<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skymark-group">Skymark</a>'s boutique Cronulla development Solis has secured a 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy through Resilience Insurance, providing buyers of the 16-residence building on Ewos Parade with structural and waterproofing protection that extends a decade beyond the building's completion.

Currently under construction and due for completion in late 2027, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/solis-cronulla-8-ewos-parade-cronulla-nsw-2230">Solis</a> is one of a small number of new developments in the Sutherland Shire to carry Resilience LDI coverage, a distinction that carries increasing weight as buyer confidence in the off-the-plan sector continues to be shaped by how developers stand behind their product.

Latent Defects Insurance, which entered the Australian market in 2022 when Resilience Insurance was approved to offer the cover, protects buyers against major structural or waterproofing defects for ten years post-completion. Unlike traditional statutory warranties, it operates as a first-resort policy, if a covered defect arises, the insurer responds directly, without the buyer needing to pursue the builder or developer through a lengthy claims process.

Resilience Insurance CEO Corey Nugent has noted that the product addresses something fundamental to the new apartment market.

"The overarching feedback from prospective buyers in the new development space is that they want more confidence and assurances around the quality of the build," Nugent says.

"Resilience Insurance Latent Defects Insurance not only gives them complete peace of mind for 10 years, but it shows the developer they are buying from is standing by their product."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370898]

For Solis, the Resilience LDI policy adds a meaningful layer of accountability to an already considered project. The development comprises nine two-bedroom and seven three-bedroom residences, including one dual-level three-bedroom apartment, across a five-storey building on Ewos Parade, positioned between Shelly Beach and South Cronulla.

Garden apartments connect directly to private landscaped courtyards, while upper-level homes capture beach views to the east from level four and above.&nbsp;

All 16 residences include at least one balcony or courtyard, and select apartments on the upper floors feature bar areas and secondary flexible living spaces.

Hiba Sander, Managing Director of Skymark, says Solis offers a rare balance, nestled between the quiet beauty of secluded beaches and the lively charm of South Cronulla's esplanade.

"It's a place to choose your pace and live gracefully, seaside'," Sander says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370900]

The architecture, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ida-design-group">IDA Design Group</a>'s Michael Trinh, draws from the natural erosion patterns of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/cronulla-nsw-2230">Cronulla</a>'s sandstone headlands, translating the organic forms of the coastline into soft curves, pavilion-style massing, and a material palette chosen for longevity in a salt-tinged environment.&nbsp;

Textured natural stone, soft renders, and timber-look battens reference the tones of the surrounding cliffs, while the building has been oriented to maximise natural light and passive ventilation, with primary living spaces facing north and east to capture morning sun and sea breezes.

"At Solis, our aim was to create architecture that feels quietly confident, grounded in natural materials like stone and timber, and elevated by light and landscape," Trinh says.&nbsp;

"The buildings are designed to sit gently within their coastal surrounds, with expansive glazing and abundant greenery creating a seamless dialogue between inside and out."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370897]

Interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hot-black">Hot Black</a> carry the same material language through to every room. Kitchens feature integrated Gaggenau appliances, sculpted stone benchtops, and Lo &amp; Co joinery, while bathrooms feature natural stone, timber, and brushed metal finishes.&nbsp;

Hot Black Founder and Design Director Sophie Safrin describes the intent as one of considered restraint: "At Solis, every detail has been thoughtfully considered to create a timeless coastal retreat, calm, refined, and effortlessly liveable. From natural finishes to seamless indoor-outdoor flow, Solis offers a quiet elegance that's deeply connected to its surroundings.

The landscape, designed by Julian Brady of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/sitedesignstudios">Site Design Studios</a>, treats green space as an integral part of the resident experience rather than an afterthought.&nbsp;

"Gentle curves and layered native plantings mirror the ebb and flow of the ocean," Julian Brady says, "creating a serene connection between architecture and place."&nbsp;

Coco Republic has provided bespoke furniture packages tailored to the project's coastal palette.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370899]

Skymark has an established track record in the Sutherland Shire, with a portfolio spanning Cronulla, Woolooware and Burraneer that includes Isla, Sylva, Bask, Shells, Sula and Mist. Securing LDI on Solis reflects a broader shift in how the developer is positioning its buildings to buyers, at a time when Resilience Insurance expects the policy to become mandatory in New South Wales by 2028.

Sales at Solis are launching soon through Ray White Projects, with an official event scheduled for 11 June. Enquire for more information.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150499]

Joel Robinson

Skymark takes out 10-year Resilience Insurance LDI at Solis Cronulla

Investors may soon find themselves with fewer reasons to buy established property and more incentives to look towards the new apartment market.

Proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions would see new and off-the-plan apartments retain access to the tax benefits, while established properties would miss out, creating a clear advantage for buyers purchasing newly built housing.

The policy direction aligns with what many developers have been saying for several years. Australia needs more housing supply, and governments are increasingly looking for ways to encourage investment into new stock rather than existing homes.

The challenge for investors is that suitable product is becoming harder to find.

For much of the last decade, one-bedroom apartments were the cornerstone of investor demand. They offered a lower entry price, strong rental appeal, and were a common feature across most apartment developments.

Today, the development pipeline looks very different.

Across both New South Wales and South East Queensland, developers are increasingly targeting owner-occupiers and downsizers, delivering larger two, three and four-bedroom apartments in response to changing buyer preferences. While one-bedroom apartments still exist, they now form a much smaller portion of many new projects.

That shift has created a shortage of investor-friendly stock, particularly in well-located projects close to transport, employment hubs and lifestyle amenity.

At the same time, rising apartment prices have pushed many new developments beyond the reach of traditional investors. On the Gold Coast and across South East Queensland, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find new apartments priced around the $1 million mark, particularly those offering strong rental fundamentals and long-term growth prospects.

We've rounded up four new apartment developments where investors can still secure a foothold in the market for around $1 million or less.

<h2 data-end="1140" data-start="844">Flourish Soleira</h2>

<h2>Priced from: $1.07 million</h2>

Popular Palm Beach developer Sherpa is soon to officially launch its newest local apartment development, Flourish Soleira.

The one-bedroom apartments in the building were only offered to first home buyers rather than investors, and all of those have been snapped up. The two-bedroom apartments will start from $1.07 million, and the three-bedrooms, still a good investment given the popularity of Palm Beach for owner-occupiers, starting at $2,045,000.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370964]

Flourish Soliera will comprise 153 apartments across two buildings, connected by a skybridge, the first ever delivered in the suburb.

True to Sherpa's booming Flourish brand of apartment projects, Flourish Soleira will have extensive rooftop amenity across both buildings including a&nbsp;wellness centre with gym, work from home, yoga, pilates, a&nbsp;heated pool, private dining rooms, pizza oven and barbecues, basketball court, and golf simulator.

<h2>Corallo, Palm Beach</h2>

Priced from: $841,500

Nearby Flourish Soleira is Changfa Group's beachfront-inspired Corallo development. They still have some one-bedroom apartments remaining, priced from $841,500.

The 105-apartment project on Palm Beach Avenue is otherwise dominated by larger two and three-bedroom residences, many of which are aimed at owner-occupiers and downsizers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112194 project_image_fid=808]

For investors, the appeal lies in Palm Beach's continued transformation from a laid-back beachside suburb into one of the Gold Coast's most sought-after residential markets. Residents at Corallo will be within walking distance of Palm Beach's surf beaches, the recreational amenity of Tallebudgera Creek, and the increasingly popular collection of cafes, restaurants and boutique retailers along the suburb's central dining precinct.

<h2>Corner House, Stones Corner</h2>

<h2>Priced from: $880,000</h2>

One of only two Brisbane apartment developments to make the list with prices under $1 million is DeMartini Fletcher's Corner House development in Stones Corner.

One-bedroom apartments start from $880,000 within the 88-apartment development, providing investors with exposure to one of Brisbane's most established inner-south locations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149098 project_image_fid=330594]

Stones Corner has long been supported by strong tenant demand due to its proximity to major employment and education destinations. The suburb sits less than five kilometres from Brisbane's CBD and is within easy reach of the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Queensland Children's Hospital and several university campuses.

The project's location within a walkable urban village environment, surrounded by retail, dining and public transport infrastructure, continues to attract both professionals and healthcare workers seeking accommodation close to work.

Parkdrive Apartments, Chermside

Priced from: $749,000

The most affordable apartments across Brisbane's new and off the plan market are in Chermside where developer AusDev is selling one-bedroom apartments from $749,000, and two-beds from $929,000, at its recently launched Parkdrive development.

The development is strategically positioned in one of Brisbane's largest employment and retail precincts, placing residents within easy walking distance of Westfield Chermside, The Prince Charles Hospital, St Vincent's Private Hospital Northside and the suburb's major bus interchange.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363782]

Already under construction and scheduled for completion in early 2028, Parkdrive benefits from Chermside's ongoing evolution into Brisbane's northern metropolitan centre. The suburb continues to attract significant public and private investment, supporting population growth and underpinning long-term rental demand.

For investors focused on yield and tenant depth, the combination of healthcare, retail and transport infrastructure within close proximity provides a strong foundation for occupancy and rental performance.

Investors to turn to new apartments after Federal Government changes spark hunt for Queensland's best $1 million apartments

A mix of Gold Coast locals, fly-in, fly-out purchasers from Sydney and Melbourne, and Brisbane-based families has driven early sales success at Broadbeach's newest apartment tower, Lumara.

The 26-level project, a joint venture between builder-developer 5Point Projects and Bourke Projects, comprises just 37 luxury residences and is attracting a buyer profile that is looking for exclusivity, above the most amenity-rich suburb on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150454 project_image_fid=364156]

Jamie Bourke, Director of Bourke Projects, says every buyer secured so far intends to use Lumara as a lock-up-and-leave residence, combining holiday use with the ability to work remotely when required.

“The size of the apartments, both half- and full-floor options, and the different zones within the floorplans, lends itself perfectly to dedicated home office setups and multi-generational family holidays,” Bourke says.

That flexibility has become a key drawcard for affluent buyers seeking a second residence on the Gold Coast without sacrificing the ability to conduct business away from their primary home base.

The absence of holiday letting within the building has also resonated strongly with purchasers.

“This type of buyer doesn't need to generate holiday rental income,” Bourke says. “They're paying for exclusivity, privacy and certainty around who their neighbours are.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150454 project_image_fid=366491]

The strong demand comes amid broader shifts in the high-end apartment market following the Federal Budget announcements in May.

“We were already seeing strong enquiry from high-net-worth buyers, but that has only accelerated since the policy changes,” Bourke says.

“A lot of those buyers are looking to place more capital into premium lifestyle assets rather than investment-grade stock that has been targeted by the Federal Government.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150454 project_image_fid=366486]

Designed by Cottee Parker, Lumara adopts a slender, sculpted form with an emphasis on natural materials suited to its beachfront setting. The architectural approach draws on coastal influences, with a palette of stone, timber and concrete selected for durability and the ability to weather over time.

Apartments are limited to three and four-bedroom configurations, with a maximum of two residences per floor through the mid-levels and a selection of full-floor and dual-level homes in the upper levels. All apartments are oriented to the north to maximise natural light, cross-ventilation and views across the ocean, city skyline and hinterland.

A two-level amenity offering is positioned high within the building on levels 20 and 21, conceived as a sky wellness retreat. Facilities include a magnesium pool, spa, sauna and steam rooms, alongside more social spaces such as a private dining room, resident lounge, workspaces and outdoor barbecue areas integrated with landscaped greenery.

The uppermost levels are reserved for larger-format residences, including several full-floor homes and a dual-level penthouse with its own private wellness features and recreational spaces.

&nbsp;

To give buyers confidence, 5Point and Bourke commenced construction ahead of the apartments launching to the market, a sure-fire way to prove they mean business, and the building will be delivered. They are targeting a 2028 completion date.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150454]

Locals, interstate holiday makers, drive early sales at Lumara, Broadbeach's newest luxury apartment tower

Often when it comes to purchasing property, the biggest barrier to entry is the deposit. Buyers of established homes typically aim for a 20 per cent deposit to avoid the added cost of Lenders Mortgage Insurance, while most property transactions require around a 10 per cent deposit when contracts are exchanged.

The off-the-plan market works differently, with buyers typically paying a deposit during construction and settling the balance upon completion. As completion approaches at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/fabbrica-fitzroy-369-gore-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">Fabbrica Fitzroy</a>, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pace-development-group">Pace</a> is making it easier for buyers to secure a residence through a deposit-matching incentive. Purchasers need only contribute a five per cent deposit*, with Pace matching the remaining five per cent.

The offer comes as Pace unveils a completed display apartment and townhouse, now available for inspection by appointment ahead of the project's Spring completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371009]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/winwood-mckenzie-architecture">Winwood Mckenzie</a> and landscaping by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/acre">Acre</a>, Fabbrica draws on Fitzroy’s industrial and manufacturing history, incorporating references to the former Argyle Shirt Factory and Life Savers Confectionery Company that once occupied the site.

The development comprises 85 residences, spanning low-maintenance apartments through to larger-format townhouses with private street access and double lock-up garages, a relatively uncommon offering in Fitzroy’s higher-density apartment market.

Pace says the project has been designed to appeal to buyers seeking inner-city convenience without sacrificing space, flexibility, or amenity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371016]

Inside the residences, Winwood Mckenzie has focused on adaptable layouts and integrated detailing, with features including custom joinery, and concealed storage solutions. The material palette leans into warm, tactile finishes intended to complement the building’s industrial architectural language.

Fabbrica’s rooftop amenity is a key part of the project offering. Spanning around 800 sqm, the communal rooftop includes a private dining room, communal kitchen, lounge spaces, work-from-home zones, and outdoor dining areas overlooking the Melbourne CBD skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371017]

Landscape architecture studio Acre has introduced a layered rooftop garden designed to soften the urban setting while creating a more communal environment for residents.

The Fitzroy location also positions residents within walking distance of Brunswick Street, Smith Street, parks, cafés, galleries, and public transport, while remaining only minutes from Melbourne’s CBD. The project has an enviable Walk Score of 96.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371025]

Pace, which is also delivering the project as builder, has developed more than 100 projects across Melbourne over the past three decades. The vertically integrated approach has become increasingly common among developers seeking greater control over construction delivery amid broader market pressures affecting the apartment sector.

The strikingly contemporary Gore Street development is now around 70 per cent complete, with purchasers expected to move into their new homes in Spring 2026. A limited number of residences remain available under the current deposit match offer.

*Conditions apply in relation to the deposit match offer.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=139552]

Pace offers five per cent deposit match at Fabbrica Fitzroy ahead of Spring completion

Sydney developer Hyecorp's roots on the Lower North Shore stretch back three generations, and that deep understanding of the market continues to shape where and how it develops today.

From high-rise towers to boutique apartment projects, the family-run developer has built its reputation by focusing on a part of Sydney it knows intimately. Founded by Michael Abolakian in the early 1990s, Hyecorp is now led by his sons Stephen, Troy and Patrick.

Stephen Abolakian, joint managing director alongside Troy, has spent more than two decades in the business, overseeing development, planning, finance, marketing and sales.

Abolakian says the developer's disciplined focus on where it chooses to operate has been, and continues to be, one of Hyecorp's greatest strengths.

“We know the buyer profile exceptionally well,” Abolakian says.

“The demographics between places like Willoughby, Chatswood, St Leonards and Roseville are very similar. There are nuances between suburbs and projects, but culturally and from a buyer perspective, there’s a strong overlap.”

That buyer has historically been overwhelmingly owner-occupier driven.

Unlike many Sydney apartment developers that have traditionally relied heavily on investor demand, Hyecorp’s projects have typically attracted downsizers, upsizers, rightsizers and family owner-occupiers seeking long-term homes rather than short-term investments.

“Historically, investors have been a much smaller portion of our demand profile,” Abolakian says.

“We design for owner-occupiers. We don’t design for yield, we design for comfort, amenity, family living and long-term usability.”

That philosophy extends well beyond apartment layouts.

From landscaping and communal gardens to shared amenities and circulation spaces, Hyecorp’s developments are designed around how people actually live, something Abolakian believes has become increasingly important in Sydney’s apartment market.

“There was probably a period where having an approved project in market was enough,” he says.

“There wasn’t as much competition and if you built it, buyers would come. That’s no longer the case.”

“There’s more supply in the pipeline now, particularly with TOD precincts and low and mid-rise reforms opening up opportunities across Sydney. Buyers have more choice, so if you get the product wrong, they’ll simply go elsewhere.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110379 project_image_fid=311393]

The shift has forced developers to become more sophisticated in how they approach apartment design, particularly as owner-occupier expectations continue to rise.

For Hyecorp, that means thinking beyond who the buyer is today and designing for who they may become in five or 10 years' time.

“People buying now often aren’t moving in for several years,” Abolakian says.

“You might have a young couple buying today, but by the time they move in they may have children, older children, or changing lifestyle needs. You’ve got to think about how families evolve.”

That thinking also shapes Hyecorp’s approach to amenity, which positions wellness at the forefront.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362634]

While resort-style facilities have become increasingly common marketing tools across Sydney apartment developments, Abolakian says the challenge is ensuring amenities are genuinely usable and appropriate for the scale of the project.

“If amenities are done right, they can materially improve the living experience,” he says, adding however that if you&nbsp;overdo it or get it wrong, you can end up with facilities nobody uses that simply create ongoing strata costs.”

That balance is something Hyecorp is aiming to strike with projects like Roseville Avenue, one of the group's upcoming Lower North Shore developments, which Abolakian describes as bringing a resort-style living experience into a metropolitan setting.

“It’s about creating something that feels special without being excessive,” he says.

“Good gardens, quality apartments, thoughtful amenity. Creating that resort feeling in a metro location.”

<img alt="Hyecorp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="13c4c0f3-b1b7-44cf-9344-0b3d1d07797a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-02%20at%2012.14.57%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=9OLWjyj2bYkDV35F78WJnyMSPfc2bJ2z" />

The focus on owner-occupier product comes as Sydney’s apartment market continues to navigate a difficult development environment.&nbsp;For Hyecorp, maintaining an in-house operating model across construction, sales, marketing and development management has become increasingly important in navigating that environment.

“We’ve always believed in keeping a lot of the process in-house,” Abolakian says.

“It creates efficiencies, but it also creates quality control. You can make faster decisions and ensure the end product stays aligned with the original vision.”

Despite the challenges, Abolakian believes demand for quality owner-occupier apartments across Sydney remains strong beneath the surface, particularly across established Lower North Shore suburbs where downsizers continue to seek new housing options close to existing communities.

“There are definitely people waiting,” he says.

“Once some of the broader uncertainty settles, whether that’s the global environment or some of the local economic noise, I think the right projects will perform very strongly.”

Hyecorp currently has three residential developments on the market across Sydney’s Lower North Shore.&nbsp;Audrey, St Leonards, positioned opposite Newlands Park, is nearing completion and preparing to welcome its first residents, with the project now almost sold out.

Hyecorp has also recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/celine-chatswood-37-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">Celine Chatswood</a>, an architectural tower, while continuing to deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/juliet-roseville-64-pacific-highway-roseville-nsw-2069">Juliet Roseville</a>, a more boutique scale of development with just 34 apartments.

Why Hyecorp continues to back Sydney's Lower North Shore apartment market

Rural

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Australia's superannuation funds typically invest just 0.3% in agricultural investments, according to a survey of 114 superannuation funds.
The sector is, however, increasingly attracting foreign pension fund investments in farmland and farming businesses.
The survey results, commissioned by accounting group BDO and conducted by the University of Queensland Business School's commercial arm UniQuest, came after Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused Australian superannuation and investment funds of failing to understand the agricultural sector.
"With attracting investment from super funds, I find some of the biggest arguments is trying to get the asset managers to understand the fundamentals of agriculture," Joyce told The Australian's Global Food Forum.
"They seem to understand how to wear RM Williams boots and they like photos of horses, but the understanding of what agriculture can actually do is probably not as precise as it should be."
However, the super funds have hit back, the Australian Financial Review noted as the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia's chief executive Pauline Vamos saying agriculture had a difficult investment history.
"Australian super funds are very well aware of the difficult history of some agricultural vehicles, particularly under managed investment schemes," Vamos said.
"The highly unpredictable nature of returns in this sector has not necessarily aligned well with the goals of super funds which are looking for less volatile income streams. However, these investments may suit sovereign wealth funds whose goals are better aligned."
 
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Australian super funds leave agriculture sector to the foreigners

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/australias-largest-private-landholder-s-kidman--co-puts-business-up-for-sale-20150410-1mhz3a" target="_blank">announcement</a> of <a href="https://www.kidman.com.au/" target="_blank">S. Kidman &amp; Co</a>’s intention to sell their pastoral business and 11 leases marks a new waypoint in South Australia’s progress towards a post-colonial world. From the time when Sidney Kidman first cohabitated the bush with <a href="https://teq.queensland.com/~/media/185E91B3D97A4D08B60F585237250381.ashx?la=en-ME">Billy the Aboriginal</a> to the <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/apy-inquiries-still-under-wraps-no-action-taken-on-recommendations/story-fn9hm1pm-1227188926313?login=1">adjistment of stock</a> in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara-Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in 2014, Kidman’s history has been interwoven with Indigenous Australia. Not surprisingly the announcement has sparked interest across Indigenous social networks.
The company’s success has generated spectacular interest ever since Kidman’s first Kapunda horse sale in 1900. Kidman’s biographers <a href="https://www.idriess.com.au/thecattleking.htm">Idriess</a> (1936) and <a href="https://browseinside.harpercollins.com.au/index.aspx?isbn13=9780732286101">Bowen</a> (1987) provide fairly romantic pictures of the man and his early colonial success, which can be collaborated in Aboriginal accounts.
Kidman relied on good judgement of people, animals and land. At a time when others in industry were struggling to affirm terra nullius and Social Darwinism as necessities in the settler legal fiction, Kidman was recruiting indigenous “boundary riders” in places with no boundaries, branding cleanskin cattle and ensuring flows of cattle were heading to market.
Land-holding was secondary to maintaining flows and relationships. At his retirement dinner in 1927, Kidman <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/40773564" target="_blank">quoted a reputable authority</a>: “he never saw blacks happier or better cared for than at Macumba”.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/78694/area14mp/image-20150421-12015-bewyfy.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/78694/width237/image-20150421-12015-bewyfy.jpg" alt=""></a>
 ‘Cattle King’ Sidney Kidman built his company on good relations with the Indigenous inhabitants of the land. <a class="source" href="https://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/06750/B6749.htm" target="_blank">State Library of South Australia</a>
Under successive Kidman managers, the station went on to devise strategies preventing a Macumba stolen generation. Multi-racial communities survived at Macumba until the late 1950s and at Anna Creek till 1979. Rain-makers were paid on productivity bonuses and aspects of customary law were easily maintained on Kidman stations.
Kidman stations became havens for those fleeing poor treatment elsewhere. In 1980, when I first arrived at Oodnadatta, I soon learned of stockman finding skulls with bullet holes in the dune country north-east of the Macumba. Not until 2014 did I learn that some of the same men were actually descended from <a href="https://archive.org/stream/RecordsSouthAus25Sout/RecordsSouthAus25Sout_djvu.txt" target="_blank">Wangkangurru survivors</a> who fled the killings in the Kalakoopah around 1884.
A long struggle for land rights
The passing of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anangu_Pitjantjatjara_Yankunytjatjara_Land_Rights_Act_1981" target="_blank">Pitjantjatjara Lands Act</a> in 1981 generated a sense of betrayal in Oodnadatta. Senior Yankunytjatjara men living at Oodnadatta had supported the bill, knowing that under customary law their own interests to the north-west would eventually be recognised. Those of Lower Southern Aranda and Wangkangurru descent had missed out.
My employers at the time, the men called me to a meeting: "How come that mob get their land back first? We work hard on stations and speak English. They don’t speak English and sit down all day and they get their land back first!"
It was a question I could not really answer, but I knew that somehow black, spear-carrying Pitjantjatjara symbolised “real Aborigines”, empowering a politic within the settler mythology. A month later, in April 1981, the men confronted the land minister, Peter Arnold, at the Oodnadatta airport. According to one department official, “the minister was sorely embarrassed”.
About the same time, Labor MLC Frank Blevins and the future deputy premier, Don Hopgood, met the Oodnadatta Aboriginal Housing Society chairperson, Aboriginal lawman and former Kidman employee, Sidney Stewart, on the police station lawn. (Two-and-a-half years later, in custody again, Stewart would die pushing the lawnmower.) Blevins and Hopgood looked out on streets paved with broken glass and vowed to do something about it.
Once in government, they did; Mt Dare station was purchased to become a national park. The pastoral leases that would have terminated around 2000 were converted into rolling 28-year leases, the closest thing to perpetuity for Kidmans. As early as 1983, the government began informal recognition of native title on non-indigenous pastoral leases, with the first attempts at mining industry “site clearances” to protect Aboriginal heritage in the Arckaringa basin.
In 2012, after a 14-year claim process, the Arabana were <a href="https://www.nntt.gov.au/News-and-Publications/latest-news/Pages/ArabananativetitleclaimresolvedinSouthAustralia.aspx" target="_blank">granted native title</a> to almost a fifth of South Australia. The determination remains controversial, with a lack of clarity as to who is really represented.
<a href="https://www.nntt.gov.au/ILUAs/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Indigenous land use agreements</a> (ILUAs) signed by the claimants and other parties transfer most future rights to the State of South Australia and other persons. The <a href="https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/un-declaration-rights-indigenous-peoples-1" target="_blank">United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples</a> (UNDRIP) provides for future economic development by Indigenous people, something expressly ruled out in the Arabana consent determination.
The <a href="https://nativetitle.org.au/profiles/profile_sa_arabana">Arabana Aboriginal Corporation</a> (RNTB) reported assets of around $3.3 million in 2014, a paltry sum compared to what may be realised in the Kidman sale and the “future acts” of the colonising government. As a result of native title, Kidman leases gained additional certainty.
While Western Australia’s <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-04/ningaloo-station-negotiations-western-australia/6279262">resumption of pastoral leases</a> for tourism and closure of Indigenous communities as a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-28/calls-for-apology-over-27lifestyle-choices27-comment/6298084" target="_blank">“lifestyle" change</a> make news, the 2013 <a href="https://www.nccarf.edu.au/publications/community-based-adaptation-arabana" target="_blank">Arabana Climate Change Adaptation Project</a> found Arabana people already living in cities and co-management with mining companies as two manifestations of climate-change adaptation.
‘How do we get the land back?’
When I returned to the north of South Australia last year, I discovered people still putting the same question: “How do we get the land back?” They are still sharing a vision of a post-colonial world that has yet to arrive. Despite the <a href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ha/dicc/dicc">outlawing of colonisation</a> by the United Nations in 1960, a second wave of colonisation has proceeded with increasing land enclosure masked by native title.
Coming as it does in a boom market, Kidman’s deserve to get a good price for the business; however, what will Central Australia’s future be like under new, less-related owners? While South Australia continues to be supported by <a href="https://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/landtitle.htm">settler legal fictions</a>, whose country is really up for sale?
Any sale is more likely to involve the Foreign Investment Review Board than the Indigenous Land Corporation. I cannot help wonder when the bones of Wangkangurru ancestors will stop surfacing east of the Macumba.
Paul Reader is senior research fellow at University of New England.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Kidman’s sale marks second wave of South Australian colonisation: Paul Reader

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The Merriwa property, Brindley Park was up for sale for $20 million plus in 2010, then $15 million plus two years ago, and now has returned to the market with even pricier expectations.
Colliers International's Richard Royle has been appointed to sell the property which has $30 million hopes. The neo-Palladian manor house built of Indian sandstone on the fertile plains of the Merriwa River has been relisted by pioneer discount share broker Greg Moore and his wife Libby.
Currently a thriving sheep and lucerne cropping business, the property is located three hours from Sydney on the edge of the Hunter Valley.   
"I have already had a significant number of enquiries from overseas for this property," Royle told The Australian Financial Review.
<img src="/images/2015/04/27/Brindley%20Park%203.JPG" alt="">
The mansion boasts eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. 
The neo-Palladian main residence with sandstone columns and facade, tessellated granite flooring, five-metre ceilings, slate roof, Teak panelled entry and hand-carved marble fireplaces, is an imposing building that speaks of grandeur.
The property also comes with a private library, butlers pantry, a summer house with five metre wide screened verandas and games rooms, a pool, bocci pit, chip-and-putt golf lawn and an English style half acre moated garden.
Originally, the landholding was granted to William Wentworth and John Blaxland in the early 1800s and is said to be one of Australia's oldest farming properties.
<img src="/images/2015/04/27/brindley%20park_0002_Brindley%20Park%20woolshed.jpg.jpg" alt="">
Wentworth and Blaxland are most renowned for leading a 1813 expedition, along with fellow explorer William Lawson, to discover a route throught the Blue Mountains. 
The Australian Dictionary of Biography notes that James Brindley Bettington was of significant importance to the property also.
The property comes with historic stables and 110-stand shearing shed, which in 1888, its peak year, had 58,000 sheep shorn.
According to CoreLogic RP Data, the property last transacted in 1998 for $510,000. It has been listed by Greg Moore who set up Pont Securities.
The working farm comes with fertile soil, 4.8 kilometre double frontage to Merriwa River, and 414 hectares of underground mains piped irrigation country. 
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Brindley Park returns with $30 million hopes

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Kelvin Park, one of Sydney’s oldest privately owned properties, has been sold at slightly less than its $1,895,000 asking price.
The 2.7 hectare Bringelly property comes with a rich colonial heritage dating back to 1820.
Listed through <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-bringelly-nsw-2556/253972" target="_blank">McGrath Estate Agents' Luke Mannion and Anna Younan</a>, it is reputedly the property from which 'The Wild Colonial Boy', bushranger John (Jack) Donohoe, escaped custody in 1828.
The semi-rural, seven acre property at 30 The Retreat comes with colonial Georgian style homestead with sandstone verandah.
It last sold at $990,000 in 2011. This time it fetched $1.85 million.
Heritage authorities regard it as an early Colonial Georgian, single storey, stuccoed brick bungalow with hipped, iron roof. The coach house dates back to 1851, a one and a half storey sandstock brick Early Victorian style building with a loft.
There is a tennis court and pool.
The estate, well suited to horse agistment, comes with coach house, two cottages and barn. Its stable complex has grass arena and round yard.
The property is within 45 kilometres of Sydney Airport and close to new south-west rail link.
Kelvin Homestead was part of the 243-hectare land grant in 1818 to Thomas Laycock Junior, the son of Sergeant Thomas Laycock of the NSW Corps. Thomas Laycock took part in the Rum Rebellion and fought in the American Civil War.
After he died in 1823, the property was bought by J.T. Campbell, former vice-regal secretary to Governor Macquarie.
In 1825 the property was leased by the Australian Agricultural Company, before their move to Port Stephens. 
Kelvin Park was purchased by Alfred Kennerley in 1833, later premier of Tasmania.
Since the summer of 2013 parts of the gardens and grounds have been used for<a href="https://www.kelvinhomestead.com.au/" target="_blank"> wedding ceremonies</a>, although not the Kelvin Homestead residence.
The McGrath agency also had the colonial five bedroom trophy home, <a href="/news/1840s-macquarie-field-house-glenfield-trophy-home-offering">Macquarie Field House</a> (pictured below) in Sydney's south-west for sale, marketed as a hobby farm. It has sold at an undisclosed price, but underbidder parties were advised that $4 million would be needed.
It sits on 23 hectares at Glenfield, surrounded by lemon scented gums, an elegant single-storey regency brick home with a wide verandah supported by graceful white columns.
<img src="/images/2015/02/02/gelnfield_0016_17.jpg.jpg" alt="1840s Macquarie Field House, Glenfield trophy home offering">
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Suited to agistment or weddings, Kelvin Park at Bringelly sells

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The tightly held Flinders rural icon, Pinnacle Park has been listed for sale.
Offers are due 15 June <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/flinders/Property-Details-buy-residential-8683288" target="_blank">with Kay &amp; Burton</a>. More than $15 million is likely.
"It represents a once in a generation opportunity," listing agents Andrew Hines and Gerald Delany said.
The cliff top estate with three homes comprises 70 hectares - 174 acres - of rural land with six green wedge titles.
With frontage onto Bass Strait, it has operated as a cattle-grazing farm.
The property is currently exempt from land tax.
Pinnacle Park is available for the first time in more than 55 years since bought by the McHale family, best known for their association with the Collingwood AFL club.
Back in 2006 Gerald Delany sold the 20-hectare property at 4445 Frankston-Flinders Road, known as Solitaire, for $8.65 million.
The vendor, John Nilsen was the former owner of the former radio station 3UZ who had paid less than $1 million for the property two decades earlier.
Flinders last big sales involved fund manager Richard Fish and his wife Anne who bought from barrister John Walker for $10.25 million and sold their estate on 22 hectares on Punchbowl Road, Kaloon Park through Andrew Hines for $3.6 million last October.
 
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Clifftop Flinders rural icon Pinnacle Park listed

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About $13 million has been spent by one of Canada's largest pension funds, on two organic Queensland farms of the pastoral legend, Sir Graham McCamley.
The Oakleigh and Stoodleigh properties, north of Rockhampton, have been sold subject to approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
The Australian Financial Review put the sale price at around $13 million with Sir Graham's 13,650-hectare Oakleigh and Stoodleigh aggregation passed in for $8.15 million at November auction last year.
Not retiring, but focusing on one nearby farm, Tanderra the 82 year old Sir Graham told ABC Rural on their listing that he had suffered nine cancers, so it was time to enjoy his bush farm with his great-grandchildren.
The organically accredited properties were offered on a walk-in, walk-out basis with 5,000 head of cattle, plant and equipment through CBRE's Geoff Warriner, Chris Holgar and Danny Thomas.
Other cattle stations have interested overseas funds with the Dutch pension fund Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP taking a stake in Macquarie Group's Paraway Pastoral.
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board invests money the Canadian Public Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police members.
The organically certified landholding located in the sought after Fitzroy region was dubbed by CBRE Agribusiness dubbed as the beef capital of Australia. 
The properties, formerly part of the larger Glenprairie Aggregation, are situated 19 kilometres north-west of the rural township of Marlborough and 107 kilometres north-west of Rockhampton. 
Since last traded in 2005, the properties had undergone a significant development program over the past nine years.
They were <a href="/news/sir-graham-mccamley-lists-central-queensland-station-in-three-portions">first listed in 2012</a>.
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Canadian pension funds buys Sir Graham McCamley farms

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Mount Manning, a renovated five bedroom colonial homestead on 788 hectares, 200 kilometres to Brisbane has been listed for sale.
<a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/acreage-rural-pratten-qld-4370/250457/?searchID=49296450" target="_blank">The Pratten district, Queensland property</a> has been a Santa Gertrudis cattle stud coupled with grain growing and horses.
It's located 20 kilometres west of Allora close to markets and feedlots. 
There is 220 acres of irrigated cultivation and four kilometres of frontage to the Condamine River.
McGrath agent David Benham has 572 Condamine River Road listed at $4,458,000.
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Queensland Santa Gertrudis farm for sale 

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Australia's biggest private rural landholding, which includes the world's largest cattle station, is up for sale by the pioneering pastoralist company, S. Kidman and Co. 
Eleven cattle stations covering more than 100,000 square kilometres are set to be offered next month with documentation through Ernst and Young Adelaide.
S. Kidman and Co. is 98% owned by members of the Kidman family, represented by 58 shareholdings. Not all wanted to sell, The Land reported, adding last financial year the company reported a net operating cashflow of $9.3 million and paid dividends of 20 cents a share. 
But it recorded a net after tax loss of $1.4m as herd numbers declined 15 per cent because of tough seasonal conditions to 182,350 head, and their livestock market value fell about $10 million to $97.4 million.
The cattle king Sir Sidney Kidman's first purchase was in 1886: Owen Springs south-west of Alice Springs.
The business still has cattle stations across Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. 
Anna Creek Station in South Australia's outback is the largest at 23,000 square kilometres. 
The other holdings include Helen Springs in the Northern Territory and Ruby Plains in Western Australia, Durham Downs, Durrie, Glengyle, Morney Plains, Naryilco and Rockybank in Queensland; Innamincka, Macumba and Tungali in South Australia where the company is headquartered.
"This is a world class asset of international significance," said Alex Thamm a rural valuer with Colliers International.
The managing director of S. Kidman and Co. Greg Campbell said family members decided to capitalise on current demand for quality Australian agricultural assets. 
The company employs 170 staff.
The business supplies 1.3% of Australia's boxed beef exports. 
The 11 properties currently have 155,000 branded cattle with 30,000 more calves to be marked this year.
The Kidman family has $364 million net worth, as ranked 37th on the BRW Rich Family List, spread across family groups based in Australia, the United Kingdom and United States.
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Cattle king Sidney Kidman descendants list Australia's largest private rural landholding

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Glenray Park, the historic Yetholme homestead, has been listed by Mary Moody, one of Australia's leading horticulturalists and gardening authors.
Lovingly restored and cared for over her 20 year tenure, it was built near Bathurst by Mabel Walshaw in 1908.
It has been marketed as having stunning mature ornamental park-like garden surrounding the homestead which boasts the grandeur of historical homesteads with a surge of new age sustainable living. The five bedroom, two bathroom triple brick homestead has 14 foot ceilings, five fire places, and Oregon doors and trims.
Within the 20 acre property, there is a permanent mountain spring and Frying Pan creek water. There have been cattle run on the farm on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.
The grounds have two irrigated propagation/shade houses for the professional market gardener and chook house and home vegetable garden. 
There's a 1920s dance hall once used for community dances and meetings could be transformed into a functions room or artists studio. 
<a href="https://raywhiteruralemmsmooney.com.au/nsw/yetholme/1276127/" target="_blank">Glenray Park</a>, at 61 Porters Lane, Yetholme, has been listed through Ray White Emms Mooney for 24 April auction through Patrick Bird and Sam D'Arcy. There are $700,000 plus expectations.
Yetholme is 20 minutes east of Bathurst and two hours drive from Sydney's CBD. 
<a href="https://www.marymoody.com.au" target="_blank">The gardening author</a> who trained as a journalist in the late 1960s at the Australian Women's Weekly was a long time presenter on Gardening Australia from her then Leura, Blue Mountains home. Her memoirs included Au Revoir, Last Tango in Toulouse, The Long Hot Summer and Sweet Surrender.
She has lead tours in France and the Himalayas and has written a book and made a film on a local rural French restaurant, Lunch with Madame Murat, for the SBS Network.
Glenray Park has been listed following the death of her partner, the film maker David Hannay in March 2014. It was 2001 when the couple relocated permanently to the Bathurst district after selling Villa Florence, their Katoomba cottage.
Moody is moving back to the mountains to be closer to family, but intends keeping a small block of land with an eco-cottage.
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Gardening author Mary Moody lists Glenray Park, her Bathurst market garden retreat 

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Retailer Malcolm Webster and his wife, Eileen, have finally sold Merrilla, their 380 hectare rural holding near Goulburn.
It was once part of a 1,000-hectare Chisholm family estate.
With prime agricultural grazing land including 1,200 metres of the Wollondilly River frontage, complete with garden ha-ha wall, Merrilla had been marketed by Christies International as one of the finest heritage homesteads of Southern New South Wales. Although it did not get a mention in G. Nesta Griffiths 1952 bible, Some Southern Homes of New South Wales.
No sale price has been given by agents Ken Jacobs and Bruce Eason, but there were last known $5 million aspirations and Fairfax Media suggest $6 million plus was actually achieved.
The homestead, which includes six double bedrooms, dates in part from 1838 and was restored under the guidance of heritage architect Howard Tanner. 
The estate, which also features a guest lodge, a greenhouse, stables and pool, comes with lawns, a tennis court and an ornamental lake. 
It was first listed in 2007 with $7 million plus hopes by the Websters with a different acreage.
Merrilla last traded in 2002 when bought from publishing entrepreneur Deke Miskin.
Title Tattle first visited the property in 1995, ahead if it being sold by businessman Michael Darling who had paid $561,659 for the Chisholm family farm in 1984. 
One of the seven historic Chisholm family residences in the district, Merrilla had been sold by the Chisholms in 1957 for $162,000.
Architect Howard Tanner who undertook the extensive restoration and renovation over nine years for Darling.
Title Tattle recalls the names of former residents Edith and Alice Chisholm could be found etched in the front window pane.
And the lasting impression of the magnificent matching bunya trees.
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