<p>A landmark former orphanage site in Surrey Hills could be transformed into a new residential community under plans lodged by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/antipodean-land-developments">Antipodean Land Developments</a> that would deliver 76 apartments and townhouses while restoring some of the suburb's most significant heritage buildings.</p>

<p>The burgeoninng Melbourne-based developer has submitted plans for the 9,158 sqm site at 1 Kent Road and 24 Durham Road, home to the former St Joseph's Home for Destitute Children, a historic institutional complex dating back to the late 19th century. The proposal seeks to adaptively reuse several heritage buildings while introducing two new four-storey residential buildings set within extensive landscaped grounds.</p>

<p>Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> and Kerstin Thompson Architects, the project has been conceived as a contemporary residential village embedded within a restored heritage precinct. The development team describes the design approach as "The Village in the Garden," with new buildings positioned among mature landscaping by OCULUS and significant heritage structures.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44ec8c1b-c0b6-44ae-859e-5811b3e6a023" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29.png?VersionId=p.p1_KFh4iQoV4nisdnPfQBAsWNi7m79" /></p>

<p>The proposal would deliver 76 dwellings comprising a mix of apartments and duplex-style residences, significantly increasing housing supply on one of the largest privately held residential landholdings in Surrey Hills. The development includes 127 car spaces, 24 bicycle spaces and more than 1,000 sqm of communal amenity, with the existing chapel building earmarked for conversion into resident facilities.</p>

<p>According to the planning submission, the project centres on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the site's most significant heritage assets, including the original c.1889 St Joseph's building, the chapel designed by architect Augustus Andrew Fritsch, and the historic brick perimeter walls and entry gates. The proposal also incorporates the retention of other contributory buildings including the former infirmary and school building.</p>

<p>Tract Consultants, in the planning report accompanying the application, said the scheme had been shaped through extensive heritage analysis and design development.</p>

<p>"The shared vision for the Site by the project team has culminated in a scheme which successfully breathes life back into a historic site while delivering upon the objectives of Victoria's Housing Statement in a carefully curated and contextually responsive manner."</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7263b7d8-95ea-400f-9531-6ca7d22c3c33" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29.png?VersionId=4cR1tiWOsDpgxEOwZi5vVFcyvvOsYkIE" /></p>

<p>The proposal is being assessed under Victoria's Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway. As part of the application, three per cent of the project's residential development cost would be contributed to the Social Housing Growth Fund. The development would also provide a diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences targeting a broader range of buyers than typically found in Surrey Hills' detached housing market.</p>

<p>Sustainability initiatives include an anticipated 66 per cent BESS score, natural cross-ventilation to 80 per cent of apartments, 28 per cent deep soil landscaping and a canopy cover outcome exceeding local planning requirements. The proposal also sets aside more than 1,083 sqm for communal indoor and outdoor resident amenity spaces.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33fad46f-fe26-4d0a-acfd-6b776e1c6a3d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design.png?VersionId=D9F6WVSyYCtGvSUmith35LRp6R7PQkw_" /></p>

<p>Planning documents describe the property as one of the largest underutilised residential sites in Surrey Hills, arguing it presents a rare opportunity to introduce "missing middle" housing in an established inner-eastern suburb while preserving and revitalising a significant heritage precinct.</p>

<p>Antipodean Land Developments has built a reputation for design-focused residential projects across Melbourne, particularly in the medium-density sector. Previous developments include Neighbourhood in Brunswick East, delivered with Breathe Architecture, and Balfe Park Lane, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects.</p>

<p>They've been very active in site acquisition as they build out their future development pipeline. They recently launched Thornubury House, 45 apartments above a mix of commercial, retail, and food and beverage tenancies, and have plans for a boutique project in Fitzroy and another <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/antipodean-plan-apartments-for-deepdenes-missing-middle-on-whitehorse-road">"missing middle" project</a> on Deepdene's Whitehorse Road.</p>


Joel Robinson

First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills

<p>Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/auyin-property-development">Auyin</a> is the latest to turn to the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program in an effort to secure approval for its long-planned, mixed-use project in Elsternwick.</p>

<p>In 2018, Auyin lodged plans with Glen Eira City Council for a 14-storey building, however Council approved a reduced eight-storey scheme. A subsequent VCAT appeal in 2019 upheld the eight-storey height limit.</p>

<p>The project was later amended to nine storeys, but Auyin is now seeking to revive something closer to its original vision. The developer argues that the planning context has evolved significantly over the past decade, particularly within the Elsternwick Activity Centre, where higher-density development has increasingly been encouraged along Glen Huntly Road.</p>

<p>The proposal would transform the 1,239 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/7-12-horne-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">7-15 Horne Street</a>, opposite Elsternwick Railway Station, into a 13-storey residential and retail development designed by CBG Architects, with 40 apartments</p>

<p>The site currently comprises three commercial properties.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f465dd4-509b-4082-a669-0253b313914b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20podium.png?VersionId=72frWi0SmQ5AVJ3ARRhX5ILUYObhTm7x" /></p>

<p>The proposed apartment mix comprises 25 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom residences above 200 sqm of retail space at ground level. Residents would have access to a 90 sqm wellness facility, a 351 sqm communal indoor and outdoor terrace on the third level, and extensive landscaped areas throughout the development. A publicly accessible 135 sqm plaza would be created on the north-east corner of the site, providing seating, landscaping, and a new gathering space adjoining Horne Street.</p>

<p>The design adopts a four-storey podium that references the finer-grain character of the surrounding streetscape, with the upper tower recessed behind generous setbacks on all boundaries.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e637e763-2abc-4c34-a0aa-5c7ad36fae18" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20open.png?VersionId=J1AoOpZgTyaF.KeeFSX6lMjEScX8KKRi" /></p>

<p>A key element of the proposal is the reconfiguration and widening of the surrounding laneways. Vehicle access would be retained from Lois Lane, with upgraded pedestrian connections linking Ross Street and Horne Street. The development would provide 58 residential car spaces, two retail car spaces, and 52 bicycle spaces across two basement levels and ground-floor facilities.</p>

<p>Architecturally, the building draws inspiration from the established character of Elsternwick Village. The façade combines dark charcoal brickwork, textured concrete, bronze-toned metal detailing, and extensive planting integrated into podium and tower levels. The design also incorporates a chamfered corner treatment and publicly accessible plaza intended to strengthen pedestrian activity around the station precinct.</p>

<p>Elsternwick's last new development completion was&nbsp;EVA Elsternwick by Pitard late last year. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/milieu-property">Milieu</a> is working away on its nature-led neighbourhood, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elsternwick-gardens-by-milieu-8-gordon-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">Elsternwick Gardens</a>, on Gordon Street, with its first stage expected to complete next year.</p>


First look: Auyin seeks mixed-use apartment project in growing Elsternwick Activity Centre

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/otium-parkdale-123-125-como-parade-east-parkdale-vic-3195">Otium Parkdale</a>, the 13-residence boutique development by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/huxtable-property">Huxtable Property</a>, has entered its final stages of delivery, with completion expected within the coming month and more than half of the residences sold.</p>

<p>The Como Parade East project is nearing the finish line at a time when opportunities to purchase new apartments in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parkdale-vic-3195">Parkdale</a> remain exceptionally limited. Fewer than 10 per cent of dwellings in the bayside suburb are apartments, making developments like Otium a relatively rare addition to a market traditionally dominated by detached housing.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=134974 project_image_fid=5427]</p>

<p>The three-level development comprises 13 residences, including ten two-bedroom apartments and three larger three-bedroom homes, all positioned above a secure basement car park.</p>

<p>Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/almeida-architects">Almeida Architects</a> with a strong connection to its coastal surroundings, Otium combines red brick, exposed concrete and dark metal detailing with integrated landscaping and greenery. Expansive glazing, generous balconies and terraces have been incorporated throughout the design to maximise natural light and reinforce indoor-outdoor living.</p>

<p>Inside, the residences feature engineered European oak flooring, natural and reconstituted stone benchtops, Bosch kitchen appliances, ducted heating and cooling, lift access and secure entry systems. The larger three-bedroom residences on the upper level have been designed with house-like proportions, while the two-bedroom apartments prioritise functionality, flexibility and low-maintenance living.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=134974 project_image_fid=5421]</p>

<p>The project is now in its final stages, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/labco">Labco</a> completing the remaining landscaping and external finishing works following the completion of the residences' interiors.</p>

<p>Otium's location within the heart of Parkdale continues to underpin its appeal. Residents will be just steps from local cafés, restaurants, shops and the newly elevated Parkdale Station, while the beach is less than a kilometre away.</p>

<p>With the project tracking ahead of schedule, buyers can currently secure a residence with a five per cent deposit and benefit from settlement terms of up to eight months. The advanced stage of construction also provides buyers with the opportunity to walk through the near-complete residences and experience the quality and finishes firsthand ahead of completion.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134974]</p>


Otium Parkdale enters final month before completion as rare apartment opportunity nears sellout

<p>A new boutique apartment development is entering the market in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chermside-qld-4032">Chermside</a>, with Brisbane-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ausdev">Ausdev</a> bringing 33 residences to a well-connected pocket of Brisbane's north.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/parkdrive-apartments-chermside-25-sammells-drive-chermside-qld-4032">Parkdrive Apartments</a>, at 25 Sammells Drive, will comprise a mix of one- and two-bedroom residences positioned within walking distance of Westfield Chermside, The Prince Charles Hospital, and Bradbury Park.</p>

<p>Established in 1989, Ausdev has a long-standing presence across both development and construction, with Parkdrive Apartments representing its latest residential project in Brisbane's northern suburbs.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363778]</p>

<p>The development has been designed around open-plan living and natural light, with residences featuring stone benchtops, timber cabinetry, BOSCH appliances, and private balconies that extend the living areas outdoors.</p>

<p>Kitchens are positioned as the centrepiece of the homes, incorporating natural material palettes and integrated appliances, while bathrooms have been designed with a focus on functionality and understated finishes.</p>

<p>Residents will have access to a communal barbecue and entertaining area on Level 3, providing shared outdoor space within the development. Secure parking and lift access are also incorporated into the building.</p>

<p>The project will deliver a limited collection of 33 apartments, with one-bedroom residences priced from $749,000.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363782]</p>

<p>Beyond the building itself, the location places residents within easy reach of several of Chermside's key amenities. Bradbury Park is around 350 metres away, while Westfield Chermside is approximately 1.3 kilometres from the site. The Prince Charles Hospital is located within 750 metres, and the Chermside Bus Interchange is around 1.5 kilometres away, providing connections across Brisbane.</p>

<p>Parkdrive Apartments adds to the growing residential pipeline in Chermside, a suburb that continues to evolve as a major retail, healthcare, and transport hub for Brisbane's north.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152125]</p>


Ausdev introduces boutique Parkdrive Apartments to Chermside's growing centre

<p><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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Resilience Insurance CEO Corey Nugent has noted that the product addresses something fundamental to the new apartment market.</p>

<p>"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.</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370898]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Garden apartments connect directly to private landscaped courtyards, while upper-level homes capture beach views to the east from level four and above.&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>"It's a place to choose your pace and live gracefully, seaside'," Sander says.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370900]</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>"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;</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370897]</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>"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;</p>

<p>Coco Republic has provided bespoke furniture packages tailored to the project's coastal palette.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370899]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Sales at Solis are launching soon through Ray White Projects, with an official event scheduled for 11 June. Enquire for more information.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150499]</p>


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

Sydney Cbd

<html><body>
<p>396 George Street, which sits at the intersection of King Street, has been listed for sale in Sydney’s premium retail precinct.</p>
<p>The expression of interest campaign will be handled by Knight Frank together with JLL.</p>
<p>More than $30 million is tipped.</p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Knight Frank’s Dominic Ong, head of Asian Markets, suggests 396 George Street will attract interest from</span> local and offshore investors.</p>
<p>39<span lang="EN-GB">6 George Street is currently tenanted by Telstra, providing a net passing income of approximately $1.21 million per annum until February 2020, with </span>a five-year option.</p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">He says the prized corner offers buyers an opportunity to secure a strong commercial property investment with potential rental upside given the repositioning of George Street Pedestrian Mall.</span></p>
<p>An extensive $15 million renovation was undertaken in 2014/2015 which saw the property integrated into the adjoining building.</p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">The Sydney Metro Light Rail will be directly in front of the building.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">“396 George Street is situated in what is considered Sydney’s equivalent to New York’s Fifth Avenue, Singapore’s Orchard Road, Hong Kong’s </span>Causeway Bay, London’s Regent Street, and Paris’ Champs Elysees<span lang="EN-GB">,” said Mr Ong.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Offers for 396 George Street July 19.</span></p>
<p>The two storey facade is in the Victorian Exotic style, the sole surviving example of the work of a significant outspoken dilettante and amateur architect and artist Harold Brees.</p>
<p>The building was constructed in the 1860s.</p>
<p>Brees himself described the style of the building as being "Domestic Antique - partaking of the Italian but without any Gothic." </p>
<p>Just next door Investa has announced Woolworths as its newest tenant in The Sydney Arcade at 400 George Street.</p>
<p>Comino recently acquired the Soul Pattinson Chemist at Pitt Street Mall for $100 million and also owns the flagship Apple store across the road and the Louis Vuitton store diagonally opposite.</p>
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

396 George Street, Sydney has for the first time, been publicly listed for sale

<html><body><div title="Page 1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>United Development Sydney has appointed Hutchinson Builders as construction partner for its flagship $380 million luxury residential development in Sydney’s CBD, Castle Residences.</p>
<p>It was launched last August as a showpiece for heritage, design and culture in a redevelopment of the heritage listed Porter House.</p>
<p>It will be a luxury 121-room boutique AccorHotels operation.</p>
<p><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/2018/6/8/DSC08847_preview.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>Located at 203 Castlereagh Street, United Development Sydney have enagaged award-wining architects Candalepas Associates and interior designers, Studio Aria.</p>
<p>All residences will have access to the 5 star hotel services – this includes room service, catering, housekeeping, laundry and maintainenane access to all hotel facilities (restaurants, bars, gym, pool and business centre), 24 hour security, concierge and valet parking.</p>
<p>Hutchinson is Australia's largest privately owned construction company which has been building since 1912.</p>
<p>Excavation and demolition has started onsite. Construction will commence in August 2018.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

United Development Sydney appoints Hutchinson as builder for Castle Residences

<html><body>
<div title="Page 1">
<p>A $28 million office block is proposed for 4-6 York Street, Sydney.</p>
<p>The proposal also includes additions and alterations to 341 George Street.</p>
<p>The 13 storey office building Candalepas Architects-designed proposal is an integrated development under the Heritage Act 1977 proposed by the Cheng family patriarch Tony Cheng, who runs NGI Investments.</p>
<p>The site of the former Bank of NSW Head Office, which cost $57 million in 2002, is historically significant as the location from 1853 to 1970 was the principal office of Australia's first and largest private bank.</p>
<div title="Page 14">
<div>
<div>
<p>The building's official opening was held on Saturday 19 March 1932— the same day as the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened.</p>
<p>The building reflects the period of commercial optimism that preceded the Great Depression and with the prominent architectural firm of Robertson &amp; Marks who have worked on the building since its construction.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>341 George Street (below) is aesthetically significant as a substantially intact example of the Inter-War Commercial Palazzo style. It contains a richly detailed Banking Chamber, which is still in use as such (although reduced in scale), with original fittings, furniture and extensive finishes of marble, scagliola and pressed metal.</p>
<div title="Page 1">
<div>
<div>
<p><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/2018/5/29/york2.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>The new building will be physically connected to the existing building at 341 George Street, and there will be access between most floors of the two buildings which will necessitate some alterations to the existing building.</p>
<p>The building at 341 George Street is of state heritage significance. The 4–6 York Street site is not heritage listed.</p>
<p>The allotment at 4–6 York Street and the building at 341 George Street are located on a city block bounded by George Street, Wynyard Street, York Street and Barrack Lane.</p>
<p><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/2018/5/29/york3.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>Martin Place is directly opposite George Street to the east, and Wynyard Park is located to the north across Wynyard Street.</p>
<p>The site is significant for its landmark qualities and together with the adjoining former CBC Bank Head Office (343 George Street) it terminates the western vista of Martin Place and forms part of the significant precinct of historic public and private commercial buildings near the junction of Martin Place and George Streets. </p>
<p>The site was originally part of the military barracks and was sold into private ownership in 1850. By 1882 it appears to have been developed into part of Sydney’s growing commercial district. </p>
<p>The Bank of New South Wales, the oldest corporation of its kind in Australia, was founded in Sydney in 1817.</p>
<div title="Page 16">
<div>
<div>
<p>The building remained the Head Office of the Bank of New South Wales until 1970, when the continued growth of the Bank has again made a larger head office building necessary.</p>
<p>After 117 years on the site the operation moved to a newly erected high-rise building, 60 Martin Place, on the corner of Macquarie Street.</p>
<p>In 2002, Westpac Banking Corp sold the site (341 George Street and 4–6 York Street) to NGI Investments.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 17">
<div>
<div>
<p>In October 2006, the Westpac Bank was temporarily closed to allow for the conservation and upgrading of its premises, which included the restoration of the original floor, walls, ceilings and screens on the ground and first floors. The bank reopened in April 2008.</p>
<p>Currently the Westpac Bank continues to occupy the basement, ground and mezzanine levels. </p>
<p>The allotment at 4–6 York Street has remained largely vacant since the bank acquired the land in 1934.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div title="Page 26">
<div>
<div>
<p> <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/2018/5/30/york3.jpg" alt=""></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 27">
<div>
<div>
<div title="Page 1">
<div>
<div data-hveid="41" data-ved="0ahUKEwjAsbHek5rbAhWBe7wKHfTYAMYQFQgpKAEwAQ">
<div>
<p>It was in 1850 when two allotments of the old barracks site were purchased at the corner of Wynyard and George Streets by Felix Wilson, Donald Larnarch and Robert Campbell at a cost of 1410 pounds.</p>
<p>They were buying on behalf of the Bank of New South Wales in preparation for the building of a new head office.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 9">
<div>
<div>
<p>The further continual growth of the bank’s business, which was a result of the goldrushes in Victoria and New South Wales, necessitated still further space.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 13">
<div>
<div>
<p>The architectural plans were prepared by Robertson and Marks. </p>
<p>Early photographs show that the banking chamber had an attractive tiled floor and rich wood panelling. There were fluted columns with Corinthian capitals and a big clock in ornate wooden case on the southern wall. </p>
<p>Business continued to expand and just before the First World War 341 George Street once again began to feel cramped.</p>
<p>According to Board minutes in 1913 the Board was considering the erection of a new high-rise building on the site to exploit its prominent position and to take advantage of the 150-feet construction height limit.</p>
<p>It was at this time that the Bank purchased three adjoining sites on Wynyard Street, but such matters as further extension were forgotten in the events of 1914–1918.</p>
<p>In the course of the war no fewer than 40 per cent of the Bank’s male staff was enlisted in the services.</p>
<p>In May 1925, the Board resolved that a new head office should be built. It was also decided that an Australian architect should be employed and that the building be of similar style of architecture to that of the Equitable Buildings in Sydney and Melbourne. </p>
<p>The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney had then reached the final stages of the construction of its own Head Office, and the Bank of NSW Board resolved that the new building should be of the same height as its neighbour.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 14">
<div>
<div>
<p>In July 1925, the firm of Robertson &amp; Marks was again asked to supply plans.</p>
<p>In 1927 the Board resolved that the tender of Howie, Moffat &amp; Co. Ltd. for the erection of the premises for the sum of £551,379 be accepted.</p>
<p>The existing building at 341 George Street was erected in two stages to allow banking operations to continue. Demolition of the western section of the old premises commenced on 27 August 1927.</p>
<p>In 1934 the Bank purchased more land fronting Wynyard and York Streets (4–6 York Street). The building that had previously occupied the site had been demolished in the 1920s, but the Bank did not build on the area. Since then the allotment at 4–6 York Street has remained substantially undeveloped.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 15">
<div>
<div>
<p>The United States Consulate rented premises in the building from the 1930s to 1970. During World War II, U.S. General Douglas Macarthur used the Board Room for staff meetings. According to notes in the Westpac Archives it was also the scene of an occasional Court Martial.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 16">
<div>
<div>
<p>In 1949 the Bank entered a field which was previously under the monopoly of government owned institutions, savings bank operations which led to an expansion in the Bank’s operations and they began to fill more floors of the 341 George Street building.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div data-hveid="41" data-ved="0ahUKEwjAsbHek5rbAhWBe7wKHfTYAMYQFQgpKAEwAQ">
<div>
<h3>
<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/2018/5/30/george.jpg" alt=""> </h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 17">
<div>
<div>
<p>The earlier phase of occupation relating to the 1840s Military Barracks is likely to be significant.</p>
<p>It is known that the barracks were demolished and the salvageable building materials sold; however, there is still some potential for footings and occupation deposits to survive.</p>
<p>The archaeology of this site may have the potential to demonstrate information about the use of the barracks not otherwise documented.</p>
<p>Remains from this early period use of the site are therefore likely significant for both their historical values and their research values.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 55">
<div>
<div>
<p>It appears from the archival photography that the construction of the railway tunnels under the western part of the site involved drilling through the rock below the site and not excavation from above. Thus, there is potential for archaeological remains and deposits surviving on the western part of the study area. The proposed construction footprint on the new building will impact on potential Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal archaeology.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 57">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<div title="Page 1">
<div>
<div>
<p>GML Heritage was engaged by 6 York Street Pty Ltd to provide heritage and archaeological services in relation to the proposed construction of a new building on the mainly empty allotment at 4–6 York Street, Sydney.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div title="Page 5">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>The report has been prepared by Anna Simanowsky, GML Senior Heritage Consultant. The archaeological assessment was prepared by Jodi Cameron, GML heritage consultant, archaeologist. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Former Westpac heritage-listed headquarters set for revitalised office complex on George Street

<html><body>
<p>Sydney's iconic The Basement, the oldest jazz and blues club in Australia, has been taken over by musical entrepreneur and property developer Albert Dadon.</p>
<p>Dadon, a leading jazz guitarist himself, plans to re-open the club as soon as possible after the doors were closed last month.</p>
<p>It's not Dadons first foray into jazz club ownership. He has been somewhat of a pioneer of keeping Australia's jazz music scene alive over the past two decades.</p>
<p>He rescued the Melbourne International Jazz Festival when its funding was cut. </p>
<p>In eight years Dadon increased its visitors from 5,000 to 200,000 before stepping down in 2009.</p>
<p>He owns the Jazz Corner Hotel on Williams Street in the Melbourne CBD.</p>
<p>Recently he opened Bird's Basement below, a sister venue of Manhattan's Birdland. </p>
<p>Speaking on the acquisition, Dadon said he is examining possible Sydney CBD locations for the club. He is appealing to the public and others to suggest a suitable venue. </p>
<div class="body ng-binding ng-scope">
<p>‘’I was saddened to see The Basement close its doors. It was a loss to the cultural health of the city and Australia," Mr Dadon said. </p>
<p><span>“I hope that with the help of those who are committed to retain and reinvigorate Sydney’s music scene we will find an ideal new location of The Basement."</span></p>
<p>“I would love to provide Sydneysiders with a wonderful 21st century experience, similar to what we created in Melbourne at Bird’s Basement," he says.</p>
<p>"In the meantime we will be looking at broadcasting all our shows live from Melbourne in our soon to be launched app."</p>
<p>In 2002, Dadon, who when performing goes by the stage name Albare, established the annual Australian Jazz Bell Awards.</p>
<p>They were named after Australian legend and patron of the event the late Graeme Bell to celebrate excellence in Australian jazz scene. Today ‘the Bells’ are the most prestigious awards in the Australian jazz calendar. </p>
<p>As Albare, he often performed at the Sydney Basement.</p>
<p>He has recorded 11 albums.</p>
<p>With his long time pianist companion Phil Turcio, their band, Urbanity, and their album Urban Soul album, this year enjoyed Billboard chart and critical success in the United States. Urban Soul is distributed in Australia by MGM.</p>
</div>
</body></html>

jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Musical entrepreneur Albert Dadon buys Sydney's iconic The Basement

<html><body>
<p>A new national apartment record could soon emerge with the marketing of a sky-high Sydney CBD penthouse.</p>
<p>Property developer John Boyd and wife Marly - now parents of two children under three years - have decided to move on from their three storey space which has been their abode since 2015.</p>
<p>They're asking <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-sydney-127888346" target="_blank">$66 million for the penthouse atop the Grocon's Liberty Place</a>, ANZ tower on Castlereagh Street in the Sydney CBD.</p>
<p>It's the highest apartment in Sydney. </p>
<p>It was was ranked last year as the world's finest residence in the International Design &amp; Architecture Awards.</p>
<p>An express elevator leads to the 43rd floor, where the Boyd's commissioned interior designer Blainey North to decorate the near 2,400 sqm space atop the office tower designed by Richard Francis-Jones, the design director of the architecture practice Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp.</p>
<p>Francis-Jones was responsible for the striking crescent shaped roof design that takes light deep into the apartment.</p>
<p>Jones said he would be very surprised if the apartment was ever repeated again.</p>
<p>Taking nearly four years to complete, the bespoke sky lounge captures 360 city skyline views, with the Westfield Tower just a stone's throw away.</p>
<p><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/2016/09/23/pent3.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>North privately commissioned more than 200 pieces of Art Deco-inspired furniture, from the unique armchairs to the largest custom rug in the Southern Hemisphere.</p>
<p>There's a marble kitchen, wine cellar and four bedrooms, each with a marble ensuite.</p>
<p>A private rooftop level features a cabana lounge, swimming pool and an observation deck.</p>
<p>Christie's International agent Ken Jacobs is marketing the apartment in conjunction with LJ Hooker Double Bay agent Bill Malouf.</p>
<p>"The buyer will be brought to the market, because they wouldn't have imagined an apartment like this existed," Ken Jacobs suggests.</p>
<p>Malouf thinks a corporation could be its buyer for its chief executive or company president.</p>
<p>Sydney's apartment record has seen dramatic growth in recent times.</p>
<p>The spurt began in 2016 with a $26 million sale of one of the penthouses in the off the plan Opera Residences at Circular Quay.</p>
<p>A few days later another penthouse in the same development sold for $27 million.</p>
<p>The record was then more than doubled when Crown Resort's revealed casino tycoon James Packer spent $60 million on two levels in the yet to be built Crown Resort complex at Barangaroo South.</p>
<p>A $40 million whole floor One Barangaroo sale to former bookmaker Bob Blann was revealed last month. </p>
<p>The apartment on the tip of the top floor of 1 Macquarie Street, the closest home to the Opera House anyone can buy, has been listed by the veteran property developer, Keith Johnson and his partner Natalie Habib. They are in the midst of gutting and fitting out the 360 sq m space to a design by the noted architect Koichi Takada.</p>
<p>Dominic Ong at Knight Frank Prestige Residential has had two recent offers between $25 million and $30 million of the space in The Toaster.</p>
<p>The Boyd's apartment sits 43 storey's high above the ANZ Castlereagh Street office block which John Boyd sold to Grocon in 2013, while keeping the penthouse space that overlooks Hyde Park.</p>
<p>Everything inside the three level apartment is custom made, including what's been described as the biggest rug in the southern hemisphere which was hand-sew back together as one piece.</p>
<p><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/2016/09/23/pent2.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>North had only been contacted by Boyd with the intention of buying some of her custom-designed furniture, but after seeing the bare space she convinced the Boyd's to let her design it.</p>
<p>“I feel really comfortable designing this scale,” she told The Australian's Wish Magazine.</p>
<p>“The idea I tabled with them at [the first meeting] is that I felt there needed to be some sort of connecting [motif] and so we developed this idea of the black ribbon.</p>
<p>"It outlines and connects all of the different levels,” North explains.</p>
<p>She reckons the apartment even has a Batman feel to it, with the black ribbon effect which is made of wood with six coats of lacquer.</p>
<p>It comes down from the ceilings, traces the windows, turns into the bar unit, becomes the balustrade of the staircase and runs into the bedrooms where it becomes the bedside tables.</p>
<p>It ends on the top floor with its pool and cabana.</p>
<p>“We have been talking about Batman all through the design process,” North added.</p>
<p>“When you drive into the basement, you come into your own private lift and ride up into your apartment above a bank, which has views all around the city. </p>
<p>"It is totally private, it’s totally secure and it’s kind of like this life in the sky in the middle of the city.”</p>
<p>The project adds to North's already impressive portfolio, having previously been commissioned for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's 798 sqm amalgamated penthouse high above Lavender Bay.</p>
<p>She's also designed office space for actor Russell Crowe.</p>
<p>She’s also been billionaire James Packer's preferred decorator overseeing the re-opening of the Conservatory buffet restaurant at Crown Casino in Melbourne. </p>
<p>North, who married Russell Crowe’s personal assistant, Keith Rodger in 2011, is a fan of art deco.</p>
<p>Indeed her first home – sold in 2010 to model Lara Bingle at $882,000 – was in an art deco Darling Point apartment complex.</p>
<p><em>This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.</em></p>
<p> </p>
</body></html>

firstname1-iYD4UYzvBa

The Art Deco $66 million Sydney CBD penthouse for sale

<html><body>
<p>An office suite on Hunter Street in Sydney's CBD has sold for a record $16,630 per square metre, breaking the previous strata office record set last year.</p>
<p>The $1.63 million auction sale of the <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-nsw-sydney-502691298" target="_blank">98 square metre office space</a> comfortably beat out the $15,234 per square metre record set in September.</p>
<p>Purchased by a Chinese buyer, the suite saw 109 enquiries and 19 contract requests through CBRE agents Mitch Noonan and Jessen O'Sullivan.</p>
<p>There were five bidders on auction day.</p>
<p>Noonan said the premium result achieved was largely due to buyers chasing high quality office assets with a robust leasing outlook. </p>
<p>“The depth of appetite for this opportunity highlights that buyers are willing to compete for the right asset in the Sydney CBD – specifically those underpinned by a defensive leasing outlook, as well as having excellent access to key transport links,” Noonan said. </p>
<p> “The building holds a commanding presence in the heart of the CBD’s financial core. The suite itself faces due north, offering an abundance of natural light, and buyers responded well to these facets.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</body></html>

Hunter Street office suite sells for new Sydney square metre record

<html><body>
<p>A Macquarie Street office suite located in the William Bland Centre in the heart of Sydney's primary medical, legal and financial precinct, is under offer.</p>
<p>The 26 sqm space had been listed for sale for $286,000 through Brian Dowling Commercial agent Robin Simpson.</p>
<p>It is fitted with reception area, building storage, internal water and A/C.</p>
<p>In a quality building with two lifts, the 229-231 Macquarie Street suite has on floor male and female amenities.</p>
<p><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/2018/2/28/207%20level%202%202.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>Martin Place, St James Station, Hyde Park, the Botanical Gardens and the Supreme Courts are only minutes away, making this space likely for medical use or traditional office space.</p>
</body></html>

Macquarie Street strata space under offer 

<html><body><div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
<p>Luxury brand Hermes is set to take the lease at Sydney's Trust Building.</p>
<p>The building at 155-159 King Street is on the corner of Castlereagh Street.</p>
<p>Dior's flagship store sits across the road, as do the Chanel and Bulgari stores.</p>
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
<p>The Australian Financial Review writes Hermes has pipped another luxury brand, Valentino, for the multiple-floor space</p>
</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
<p>The potential deal would see Hermes expand its retail footprint beyond its current single-floor space a block away at the corner of Castlereagh and Pitt streets.</p>
</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section">Another diagonal corner is occupied by the MLC Centre escalators which are set to be replaced with retail space.</div>
</div></body></html>

Hermes eyes Trust Building move

<html><body>
<p>iProsperity (iPG) has listed its Park Regis Hotel asset in Sydney with offers due <span data-term="goog_1137242494">March 13.</span></p>
<p>The 122-room hotel stratum comprises 10 levels of the 45-level mixed-use tower.</p>
<p>Located at the corner of Park and Castlereagh streets, the hotel comes with an outdoor rooftop pool along with 39 car spaces. </p>
<p>iPG Group CEO, Michael Gu said Sydney’s hotel market remains "the red-hot stand-out performer in the Asia Pacific region".</p>
<p>iPG purchased it in 2016.</p>
<p>The hotel is being offered with a management agreement with Staywell Holdings, a subsidiary of the Japan-based Prince Seibu group, which provides an annual underwrite of the trading performance until the end of 2021.</p>
</body></html>

Park Regis Hotel placed on the market by iPG

<html><body>
<p>Scruffy Murphy's, the Sydney CBD Irish pub, is set to make way for a new hotel and residential tower.</p>
<p>A $127 million development has been lodged by the site's owners, KGH Co Pty Ltd, who also secured the neighbouring site.</p>
<p>KGH Co Pty Ltd, owned by Pierre Wakim and Mario Khaicy have proposed the 40-storey building.</p>
<p>KHG Co Pty Ltd, who along with Scruffy Murphy's, now owns the sites between 698 and 704 George Street.</p>
<p>The hotel will run from the fourth level to the 21st level, with the first three levels dedicated to the existing apartments at the heritage Kiss Building and Haymarket House, along with a gym and foyers.</p>
<p><span>From the 21st floor up there will be private apartments.</span></p>
<p><span>There will be 240 rooms in the hotel.</span></p>
<p>Knight Frank is marketing the offering. </p>
<p> </p>
</body></html>

Sydney Cbd

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Sydney Cbd

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News