Construction is now underway at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/cumulus-grand-villas-carrara-17-baltimore-court-carrara-qld-4211">Cumulus Grand Villas</a> in Carrara, with all stages fully funded as <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/venturecrowd-property-projects">VentureCrowd</a> progresses its 59-residence gated community on an elevated ridgeline overlooking 100 hectares of natural savanna.

The commencement marks a key milestone for the Gold Coast project, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a> and being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/devcon">Devcon Property Group</a>, at a time when buyers are placing greater emphasis on delivery certainty and builder track record.

With Devcon active in South East Queensland since 1993 and having delivered more than 1,000 homes, the team is positioning Cumulus as a fully financed, under-construction offering in a market where risk mitigation has become a central consideration for off-the-plan purchasers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360496]

Located at 17 Baltimore Court, Cumulus Grand Villas comprises 59 three- and four-bedroom villas across four collections, Skyline, Canopy, Savanna and Broadview. Pricing starts from $1,455,000, with completion of the first stage targeted for Q4 2026.

Across the four collections, each design represents an expansive and thoughtfully considered offering. The Broadview provides additional flexibility within its floorplan, incorporating a multipurpose room or optional additional bedroom, and is priced from $1,895,000.&nbsp;

Configured across two levels, the four-bedroom villas feature two master bedrooms with private ensuites, as well as a multipurpose room (MPR), supporting intergenerational living, guest accommodation, or the creation of a dedicated retreat space.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360497]

The main living areas are positioned on the ground floor, while the bedrooms are located upstairs, a configuration that promotes both family separation and connected living. All villas include a second master suite on the ground floor, reinforcing the project’s focus on flexibility and long-term adaptability.

That adaptability was central to BDA Architecture’s design approach. The team sought to create a sophisticated, low-maintenance product that makes the most of the site’s elevation and outlook while responding to evolving household needs. Expansive glazing, open-plan interiors and private outdoor areas draw in natural light and frame views towards the savanna, hinterland and Broadbeach skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360470]

VentureCrowd Director of Property David Whitting said the project responds to a growing group of buyers reassessing what premium living on the Gold Coast looks like.

Flexible floorplans have proven particularly relevant for purchasers aged between 40 and 65, including next home buyers, downsizers and investors. The inclusion of dual master suites in the Broadview design, along with options for a downstairs MPR or guest bedroom, allows homes to adapt as family dynamics shift, whether accommodating older parents, adult children, or extended stays.

Across the community, villas are specified with European appliances and premium fixtures and fittings, alongside double garages and landscaped private areas. The gated enclave includes number plate recognition entry, reinforcing a focus on security and exclusivity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360474]

Lifestyle amenity is anchored by the Infinity Terrace, an elevated communal space incorporating a 20m heated pool, alfresco zones and barbecue facilities, designed as a shared retreat within the neighbourhood. A two-acre private nature reserve with walking trails and rehabilitated bushland further integrates the development with its savanna-edge setting, reflecting a broader masterplan initiative to restore native vegetation and habitat corridors.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/carrara-qld-4211">Carrara</a>’s positioning continues to attract attention from prestige buyers seeking proximity to the coast without beachfront pricing. The suburb offers access to major retail centres including Pacific Fair and Robina Town Centre, is around 15 minutes from Broadbeach, and benefits from connectivity via the M1 to Brisbane and the Gold Coast Airport.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135663]

Joel Robinson

VentureCrowd’s Cumulus Grand Villas in Carrara advances with construction underway

Joint venture partners <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen">Abadeen</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/perifa">PERIFA</a> are officially launching the third and final residential stage at their landmark $350 million harbourfront precinct, Putney Wharf, with The Residences representing the final opportunity to secure a new home within this rare waterfront destination.

Strong demand has already been established across the earlier stages of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-residences-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a>, with more than 50 per cent sold ahead of this final release. The Residences will introduce a selection of the precinct’s most premium apartments, many of which were deliberately reserved for this concluding stage.

Located at 20 Waterview Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/putney-nsw-2112">Putney</a> NSW, the completed precinct will comprise 67 residences, including 18 terraces and 49 apartments, alongside five retail tenancies and a 36-berth marina.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=1338]

Developed alongside partners Phoenix Property Investors and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, Putney Wharf occupies a prized 300-metre stretch of absolute waterfront and incorporates the historic former Halvorsen’s Boatshed. The precinct connects directly to surrounding parklands via a landscaped foreshore walkway and a large, landscaped podium linking both sides of the development to the adjoining foreshore parklands.

The Residences comprise two newly built, three-storey apartment buildings delivering a boutique collection of 30 generously proportioned waterfront apartments. Designed to capture harbour outlooks, natural light and cooling breezes, The Residences balance architectural refinement with relaxed, low-maintenance living.

Architecturally designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the apartments continue the cohesive design language seen across the broader precinct. A refined palette of light and dark materials, softer-toned stone and neutral, earthy finishes reflect the surrounding landscape and harbour setting. Interiors feature painted timber veneers, tactile joinery, timber flooring to living spaces and 100 per cent natural wool carpets in bedrooms, creating warm and sophisticated homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362525]

Justin Brown, Executive Chairman and Founder of Abadeen, said the release of the final residential stage marks an important milestone for the project.

“Putney Wharf brings together everything we’ve learned over more than 25 years of development,” Mr Brown said. “It respects the site’s extraordinary maritime history while delivering contemporary homes that connect people directly to the harbour.

The Residences offer the rare combination of low-maintenance apartment living, waterfront outlooks with beautiful sunset views, and the convenience of retail and amenity at your doorstep. For boating enthusiasts, the opportunity to secure a private marina berth completes a truly unique Sydney harbourfront lifestyle.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=291197]

PERIFA Managing Director and Co-Founder Fabrizio Perilli added that the diversity of housing across the precinct has been central to the project’s success.

“Whether it’s the heritage Halvorsen’s apartments, the Waterview Terraces or now The Residences, Putney Wharf offers a range of homes that respond to different lifestyles, all united by an unrivalled harbourfront setting,” Perilli said. “This is a precinct that will add lasting value to the Putney community.”

Managing project marketing and sales, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Partner Tim Rees said the final release has already attracted strong demand reflecting the project’s unique harbourfront position and the success of earlier stages.

“Following the strong response to both the Halvorsen’s Boatshed residences and the Waterview Terraces, The Residences represent the final chance to secure a new home within this tightly held waterfront precinct,” Rees said. “Buyers are drawn to the rare combination of absolute harbour frontage, parkside living and genuine architectural quality.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362240]

Putney Wharf is a one-of-a-kind mixed-use destination, delivering an exclusive residential offering alongside waterfront dining, retail and a 36-berth marina designed to the latest Australian Standards, accommodating vessels up to 18 metres and helping address Sydney Harbour’s ongoing marina shortage.

The precinct will include five retail tenancies and a prominent waterfront jetty area fronting the retail village, creating an activated harbourfront destination for residents and visitors alike.

Residents will enjoy direct access to lush harbourfront parklands, a public foreshore walkway and landscaped podium gardens connecting the development to the surrounding waterfront reserve. Construction across the Putney Wharf precinct is expected to be completed by Q2 2027.

Sales of The Residences officially launch this weekend, with the display suite open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 12pm at Putney Wharf. Visitors are invited to enjoy a complimentary coffee while touring The Residences and experiencing the Putney Wharf lifestyle firsthand.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=13962]

Final Harbourfront release in Putney Wharf launches this weekend

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/draycon">Draycon Building</a> is nearing completion of Boutique Chevron Island, a 42-apartment development on the northern end of Chevron Island at 17–19 Parneno Street, with a limited-time offer of fully furnished apartments available.

Now more than 90 per cent complete, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/boutique-chevron-island-17-19-parneno-chevron-island-qld-4217">Boutique</a> has been shaped by one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held island addresses, where riverfront outlooks and walkable access to Surfers Paradise converge.

For Draycon Building Managing Director Howard Dabit, the appeal of the site was immediate.

“I knew it was a good site as soon as I saw it,” Dabit said.

“The position and location on the north end of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chevron-island-qld-4217">Chevron Island</a>, the way the river swirls around the site basically from the north to the east, it feels like the site is surrounded by the water. The height that we’ve got and the aspect looking north is beautiful. Eighty per cent of the apartments are looking north so they get that drenching sunlight coming in.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=89709 project_image_fid=360922]

That northern orientation places the development within a stretch of Chevron Island defined by open river aspects and skyline views, while remaining embedded in the suburb’s established village setting.

Chevron Island has increasingly drawn owner-occupiers seeking centrality without the intensity of high-rise beachfront living. Positioned at the geographical centre of the Gold Coast, the island offers direct access to both the beach and key cultural infrastructure while retaining a neighbourhood-scale character.

Connected by bridge to Surfers Paradise, Chevron Island offers walkable access to beaches, riverfront parklands and a revitalised foreshore boulevard animated by walkers and cyclists throughout the day. The Pacific Ocean is only minutes away, reinforcing the suburb’s dual river-and-surf identity.

At the same time, Thomas Drive forms the spine of the island’s village life, delivering cafés, wine bars, casual dining and everyday services within easy reach. Independent grocers, wellness operators and neighbourhood retailers contribute to a community atmosphere that remains distinct from the vertical scale of the beachfront.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=89709 project_image_fid=360915]

In the opposite direction, the Green Bridge links directly to HOTA – Home of the Arts – placing galleries, performance venues and parklands within walking distance. Weekly markets and major exhibitions draw visitors from across the region, while residents return to a quieter residential pocket at day’s end.

Public transport, including nearby bus routes and the G:link light rail corridor along the coastal spine, strengthens connectivity north and south. Griffith University, the Gold Coast University Hospital precinct and established private schools such as The Southport School are all within a short drive.

Ongoing investment across Surfers Paradise, HOTA and the broader Southport corridor has elevated amenity while preserving Chevron Island’s comparatively low-rise residential character. It is this balance, walkable village atmosphere paired with metropolitan-scale infrastructure, that continues to differentiate the suburb from higher-density beachfront precincts.

Boutique comprises just 42 residences, designed to maximise river and skyline outlooks within this tightly held island setting.

Boutique Chevron Island is slated for completion in April 2026, with prices starting from $1,220,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=89709]

Draycon Building’s Boutique Chevron Island places 42 residences at the heart of the Gold Coast

Sydney developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/deicorp">Deicorp</a> has secured planning approval for a $300 million residential development in Lindfield, marking the company’s second project on Sydney’s North Shore and its first on the Upper North Shore.

Located on Beaconsfield Parade and designed by DKO Architecture, the state significant development comprises three buildings of up to 10 storeys and will include 399 residences, including 59 affordable homes and 40 adaptable homes.

Residences will range in size from one, two and three bedrooms, with two-bedroom apartments accounting for over 60 per cent of the product make-up. Residents will have access to a broad suite of amenities, including a wellness area, indoor and outdoor recreational spaces, a pool, a gym, a community room and a golf simulator.

In line with Deicorp’s long-standing focus on creating transit-oriented communities, the project is located just 260 metres from the Lindfield Train Station, reinforcing its role in delivering well-connected housing close to established infrastructure, retail and local services.

The inclusion of affordable and adaptable housing supports greater diversity within the local market, while the mix of apartment types responds to demand from downsizers, young professionals and families seeking access to the Upper North Shore.

Deicorp Founder Fouad Deiri OAM said the approval represents an important milestone for both the company and the suburb

“This approval allows us to deliver well-designed homes in a location that is already supported by strong transport and community infrastructure," Deiri said.

"Our focus is on creating places that integrate into their surroundings and provide long-term value for residents, and the broader Lindfield community. Being within walking distance of the station ensures this project supports sustainable growth in the right locations."

Across its portfolio, Deicorp currently has 4,703 apartments under construction, playing a leading role in shaping connected, liveable communities across Sydney.

Its expanding portfolio of Metro-linked developments includes Tallawong Village, <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> in Five Dock, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hyde-metropolitan-sydney-133-141-liverpool-street-sydney-nsw-2000">Hyde Metropolitan</a> in Sydney CBD, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/falcon-alexander-crows-nest-8-alexander-street-crows-nest-nsw-2065">Falcon &amp; Alexander</a> in Crows Nest and Showground Village, Castle Hill.

Deicorp purchased the Beaconsfield Paradise site last year. Construction is scheduled to commence in Q2 of 2026 and will be completed in 2029.

Deicorp expands portfolio to nearly 5,000 apartments with Lindfield project

In a joint venture with The Trump Organization, Australia developer Altus Property Group has announced plans to bring a Trump International Hotel &amp; Tower to the Gold Coast, marking the first Trump-branded project in Australia.

"Trump International Hotel &amp; Tower, Gold Coast is our first official project in Australia and reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering world-class luxury experiences in iconic locations around the world," Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, said.

"This development exemplifies the Trump brand’s dedication to quality, sophistication, and unmatched service, and we are thrilled to bring this vision to the vibrant Gold Coast community."

The 91-storey building, which will become the tallest in Australia at 335 metres, will feature a&nbsp;285-room luxury hotel bearing the trademark Trump logo. It will also include 272 luxury residential apartments, a three-level podium with an exclusive Beach Club, and over 3,400 sqm of premium commercial, retail, and dining space, revitalizing the central Surfers Paradise precinct.

“Trump International Hotel &amp; Tower, Gold Coast will be a truly unique offering in the Australian market, bringing the prestige and allure of a world-class luxury brand,"&nbsp;Altus founder and chief executive David Young said.

"Altus Property Group is proud of its track record in delivering landmark developments across Australia, and our expertise ensures this project will be an outstanding success."

Trump Hotel heads for the Gold Coast to become Australia's tallest building

Heritage Property

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GUEST OBSERVER
The roar of the crowd at the stadium. Jostling to see the New Year fireworks in the public square. Captivated by the band at the pub. Meeting mates outside the train station. These experiences conjure sites of importance for each of us.
As a Melburnian, places that come to mind for me are the MCG, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and Festival Hall. Sydneysiders could be thinking about the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/223371661">Opera House</a>, Central Station, the Enmore Theatre and Homebush Stadium.
It’s people that make these places important. Without crowds, an idling Gabba in Brisbane or an empty Cottesloe Beach in Perth is a less exciting place.
Each of the above places possesses outstanding social value. It’s why state heritage laws and local planning schemes can protect places of community importance.
However, this <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/contested-space-social-value-and-the-assessment-of-cultural-signi">does not happen enough</a>. Of more than 2,300 items on the <a href="https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/heritage-protection/levels-of-protection/">Victorian Heritage Register</a>, for instance, about 10% are listed for their social value.
Although data are scarce, the numbers are likely similar for heritage lists across Australia. This leaves treasured meeting places – <a href="https://theconversation.com/once-a-building-is-destroyed-can-the-loss-of-a-place-like-the-corkman-be-undone-112864">neighbourhood pubs are a prime example</a> – at risk.
With restrictions on public gatherings, urban heritage places of social significance have more allure than ever. Just as we are distanced from each other, we are separated from these places. Their temporary absence in our lives, and the sense of community and comforting memories we associate with them, only add to their cultural significance.
 
However, heritage typically gives more priority to the historic and aesthetic integrity of older fabric, buildings and structures than to ongoing social and cultural relationships <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342624259_Place_and_Heritage_Conservation">between people and built places</a>.
A lack of participatory methods to involve the public in heritage decisions is another problem with how authorities and the private sector manage the cultural values of historic places.
Two landmark cases
For more than a century, authorities <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/220585029">typically safeguarded</a> monumental architecture and places embodying the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/44846813">apparent progress of the Australian nation</a>, such as public buildings and memorials.
Since the 1970s, <a href="https://australia.icomos.org/publications/charters/">additional cultural values</a> – social, scientific and spiritual – have been inscribed in heritage practice. Yet, as I explore in <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=997484554716146;res=IELAPA">my research</a>, traditional ideas of aesthetic and historic value have been privileged in conservation. Other significant cultural values have not been treated as equally important.
The introduction of social value saved Flinders Street Station when it was threatened with demolition in 1972 for high-rise development.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333975/original/file-20200511-49584-eahqrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333975/original/file-20200511-49584-eahqrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
 Model of Flinders Gate Project, 1974. Wolfgang Sievers/State Library of Victoria (reproduced with SLV permission)
The National Trust wanted to preserve the train station. But its <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=997484554716146;res=IELAPA">committee of architects</a> perceived it as an “architectural monstrosity” because its Edwardian Baroque style was out of favour.
After long deliberations, the National Trust deemed the station a landmark […] a major focal point of Melbourne’s city life [with] the Clocks! section [sic] inextricably bound to the social fabric of Melbourne and Victoria.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334232/original/file-20200512-66707-1yumqxu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
The famous clocks overlook the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets, pictured here in the early 1970s. Rennie Ellis/State Library of Victoria (reproduced with SLV permission)
So Flinders Street Station was protected for its lasting importance to Melburnians. Only later would it be recognised for its architecture.
Despite its social value, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-10/science-of-flinders-street-station-new-look-paint/9135080">when the station was repainted</a> in original colours in 2017, there was little public engagement in this decision. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494412000424">Research</a> on people’s perceptions of historic places has shown they often prefer agedness and wornness over traditional conservation works that make places look new again: the <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=0y9jCHHdKokC&amp;pg=PA119&amp;lpg=PA119&amp;dq=%22patina+of+age%22+ruskin&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=7C2jBgWES3&amp;sig=ACfU3U2AjpX-Zcee--19v8t1KMOfx76CIQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiZhe_zh67qAhWCyDgGHUEKAtQQ6AEwAnoECDAQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=%22patina%20of%20age%22%20ruskin&amp;f=false">patina of age</a> has value. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429506352">Public participation</a> could have resulted in a different conservation decision based on Melburnians’ preferred colours and textures.
Another landmark case involves the MCG. Authorities rejected a comprehensive heritage listing for the stadium in the 1980s, when the Great Southern Stand was developed, because a listing might have prevented redevelopment.
The MCG designation was reconsidered, however, in the lead-up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games. It then met revised thresholds to be fully state-listed. It was “<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/126894666/">the matches and public not the buildings</a>” that created the heritage importance.
And to retain the cultural importance of the MCG in the future lives of Melburnians, flexibility on the stands was required. With the support of club members and heritage authorities, the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/64493">1928 Members’ Pavilion</a> made way for the new Northern Stand.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336626/original/file-20200521-102667-ajzwnp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 Ian Harrison Hill, ‘Demolition of Members’ Stand [Melbourne Cricket Ground]’, photograph, 2004. State Library of Victoria, Pictures Collection, H2004.24/4 (reproduced with the permission of the State Library of Victoria and Ian Harrison Hill)
Social value in the past, present and future
At the MCG, social value was projected into the future, allowing for flexibility during redevelopment.
At Flinders Street Station, social value was perceived as developing in the past. The recent station works demonstrated that, even when public places are heritage-listed, their management often does not include participatory methods.
Neighbourhood pubs, which are being <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2017/last-drinks/">rapidly redeveloped</a>, are another form of at-risk public place with great social value. Pubs become important to people for their longevity as gathering places, often more so than for their architecture, facades and interiors.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345460/original/file-20200703-33926-1dxq2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 The now-demolished historic Greyhound Hotel in St Kilda had potential to inspire the public realm in future development works. National Trust of Australia (Victoria)
The National Trust is <a href="http://www.trustadvocate.org.au/national-trust-backs-city-of-port-phillip-call-to-protect-social-heritage/">seeking to conserve</a> some pubs. However, authorities have far more power to mandate the continuity of historic places’ built fabric rather than ensuring redevelopments <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2017.1399283">retain community spaces</a>.
Even when this does happen, opportunities can be missed <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/search-begins-for-venue-managers-for-reborn-london-hotel-in-port-melbourne/news-story/596d9585d7ee7d55c4d697c322a3d11f">to use historic elements of the demolished buildings</a>. Participatory and social approaches to heritage have unrealised potential to guide the design and use of the future public realm.
A major step towards placing people at the heart of heritage would be to mandate and fund a diversity of participatory methods in state and local heritage governance. It’s important, too, to embed community participation across private sector heritage practice. Only by working towards more holistically conserving the broader cultural values of historic places can heritage achieve cultural stewardship for people.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138128/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-lesh-257650">James Lesh</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Architectural History, Urban and Cultural Heritage, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-heritage-protection-is-about-how-people-use-places-not-just-their-architecture-and-history-138128">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Heritage protection is about how people use places, not just architecture and history

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Following its 12-year restoration, Mill Pond Farm at Braidwood in the NSW Southern Tablelands has been listed for sale by antique collectors Antony Davies and Andrew Gow.
The duo are looking for a property to become a sanctuary for their rescue animals, while also continuing with their collection of vintage cars and horse-drawn carriages.
<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/2019/10/31/braidwood%202%201.jpg" alt="">
They’d previously restored the 1850s Braidwood inn Tidmarsh over 10 years.
Both restored properties have received heritage awards after becoming tourist attractions.
<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/2019/10/31/braidwood%203%201.jpg" alt="">
Kelly Allen at Luton Properties has the listing of the Jembaicumbene property, located 280 kilometres south-west of Sydney.
The 40 hectare estate has fine wool alpacas, carriage horses, goats and sheep.
<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/2019/10/31/braidwood%204%201.jpg" alt="">
This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Restored Mill Pond Farm at Braidwood listed by antiques dealer

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Multiplex, a global construction company, has completed restoration and refurbishment works on Trades Hall &amp; Literary Institute’s Trades Hall Living Heritage Project, funded by the State Government of Victoria.
The historic three level Trades Hall building in Victoria Street, Carlton. Victoria’s Trades Hall is Australia’s oldest and largest trades hall.
<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/2019/6/26/TRADESHALL_small4.jpg" alt="">
It was constructed in 10 stages with the most significant occurring between 1876 to 1925 and is a prominent Carlton landmark that serves as a hub for union organisation.
The Trades Hall Living Heritage Project was led by architect and heritage consultant Lovell Chen, and focused on conservation works and refurbishment for the main public spaces in the 3,800 sqm heritage-listed building.
Works included the refurbishment to the New Council Chamber and building services upgrades. 
The also refurbishment included the specialist restoration of several of the main interiors, including the Old Council Chamber and the New and Old Ballrooms.
<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/2019/6/26/TradesHall_2019.05_001_small2.jpg" alt="">
The Old Council Chamber officially opened in 1884 and the original 1880's decorative scheme, including significant portraits and elaborate wall treatments, is the work of prominent decorators of the period, C.S. Paterson Brothers.
Works to the New Council Chamber included the recreation of the original footprint resulting in 300 seat auditorium with restored honor boards and murals that had been covered during previous renovations.
The project also saw the construction of modern amenities facilities and a new lift to improve access throughout the building and deliver access to all new areas.
Work commenced in April, 2018 and according to Multiplex 550 people worked on site during construction.
This was one of the first major building projects to benefit from the Government’s Living Heritage Grants Program.
<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/2019/6/26/Tradeshall.jpg" alt="">
The grant funding financed the refurbishment project plus essential conservation and activation works such as roofing works and repairs to the Lygon Street portico.
Multiplex recently delivered the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s (ANMF) multi-million mixed-use commercial development, located at 535 Elizabeth Street in Melbourne’s CBD.
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Multiplex complete restoration of Australia's oldest trades hall

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Wynyate, a Hawthorn East estate dating back to 1910, has been listed for sale by the company director Dawn Oldham and her landscape gardener partner Jens-Peter Coombes.
The greens surrounding tuck point brick Edwardian on its 1,195 square metre holding have been maintained by Coombes.
<a href="https://www.marshallwhite.com.au/property/27-ryeburne-avenue-hawthorn-east-643721/">The home</a> has four bedrooms and a fitted study for Oldham who sits on a number of listed company boards including financial investment company IOOF.
The original period features have been retained, including large verandahs, coloured leadight glass, timber fretwork and stained timber woodwork.
Marshall White agents Sally O'Connell and James Tostevin have set a May 19 auction with a guide of $4.2 million to $4.6 million.
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian.
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Century old Hawthorn East estate Wynyate listed

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GUEST OBSERVATION
In the post-war decades, Australian communities invested heavily in church buildings. Like civic centres, swimming pools and shire halls, these buildings made an important contribution to the formation of a modern civic realm in Australia’s growing cities, suburbs and regional communities. Today, dwindling numbers of constituents and the amalgamation of congregations place many post-war church buildings at risk.
And yet – unlike their publicly funded counterparts – these buildings are largely ignored in architectural and heritage discussions. Few church buildings have any form of heritage protection. Could this be because this is an “uneasy heritage”?
Given current crises affecting the churches in Australia, and given the important role of these buildings in the post-war development of our cities, suburbs and towns, a public debate is necessary about their future. Should we allow these buildings to disappear from memory, or should they be preserved and/or repurposed?
For the whole of Australia only about 30 post-war ecclesiastical buildings are included on state heritage registers. It’s a meagre number, given that several thousand churches were built across the country during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
In Queensland alone, over 1,000 were built between 1945 and 1975. Of these, only six are on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Mirroring modern Australia’s emergence
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212565/original/file-20180329-189813-7wr89q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212565/original/file-20180329-189813-7wr89q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
St Andrews Presbyterian Church (c.1960, architect: Loder and Dunphy) in Gosford, New South Wales, was demolished in 2002. <a class="source" href="http://www.csec.esrc.unimelb.edu.au/image_viewer.htm?CSEC00852,4" target="_blank">Cross-Section, no. 95, Sept 1960</a>, Author provided
In immediate post-war years, modern church building in Australia made a hesitant start. A few small, rather conventional buildings cropped up here and there.
In the 1950s, however, hesitation gave way to optimism and resulted in increasing experimentation in church design. By the 1960s a genuine modern church building boom was under way.
Religious institutions strongly supported the Australian government’s bid to build a modern social welfare state. They not only built community-oriented churches, but also kindergartens, halls, primary and secondary schools, charity outreach centres, hospitals, etc.
From the 1960s churches and their architects increasingly recognised the need to rethink ecclesiastical architecture to cater to (rather than ignore or shun) modern society. This aggiornamento, or bringing up to date, in the religious sphere coincided with architects’ experiments with modern materials and construction technologies and innovative shapes and forms.
As a result, a new “type” of church emerged. This was one more attuned to its (commonly) residential surroundings and more sensitive to its context, both in terms of materiality and scale.
Examples abound, but of note are:
<ul>
<li>Kenmore Presbyterian Church by Robin Gibson (c.1968, Queensland), now Uniting Church</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212566/original/file-20180329-189816-1irq1d4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212566/original/file-20180329-189816-1irq1d4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Kenmore Presbyterian Church (c.1968, architect Robin Gibson) in Brisbane, Queensland. Lisa Marie Daunt (2000), Author provided 
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212567/original/file-20180329-189810-76c00f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212567/original/file-20180329-189810-76c00f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> 
St Christopher’s Catholic Church (c.1968, architect: Paul Wallace) in Anglesea, Victoria. <a class="source" href="http://www.csec.esrc.unimelb.edu.au/image_viewer.htm?CSEC01018,2" target="_blank">Cross-Section no.188, June 1968</a>, Author provided
<ul>
<li>
St Anne’s Church of England by Hely Bell &amp; Horne (c.1965, Como, NSW), which was repurposed in 1997 as a private residence along with its Sunday school building of the same age
</li>
<li>
St Christopher’s Catholic Church by Paul Wallace (c.1968, Anglesea, Victoria), which was damaged in the 1983 bushfires and rebuilt in 1984 to a revised design.
</li>
</ul>
These smaller, contextually sensitive churches that reflect the aggiornamento in the church represent the bulk of post-war modern church buildings in Australia. However, state heritage registers are mostly populated by their more “monumental” siblings.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212568/original/file-20180329-189810-17a2cfp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212568/original/file-20180329-189810-17a2cfp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Holy Trinity National Memorial Finnish Lutheran Church (c.1961, architect: Frederick Romberg of Grounds, Romberg and Boyd) in Turner, Canberra, is on the ACT Heritage Register. Lisa Marie Daunt (2016)
For example, on the ACT register is Grounds, Romberg and Boyd’s 1961 Finnish Lutheran Church. Queensland’s register includes Cairns Cathedral, two churches by Eddie Oribin and a church and school chapel by Karl Langer (listings 601961, 60233, 601589, 602815 and 602816).
And yet it is the smaller, unassuming churches that made the greatest contribution to the formation of our post-war collective realm. More importantly, it is these churches that are under the greatest threat.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/94115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">So, what is to be done? Is this part of our modern heritage best forgotten, along with the (at times) painful memories it evokes? Or can there be a future for Australia’s unassuming post-war modern buildings that were once the beating hearts of Australia’s urban and suburban communities?
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214211/original/file-20180411-536-1duguz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214211/original/file-20180411-536-1duguz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
St Monica’s War Memorial Cathedral (c.1968, architect: A. Ian Ferrier) in Cairns is on the Queensland Heritage Register. Ferrier Slide Collection, used with permission, Author provided
Lisa Marie Daunt, PhD Candidate in Architecture, The University of Queensland
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/uneasy-heritage-australias-modern-church-buildings-are-disappearing-94115" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo: Good Shepherd Chapel (c.1969, architect: A. Ian Ferrier) in Mitchelton, Brisbane, was demolished in 2004. Ferrier Slide Collection, used with permission, Author provided.<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-marie-daunt-456237"> </a>
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Australia's modern church buildings are disappearing: Lisa Marie Daunt

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After-school and vacation care service OSHCare Pty Ltd has leased a heritage building in a waterfront location at Balmain in inner western Sydney where an Australian cult movie was shot.
The historic, two-storey sandstone building at <a href="https://raywhitecommercialinnerwest.com.au/nsw/balmain/937521/" target="_blank">101 Mort Street</a> was used to film parts of the 1974 Australian biker movie ‘Stone’. 
OSHCare has taken out a three-year lease with a five-year option. The net rental is $125,000 per annum.
The deal was negotiated by Ray White Commercial’s Tim Morrison on behalf of a private investor owner.
The 300 sqm building is a heritage-listed property.
“This property was originally the Forth &amp; Clyde Hotel, an integral part of the ship building and industrial heritage of this Balmain waterfront location,” said Morrison.
The building is now used as professional offices, he said.
“The building is close to Mort Bay Park, Thames Street Wharf as well as Balmain's well-known pubs, restaurants and retail shopping precinct with easy access to bus and ferry.”
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Afterschool service OSHCare leases Balmain building

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A two bedroom apartment in a historic Melbourne CBD building has been listed by Daniel Wilson and his wife Leah, owners of Huxtaburger.
Their third-floor unit has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study nook.
There is lift access to a basement car park.
Kay &amp; Burton agent Tom Staughton suggests a price guide between $1 million and $1.1 million.
The 14/2 Exhibition Street offering goes to March 4 auction.
<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/2017/02/24/melb-1.jpg" alt="">
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Huxtaburger owners list historic Melbourne apartment

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A rundown cottage in Redfern has his the market with $3 million hopes.
The rare single style Georgian house sits on 507 sqm of land, almost five times the size of other lots in the suburb.
Most of Redfern's slim terraces are squashed into blocks of about 100 sqm.
<img src="/images/2016/10/13/Redfern3.jpg" alt="" width="472" height="267">
Known as Dascombe Cottage, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-redfern-123747590" target="_blank">46-48 Burnett Street</a> with its peeling paint and brick bathroom, is part of the original estate of William Redfern, the suburb's namestake.
The heritage listed building currently occupies around a quarter of the 507 sqm land parcel. 
The mid-Victorian-era home dates back to at least the mid-1850s and is one of the few examples of property that age left in the area, according to University of Sydney heritage expert Professor Paul Ashton.
While investors and homebuyers in Sydney scramble over old homes on prime real estate, this rundown home comes with a caveat.
Extra stories cannot be added to the home and changes cannot be made to the facade unless they are restoring original features, according to the Local Environment Plan.
<img src="/images/2016/10/13/Redfern1.jpg" alt="" width="467" height="274">
A spokesperson for the City of Sydney council says the property should be retained and conserved.
The Burnett Street property through BresicWhitney's William Phillips and Shannan Whitney goes to auction November 5.
William said he had never seen a property like it before: “Never. Not of this age, not on a block of land this big.”
“We have had around 20 groups through so far.” Most of the inquiries so far have come from developers looking to subdivide and locals looking to build, with the potential to put a new home alongside the existing building.
He said the house was habitable in its current state: “It’s liveable – it’s just very tired.” He suggests any plans that buyers had for the property would need to be discussed with council.
A relatively untouched 350 sqm warehouse on George Street sold for$3,615,000 late last year.
 
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Crumbling Redfern shacks hit the market at $3 million

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A refurbished heritage community and arts centre in East Sydney, on the corner of Burton and Palmer streets, is slated to re-open late 2016.
The former Heffron Hall community centre will also be renamed to the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre and will feature improved access, more hire spaces and out-of-school hours facilities and a new public artwork titled S(w)ing by Turpin + Crawford Studio. The neighbouring Albert Sloss Reserve will be upgraded with a new playground, landscaping and seating.
 Monica Barone, chief executive officer, City of Sydney said the refurbished centre will provide a hub of community activity and events when it opens.
“We have retained heritage features of the original Heffron Hall while adding accessible facilities and more space for community activities in this popular inner city area,” she said.
“The centre and neighbouring reserve will become a much-loved hub for the East Sydney, providing interesting and inspiring activities for everyone in the heart of our inner city.”
The neighbouring park will get a slippery dip, rope-climbing tunnel, basket swing and other features.
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Heritage East Sydney arts centre refurbishment nears completion

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GUEST OBSERVER
The announcement by the NSW Government that the Sirius Building in the Rocks will not receive heritage listing opens the way for a sympathetic yet modern replacement.
The Minister for Heritage, Mark Speakman, has not supported the nomination of the Sirius Building in the Rocks as a state heritage item.
The Urban Taskforce agrees with the Minister that the building is of dubious heritage value and that a new building could yield significant funds for social housing.
We are however concerned by statements by the Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Dominic Perrottet that a replacement building should be made of brick and stone. The current Sirius Building was very innovatory in its day and while it is in the brutalist architectural style that many people are not comfortable with, it did attempt to be of its time rather than a pastiche of the past. 
It is important that a replacement building is about the spirit of today while understanding its context.
A good example of the blending of new and old is demonstrated by the new building over the ‘Money Box’ building in Martin Place. The modern interpretation of the proportions and scale of the existing façade have been carried into a modern glass office building set back from the old façade. The 5 Martin Place project last week won the Urban Taskforce Urban Renewal Development Award at the Development Excellence Awards 2016.” 
While The Rocks is a very special precinct it is important that new architecture and structures represent the aspirations of today while respecting the sensitive context. 
The site of the Sirius Building is adjacent to the Sydney Harbour Bridge approach and this heritage structure must also be respected.
Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted <a href="https://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=97&amp;Itemid=126#.Vdaart55dFI" target="_blank">here</a>. 
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