The Architect Sydney Loves to Hate.
Few architects have changed Sydney as much as Harry Seidler. His influence is everywhere, but few of his buildings divide opinion quite like Vaucluse Waters, perched above the cliffs at Diamond Bay.
Built in the early 1960s, the concrete and glass apartment tower looks almost completely out of place among the traditional homes and sandstone of Vaucluse.
That was part of Seidler’s philosophy. He was a strong advocate for modernist architecture and higher-density living, bringing ideas from the Bauhaus and European modernism into a Sydney still largely dominated by detached houses.
We recently made a reel about Vaucluse Waters (33 Kimberley Street), and the response was interesting. Some people called it government housing. Others were considerably less polite.
But that is what makes the building worth discussing.
Seidler was never really trying to blend into the neighbourhood. He was making a statement about how people could live, and what architecture could look like.
Today, his work remains polarising. Some see it as cold and imposing. Others see it as some of the most important examples of Australian modernism.
Vaucluse Waters is now regarded as a significant piece of Sydney architecture, despite the controversy it created when it was built.
So was Seidler responsible for making Sydney uglier, or was he simply ahead of his time?
And what buildings do we look at today that we might appreciate very differently in another 60 years? Instagram
The $3.67 Million Property Squatter Case.
Adverse possession is one of those areas of property law most buyers never expect to encounter, until a case like this brings it into focus.
In simple terms, it can allow someone to claim ownership of land they have occupied for a long period of time. In NSW, the general limitation period for privately owned land is 12 years.
But that does not mean someone can simply move into an empty house, wait 12 years and claim it. The occupation generally needs to be open, exclusive and continuous, without the owner’s permission, alongside a number of other legal requirements.
A recent case in Glebe has brought the issue back into the spotlight.
A 78-year-old woman, Margaret Colquhoun, and her son were convicted of fraud after making false representations in an attempt to obtain title to a Glebe property through adverse possession. The property was later sold in 2022 for $3.67 million.
The court found that Colquhoun falsely declared the property had been abandoned since 2000, despite evidence that tenants had remained there until 2002. The court also heard that almost $185,000 in rent had been collected between 2004 and 2011.
The repercussions were significant. Colquhoun was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years and four months in prison, with a non-parole period of one year and two months. Her son received an 18-month community corrections order.
The case is a reminder that adverse possession is not a shortcut to property ownership. It is a legal process that depends on the evidence.
For buyers, it also highlights why due diligence is about more than the house itself. It is about understanding the title, ownership history and any unusual claims affecting the land.
These situations are extremely uncommon, but they show why it is important to establish that the person selling the property has the legal right to do so.
A Rare Perspective at One Barangaroo.
Some of the properties we come across never reach the major real estate portals.
They are quietly available, usually through private networks and direct conversations, and can include some of the most significant residences in Sydney.
This month, for example, we know of a residence at Crown Residences, One Barangaroo that will be quietly available with a price expectation above $30 million.
Positioned on Level 55, the four-bedroom residence includes a separate media room and sits at the widest point of the building’s curve.
With 326 sqm of internal space, a further 21 sqm terrace, two car spaces and storage, it has a scale and outlook that is difficult to replicate within the tower, with sweeping views across the harbour from the Harbour Bridge towards the Opera House.
It is an example of the type of property that may never have a traditional public campaign.
For buyers looking at the very top end of the market, access can sometimes be just as important as what is advertised.
Woollahra’s Next Chapter
Woollahra has been one of Sydney’s most established suburbs for decades. But one of the more interesting questions about the latest planning proposal is why is this happening now?
The answer starts with something that has barely changed for generations: Woollahra has seen remarkably little population growth compared with the rest of Sydney.
The NSW Government says Woollahra’s population has actually fallen by 11% over the past 50 years, while Greater Sydney’s population has grown by 74%. Housing approvals in Woollahra have also consistently lagged behind other parts of Sydney.
At the same time, the Government’s own Productivity Commission has identified Woollahra as the most feasible local government area in NSW for new housing.
So why has it remained relatively protected from the development seen elsewhere?
Part of the answer is geography, established neighbourhoods, heritage and planning constraints. But there is another piece of the puzzle: transport.
A Woollahra railway station was proposed and partially constructed in the 1970s, before the project was abandoned. Now, more than 50 years later, the Government is bringing the station back, with construction expected to begin in 2027 and services targeted for 2029.
And this time, the station is being planned alongside housing.
The NSW Government has proposed rezoning 168 hectares around Woollahra and Edgecliff, potentially allowing up to 9,400 new homes, with buildings of up to 32 storeys around Woollahra Station and 34 storeys around Edgecliff Station.
The Government’s argument is straightforward: Sydney has historically pushed a large share of its growth towards Western Sydney, while established areas close to jobs and transport have seen far less change. Woollahra is now being asked to take a greater share.
For buyers and owners, that makes this more than just another planning proposal.
It could mark a genuine change in the character of parts of Woollahra and Edgecliff — after decades in which those areas have changed relatively little.
The proposal is currently on public exhibition until 7 October 2026, so the final outcome is still to be determined.
The interesting question now isn’t whether Woollahra will change.
It’s how much it will change, and what that means for the properties that are already there. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-08/redevelopment-of-woollahra-and-edgecliff/107128526?utm_source=chatgpt.com
