Billbergia’s John Kinsella: Whiskey, Fun and a Fear of Heights

“I’m scared of heights,” John Kinsella says. “I never go to the top.” An odd confession from the man behind many of the country’s tallest towers—including Brisbane’s 90-storey, 270m Skytower , topped by the southern hemisphere’s highest rooftop infinity pool. He’s sealed deals with little more than charm—and two bottles of Jameson Irish whiskey. He builds city precincts but happily drove a 15-year-old Subaru Liberty, “Charlie”, until it was recently stolen from a carpark. The insurance put Charlie’s worth at $500. “Can’t argue with that,” he says, conceding it was a sign to let her go. And though development has made him wealthy, he’s more interested in giving back than showing off. The Irish-born former farmhand arrived in Australia on an agricultural scholarship and “was only milking cows … not really learning anything other than how to milk the cows quickly”. But he was forced home in the late 1970s—the first but not the last time he was marked ‘return to sender ’ by officials. “I was working on farms in Condobolin, West Wyalong ... [but] I overstayed my visa a little bit so they kicked me out,” he says. Returning Down Under in the summer of ’ 81, he took on the dirty work—laying sewer pipes, building pits and working on road tunnels and power stations in the country’s forgotten corners. ▲ John Kinsella and brother Bill, left , in their early civil construction days. Until, that is, visa troubles found him again and he was once more ordered home to the Emerald Isle. But Kinsella is a tough man to deter. By 1988 he was back in Australia and, with brother Bill, had bought a shelf company—Billbergia, which started taking on civil jobs and small subdivisions, for cash in hand. “Things were very, very different.” He gave the name little thought, until a council manager mentioned it was a native Australian plant with purple flowers. “His mum was growing them in the backyard,” Kinsella says. “That was the first time I found out what Billbergia actually was.” Since then, tower by tower, deal by deal, the company has grown into one of the country’s most prolific private developers. And the proof is written across the skyline. In Sydney alone, Billbergia has reshaped entire suburbs. There’s the $2.5-billion Rhodes Central precinct , with five towers—including the suburb’s tallest, the 48-storey Peake Tower—and more than 3500 new homes. Over more than 15 years, Billbergia has been involved in transforming a former industrial pocket at Wentworth Point into a thriving waterfront community, featuring the 330m Bennelong Bridge—a privately funded link connecting buses, cyclists, and pedestrians to Rhodes. Then there’s 88 Walker Street in North Sydney —a 50-storey, 180m mixed-use tower, the tallest approved in the area. The team took a structural gamble, designing a cantilever jutting about 10m over the heritage-listed Firehouse Hotel. The result—a 252-room Citadines hotel managed by The Ascott Limited and 24 levels of premium office space—won two international awards from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. And at Macquarie Park, Billbergia and Legacy Property have just received approval for a new development at 88 Waterloo Road. ▲ AJC Architects rendering of 88 Waterloo at Macquarie Park. The 255-apartment project will rise across two towers and feature retail, a public plaza and a mix of homes designed for multigenerational living. It ’ s also recently entered the Sydney CBD. In partnership with Metrics Credit Partners, the joint venture Central Sydney Property is planning twin 80-storey mixed-use towers on a 6000sqm site spanning Castlereagh, Pitt and Liverpool streets. “It’s a clear definition,” Kinsella says of the partnership. “We do the development and the construction… and [Metrics] provide money. And both are equally important.” The $3-billion scheme would deliver 600 luxury apartments, a 158-room hotel, retail, and public spaces—and become the tallest towers in the city. It’s not unusual for Billbergia to bring others to the table. Kinsella speaks fondly of partnership projects, including with AMP Capital, but admits not all are smooth. One deal with a Chinese investor group took a tactful approach. “Lucky enough, we haven ’ t had any [bad partnerships] but the Chinese ones, it took a little while,” he says. In the end, “All got sorted out at nine o’clock Monday morning with two bottles of whiskey”. “Then everyone agreed and shook hands. The deal done there.” His approach is pragmatic. “You work out what you want, what they want and find a way that works for both. “We’ve never ended up in court. Everyone made a bit of money. Everyone was happy.” ▲ In 2018 Kinsella was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. He is pictured with Governor-General David Hurley at his investiture. And while Kinsella’s focus has always been on building up— “We’ve got to stop being afraid of height,” he says , “because it’s the only way to solve Sydney’s housing crisis”—his mindset remains firmly down to earth. “There’s needs and there’s wants,” he says. “Our needs can be very little. Some people, their wants are much bigger. “But you can only sleep in one bed at a time. You can only drive one car.” He believes in keeping things simple, staying grounded, and never taking work too seriously. “Every day must be a fun day,” he says. “You’ve got to enjoy your work and make people want to come back … otherwise it’s pretty hard for the crane driver to work from home.” ▲ Rhodes Central by Billbergia: a riverside precinct that is home to more than 3500 homes. That philosophy now extends beyond the skyline to social and community value. In Rhodes, a 9100sq m community recreation and childcare centre is under construction and due to open in late 2025. Delivered to Canada Bay Council, it will complete Stage 2 of the broader $3-billion Rhodes Central masterplan . Also in Rhodes, but part of a separate precinct, the Rhodes Bay development will include 342 waterfront apartments—58 of them dedicated to affordable housing. Further west, Arncliffe Central will bring 804 apartments across four buildings, with 75 per cent proposed as social and affordable housing. And in Chatswood, the $700-million Grand Residences project will deliver 332 apartments in two towers—71 reserved for affordable homes. “I’ve always said, if you’re going to build a shopping centre, you better make sure people can afford to live nearby to shop in it,” he says. He brings the same ethos to his philanthropic work. More than 20 years ago, he co-founded the Hope for Cambodian Children Foundation to support kids orphaned by HIV. ▲ Kinsella continues his philanthropic work assisting the underprivileged in Cambodia. It began with housing, then expanded to education and healthcare. Today, some of those children are doctors, bankers and accountants. Hundreds more are simply living lives once out of reach. “We had a party there last year with about 500 kids who’d been through the system,” he says. In recognition of his efforts, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2018. In the Philippines, he backs education programs for homeless children and at-risk youth. “We sponsor all the kids, street kids, abused kids, whoever needs help,” he says. “Just giving yourself something good to do—that’s probably where you get the greatest joy.” For all the towers and titles, he sees his true legacy in people. “It’s a family company,” he says. “I’ve got my son involved. My brother’s still involved. Some of the staff have been here for 25, 30 years. “It’s a lot of people who’ve helped to make this happen.” Because for Kinsella, success has never just been about what gets built—but what gets shared. “The greatest gift in life is the smile,” he says. “To give someone a hand up, that’s the best way to spend your money if you make some money.” John Kinsella shared his story in a candid fireside chat with The Urban Developer founder Adam Di Marco at the recent Greater Sydney Residential Summit.

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Vanessa Croll
Sun 15 Jun 25

Billbergia’s John Kinsella: Whiskey, Fun and a Fear of Heights

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