Moonee Ponds 1930s home smashes price hopes
The property at 4 Blair St had $2.65m-$2.85m price hopes but soared to $3.105m under the hammer, as fierce competition erupted between two families over the five-bedroom home.
Built in the 1930s, the clinker brick residence combines original character features with updated family luxuries, including multiple living areas, a teen retreat, dual driveways and manicured gardens.
McDonald Upton Essendon auctioneer Milo Rasinac said the home was always going to draw big interest, but the auction confirmed it.
'There wasn't a comparable property in that tightly held Moonee Ponds pocket,' Mr Rasinac said.
'This one was different, and that's exactly why we took it to auction.
'Just doing a set price (guide) just wouldn't have done it justice.'
Mr Rasinac said the buyers, two families, pushed well beyond their budgets in pursuit of the rare offering.
'They absolutely fell in love with it and went hard,' he said.
Key features included a solar-heated saltwater pool, fully self-contained outdoor pavilion with kitchen and bathroom, and off-street parking for four cars, all behind secure electric gates.
Inside, the main home features stone flooring, top-end appliances, leadlight windows, and four skylights in the upper retreat.
A terrazzo porch and decorative ceilings nod to its 1930s origins, while the modern layout suited growing or extended families.
The McDonald Upton Essendon auctioneer said the home didn't need to be a new build or an architecturally redesigned showpiece to get the price that it did.
'It wasn't a new build or an architecturally redesigned showpiece, but it didn't need to be,' Mr Rasinac said.
'It was immaculately kept, move-in ready and full of character. That's incredibly rare on a block this size in Moonee Ponds.'
The agent praised the seller for her attention to detail in preparing the home for sale.
'Full credit to seller, she absolutely nailed it,' he said.
'She took it to another level, and that effort translated directly into the result.'
Mr Rasinac said while the home's design and versatility impressed, its location was the ultimate clincher.
'The layout, the lifestyle appeal, all big drawcards. But the location? That's what gave it the wow factor,' he said.
'This was triple-A, no question.'
Set near the Maribyrnong River, Queens Park and major schools including PEGS and St Columba's College, the home also offers easy access to Puckle St shops, cafes and trams.
Mr Rasinac said activity had already spiked since the new financial year began.
'In just the past week, inquiry has jumped 30 to 35 per cent,' he said.
'The market is gearing up to surge. My advice to buyers? Don't wait, or risk chasing it once it's taken off.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
42 minutes ago
- ABC News
Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion halted after community legal challenge
A Hunter Valley community group has won a legal challenge to bring one of the largest coal mine expansions in New South Wales to a halt. In 2022 the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved MACH Energy's application to extend the life of its Mount Pleasant coal mine to 2048 and increase its output. The Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group (DAMSHEG) appealed the approval in the Supreme Court, arguing that the impacts of the project on the environment and climate were not properly considered by the IPC. The NSW Court of Appeal sided with the group on Thursday morning. DAMSHEG president Wendy Wales said it was a "landmark case". "We're just over the moon," she said. The group had requested a judicial review of the approval but that was denied by the Land and Environment Court. The Court of Appeal ruling has rendered the IPC's approval invalid. It will be subject to a review in the Land and Environment Court. The proposed expansion would allow the company to mine an additional 247 million tonnes of coal by 2048. In court DAMSHEG argued that the impact of scope 3 emissions — those created from the burning of exported coal — was not adequately considered. Justice JulieWard ruled there was "nothing" in the IPC's reasoning that showed it had accepted the scope 3 emissions would contribute to global climate change. "Thus, I consider that it has been established that the commission failed to consider a mandatory consideration in this regard," she said. Ms Wales said she wanted the region to move away from reliance on fossil fuels. "We would like to see that Mount Pleasant doesn't go through till 2048, doubling its rate of production," she said. The judge ordered MACH Energy to pay the costs incurred by DAMSHEG for the appeal. The ABC has contacted MACH Energy for comment. The case will now proceed to the Land and Environment Court for a decision on whether the expansion approval should be reversed. The mine employs more than 400 people in the Upper Hunter region and was previously approved to mine until the end of 2026. Ms Wales says bringing new jobs to the Muswellbrook region needs to be the priority. "We need to be working at how we do that and it takes all the collective brains to work towards that," she said. "[Muswellbrook Shire] Council has been calling for much more investment in and attention to how we're going to look after the workers and the rehab of our area."
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
$385m in funding approved to restore access to the Wolgan Valley near the Blue Mountains
The federal and New South Wales governments have approved up to $385 million in funding to restore access into a rural community near the Blue Mountains that has been severely limited for three years. The sole 130-year-old road into the Wolgan Valley was closed in November 2022 after record rainfall triggered multiple landslides. Lithgow City Council made the closure permanent in January 2023, following an engineering firm's assessment of the road's risk. A steep, four-wheel drive track known as the Donkey Steps was established later that month and has been the only access point for residents and visitors since. Wolgan Valley Association (WVA) president Andrew Chalk said the community felt a "huge sense of relief" when the funding approval was announced by the council on Tuesday. "Three years of uncertainty has now been answered with the confidence that we will get some proper means of driving in and out of the valley," he said. Lithgow Mayor Cassandra Coleman said the council was considering multiple options to restore access to the valley, including the construction a new road. Mr Chalk said the prospect of a lengthy wait for a new road was a matter of concern. "On council's time-frame, they're talking about seven years," he said. The Donkey Steps route is unsuitable for heavy vehicles and two-wheel drives, which is less than ideal for the many farmers in the region. "People need to get stock in and out, feed, materials and heavy equipment," Mr Chalk said. "It's just not possible to operate over that extended period." The valley is also a popular tourism destination and several accommodation businesses have suffered due to the closure of Wolgan Road. A luxury resort owned by Emirates has been mothballed since June 2023 and dozens of staff have lost work. Mr Chalk said there were some families in the valley prepared to wait for a new road but most residents wanted the council to fix the existing one. He said he and other community members had sought independent advice from engineering experts who believed the existing road could be fixed in a timely manner. "They [council] have turned what we think is a manageable problem into a giant one," Mr Chalk said. Engineering firm WSP Golder estimated it would cost more than $60m to repair the damaged 2.7-kilometre stretch of road to a level of "marginally acceptable" risk. It recommended Lithgow City Council consider an alternative access route that could provide a more "resilient," "cost effective" and "future-proofed" solution for the valley. The council commissioned investigations into other options and applied for $326m worth of disaster recovery funding last year from the state and federal governments to cover the project. The upper limit approved for the project grew by almost $60 million. Cr Coleman said the council would work with the WVA to deliver a road that worked for the community. "We will take on any feedback they have and we will funnel it through both to Transport for NSW and other agencies that are helping us to deliver this project," she said. The council has commissioned another engineering firm, GHD, to conduct a second risk assessment of Wolgan Road to determine whether it could be temporarily or permanently reopened. In the meantime the council will progress two other new road options through the planning process. "We will be exploring multiple options in regards to what the outcome will be," Cr Coleman said. "The residents down there need certainty, they need access, and we've worked with them and in partnership with [governments] to ensure that this occurs." Transport for NSW said it was committed to restoring access to the valley and would support the Lithgow City Council through technical investigations and project development. "Design and development activities to restore access, which includes confirmation of a preferred alignment, will continue," a spokesperson said in a statement. The council must meet stringent program requirements regarding time and cost-effectiveness throughout the delivery of the project to remain eligible for the funding.
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 24 July 2025
Australia has made a major concession to the United States as it bids for tariff exemptions, lifting a ban on US beef. Until now, the ban had applied to beef from cattle who came from third countries, or whose origins whose origins could not be determined. Australian Agricultural Minister Julie Collins says this move is not a compromise in safety and bio-security laws will be upheld. "Our biosecurity risk assessment process is very robust and I have faith in the officials in my department to do this appropriately. These are experts in the field. Australia's biosecurity system is world-renowned for a reason." Two and a half million Australians could be affected by a new bill aimed at protecting penalties for casual workers. Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth is introducing laws to parliament to ensure workers who are required to perform weekend and overtime shifts, are paid around $40 an hour. That rate has been calculated by Fair Work Australia, based on the required time-and-a-half penalty on Saturdays and double-time on Sundays. There will be exceptions based on individual agreements made with workplaces. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the move is part of a push to help low-income households. "You know, we want people to earn more and then we want them to keep more of that. So the tax cuts that are coming in will particularly benefit people who are on low and medium incomes." The United States has approved almost half a billion dollars in arms sales, to bolster Ukraine's air defences and combat vehicles. Ukraine and Russian representatives met in Istanbul today in the third round of peace talks that have resulted in a prisoner swap and the repatriation of thousands of soldiers bodies. US President Donald Trump has set a deadline on Russia to negotiate a ceasefire and eventual peace deal, more than three years after it invaded Ukraine. The US is threatening significant sanctions if Vladimir Putin does not make efforts to negotiate. As Ukraine calls on Mr Putin to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia's delegate for the talks, Vladimir Medinsky, says that won't happen without an existing agreement. ' In order for such a meeting to take place, it is necessary to work out the terms of the agreement in advance, to understand what to discuss at this meeting, and in fact, at this meeting it is necessary not to discuss the agreement, but to put a period, to sign.' Melbourne defender Steven May has been banned from playing in three upcoming matches, in an AFL Tribunal decision overnight. May was found guilty of a charge of rough conduct, graded as careless, severe impact and high contact. Carlton forward Evans had a broken nose and chipped tooth after the impact.
