balmoral in 2013, with their luxury Balmoral Beach apartment sold to his aunt, Louise Raedler-Waterhouse paying $4.38 million. Their daughter Kate and her husband Luke Ricketson also live at Balmoral.
Mosman's median house price has been around $3.2 million this year with the top recorded sale being $12.8 million.
Local agent Robert Simeon recently noted Mosman was experiencing the Sydney-wide trend of low listings.
His figures showed just 42 houses on the market as at June 30, compared to an average 70 over the prior five years.
"We are now seeing record low listings which only strengthens the markets," Simeon said.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Gai and Robbie Waterhouse sell in Clifton Gardens

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The fashion designer Kay Cohen, who has more than 30 years' experience in the lingerie industry, has sold her Cremorne home. 
Cohen has been a leader in the design of lingerie brands, most notably as general manager of creative director of Elle Macpherson's label Elle Macpherson Intimates.
She is also the inventor of the Biofit uplift bra which featured model Sophie Monk for its launch. Cohen was raised on a farm in New Zealand where she attended Wellington Polytechnic majoring in clothing and textile design. After graduation, she became a lecturer at the school instructing fellow Australian fashion designer Collette Dinnigan. 
Richard Simeon at Simeon Manners Property had a price guide of between $5.8 million and $6 million for the tri-level, Phil Corben 1999-designed home.
It sits on a 500 sqm near waterfront parcel with views over Middle Harbour from the numerous Tuscan-style alfresco dining areas and balconies.
The home has four bedrooms, a 1000 bottle, fully fitted wine cellar and a home office adjacent to the top floor master retreat which features its own private roof terrace. 
There's also a salt water pool which sits beside the treelined terrace gardens that were installed by Annie Wilkes.
Cohen bought well at $3.8 million in 2009 after it was initially listed with ambitious $5 million hopes.
It had previously traded at $4.51 million in 2004.
She previously resided on Woolloomooloo Wharf.
The New Zealand born designer was last in the fashion headlines when she launched the Silent Assembly lingerie brand in 2014, using technology she suggested would make uncomfortable underwire a thing of the past.
"Curvessence" is a polymer composite with a 3D support shape designed to remember the wearer's shape over time, so it doesn't bend out of shape and dig into ribcages, as underwire often does.
Cohen, who founded luxury lingerie label Pleasure State in 2004, created Silent Assembly as a premium line with the finest French laces and Italian fabrics.
Cohen also launched a lounge wear add-on called Pleasurewear, which includes cotton-cashmere blend cardigans, singlets and culottes.
The Pleasure State lingerie label was started with business partner Justin Davis-Rice.  
In 1997 Cohen was appointed group general manager of brands for the New Zealand lingerie group Bendon where she made her name in the creative direction of Elle Macpherson's lingerie label, Elle Macpherson Intimates.
According to CoreLogic, the median house price in Cremorne is $2.1 million. 
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
 
 
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Kay Cohen sells Cremorne home

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The longtime Cottesloe home of the late Australian businessman Alan Bond has been sold for around $3.95 million.
Bond, who died in June last year, built it after $422,000 was paid in 1992.
It was sold by Acton Cottesloe agent, and Bond's daughter, Jody Fewster who listed it last August. 
The modern Perth home on 726 sqm had a wine cellar, home office, swimming pool and even fishpond. 
Bond will always be remembered for leading the successful challenge for the 1983 America's Cup, the first time the New York Yacht club had ever lost in its 132 year history.
This article was first published in The Weekend Australian 
 
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The former Cottesloe home of Alan Bond sold

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The buyer behind Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart's Port Hacking home is former politician Robert McClelland.
The former Labor Party member turned judge bought the five bedroom waterfront from Stuart late last year as the coach had set up camp nearer his club, moving in to the home of former prime minister Kevin Rudd. 
Stuart owned the home since paying $2.65 million in 2011 when he was the coach at the Parramatta Eels.
He bought it from Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe who made a loss on the property, buying it for $2.9 million in 2003.
Stuart spent over $500,000 on extending the property by 437 sqm.
Set on 940 sqm, the home has a rumpus room with bar, an inground pool and a waterfront which includes a pontoon, jetty, ramp and slip rails.
McClelland was a Labor Party member from 1996 until September 2013 and between 2007 and 2011 was the Attorney-General of Australia.
He and his wife Michelle, who sits on the board of St George Rugby League Club, listed their five bedroom waterfront home with swimming pool in Oatley for $1.975 million.
It cost them $1.4 million for in 2010.
 
  
 
 
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Ricky Stuart's Port Hacking home bought by former politician Robert McClelland

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Channel 9 weather presenter Livinia Nixon has secured the $2.35 million sale of her Victorian, Middle Park investment home.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-middle+park-120611101" target="_blank">Located on Richardson Street</a>, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom, two storey Victorian has been extensively renovated and extended.
The home last traded in <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-middle+park-104329788" target="_blank">October 2007 for $1,853,000</a>.
Title Tattle seems to recollect it was bought from the Bulldogs footballer Luke Darcy.
John Holdsworth of Greg Hocking Holdsworth had the listing.
Next door <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/293-richardson-street-middle-park/Property-Details-sold-residential-8426382" target="_blank">sold earlier this year at $1.77 million</a>, having sold for just $70,000 more than its $1.7 million sale in 2013.
Nixon is married to the property developer Alistair Jack and has two sons, Henry, born in 2010, and Ted born in 2013.
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Lavinia Nixon sells in Middle Park

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Entertainer Denise Drysdale has sold her former McKinnon family home for $1.47 million.
Denise "Ding Dong" Drysdale had paid $575,000 for the three bedroom, two bathroom <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/29-anne-street-mckinnon/Property-Details-sold-residential-9360348" target="_blank">Anne Street home</a> in 2002.
It had in recent years been held as a rental. It was last available at $650 a week in 2012.
In 2014 she secured $870,000 on selling her Neerim North home in Gippsland.
The Gold Logie award-winning television personality and comedian said she was selling Daffodill Hill for a sea-change.
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Ding Dong Denise Drysdale sells McKinnon investment rental

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The former 2UE radio broadcaster Angela Catterns and her music composer partner Charlie Chan have sold their Balmain terrace pre-auction.
The Victorian-era residence, <a href="/expert-insights/buying/broadcaster-angela-catterns-lists-in-balmain">Glendarra</a>, was scheduled to go under the hammer with expectations of $2.9 million plus.
McGrath agent Cindy Kennedy secured a strong pre-auction offer.
The terrace cost $2.2 million in 2009.
Set on <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-balmain-120587217" target="_blank">White Street</a>, it has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, plus a rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour.
She wrote a blog on Switzer entitled, <a href="https://www.switzer.com.au/the-experts/angela-catterns/how-many-cushions-does-it-take-to-sell-a-house/" target="_blank">How many cushions does it take to sell a house?</a>
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Angela Catterns sells Balmain terrace

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Starring across television, film and the stage, Wendy Hughes was one of Australia's best recognised acclaimed actresses.
But she was most at home at Wombarra, on the NSW Illawarra escapment, at her <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-wombarra-120639801" target="_blank">850 sqm oceanfront</a> that adjoins a nature reserve.
Offers above $2.1 million for the beachfront retreat are now being sought by her two children following her death in March last year.
"Watch the migrating whales swim by or the waves crashing on the very private beach below through the huge wrap around floor to ceiling picture windows of this special home," listing agent Wayne Bennett said, adding there was a real sense of escape being surrounded by greenery and the ocean.
The architecturally designed beach-house offers floor to ceiling east facing windows and a north east facing sundeck
Hughes had studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and in 1983 won the Australian Film Institute's Best Lead actress award for her role in Careful, He Might Hear You.
Her stage work included The Graduate in Sydney in 2001 and in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2007. 
There were Logie awards in 1977 and 1984 in the best supporting actress category for Power Without Glory and Return To Eden respectively.
In 2011 Wombarra was bestowed title of the Illawarra's first million-dollar median suburb.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Wendy Hughes Wombarra beachfront listed

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The music mogul who discovered some of Australia's biggest contemporary acts, Stephen Pavlovic has bullishly sold his Bondi Beach home.
The former Sydney PR queen Sophie Landa has emerged as the buyer of the single storey cottage on the 420 sqm Ramsgate Avenue block, just 20 metres to the sand and surf across Campbell Parade.
Legal paperwork solved the mystery after the reputed $4.9 million pre-auction sale.
It was marketed as <a href="https://www.ppdre.com.au/buying/NSW/Eastern-Suburbs/Bondi-Beach/House/1P1214" target="_blank">the ultimate beachfront opportunity</a>.
"Designer interiors capture the essence of barefoot glamour with an intimate connection with its seaside setting achieved through an organic palette, pared-back interiors and a sunny garden paradise devoted to entertaining and relaxation," was the successful marketing pitch by the Phillips Pantzer Donnelley agency.
Pavlovic's Modular Recordings music label promoted some of coolest bands to come out of Australasia, including Sneaky Sound System, the Avalanches, Wolfmother, the Presets and Tame Impala.
Pavlovic recently quit the company he founded 18 years ago having lost a four day NSW Supreme Court dispute with Universal Music.
Levitt Robinson, Pavlovic's lawyer in the recent royalties dispute, has also taken a caveat on the property title pursuant to legal fees. 
Heiress Sophie Landa is the the daughter of the late NSW attorney-general Paul Landa and his arts patron wife Anne
The 34-year-old funds an arts prize in her mother's honour.
The freestanding classic double-brick home, one of the closest to Bondi's world-famous surf, last sold at $2.12 million in 2005.
It was marketed as in a tightly held setting at the fashionable north end of the beach, opposite the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club.
This article was first published in the Sunday Daily Telegraph.
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