Wentworth Capital Lists Homes Among Sydney’s First

Sydney-based real estate investment firm Wentworth Capital has brought the first of its heritage properties in The Rocks to market. Set within one of Sydney’s oldest laneways, Long’s Lane Heritage Terraces comprises 17 residences and a commercial property, some dating to circa 1806. These are among the city’s original buildings with 14 of the 18 properties listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. Long’s Lane features some of Australia’s earliest European architecture, showcasing architectural styles from the early Victorian and Edwardian periods. It includes Jobbins Terrace, designed by Oswald Hoddle Lewis, the first Australian-born practicing architect in NSW. Wentworth Capital is undertaking a staged renovation, updating the homes for modern living while preserving their distinctive heritage character. The project aims to restore Long’s Lane to its original role as a vibrant residential community. ▲ Long’s Lane Heritage Terraces comprises 17 homes. Wentworth Capital executive director Paul Apostoles said each home would be on its own Torrens title, a rarity in the heart of the NSW capital. “We’re restoring the properties as individual homes again by elevating them to modern standards,” he said. “The heritage features of each home are being meticulously preserved, recognising their importance as some of the earliest and most well-preserved examples of European architecture from Sydney’s settlement period.” For buyers, it’s a “chance to own a front-row seat to Sydney’s history”, project architect Tim Greer, of TZG, said. “These are some of the original houses in Sydney, they’ve had a ringside seat to the evolution of the city,” Greer said. ▲ Each restored home will be on its own Torrens title. That these terraces still stand at all is remarkable. In the 1960s, The Rocks was on the brink of total demolition, with plans to replace it with commercial high-rises. Only fierce community protests and green bans saved Long’s Lane from being wiped off the map. “When you look at what was supposed to happen with The Rocks ... demolish everything, that was going to be the aesthetic,” Greer said. “Then through fate, luck and green bans and things like that, they’ve survived. It’s pretty special from that point of view.” ▲ The homes were built with solid sandstone foundations, brickwork and hand-cut timber mouldings. Beyond their history, Greer said Long’s Lane terraces have a level of craftsmanship and quality almost impossible to replicate today. These homes were built with sandstone foundations, brickwork and hand-cut timber mouldings, making them structurally superior to many contemporary builds. “For their age, they’re in amazing condition,” Greer said. “They were built well in the first place and founded on rock … then they’ve been lovingly restored in the 1990s and [again now]. “Because they’re made of real traditional materials, they’ll effectively lasts forever.” Mr Greer said modern upgrades were carefully integrated without disrupting the buildings’ historical integrity. “We approach it in layers—keeping the historical fabric dominant while introducing a contemporary layer for modern services,” he said. “These buildings always had natural pathways, like chimneys, which are excellent for discreetly integrating modern amenities.” But history and clever upgrades alone don’t sell homes. ▲ The Rocks was slated for demolition in the 1960s. With a price range from $1.4 million to $9 million, Long’s Lane competes directly with Sydney’s high-end apartment market, including Barangaroo and the CBD. McGrath Millers Point’s Richard Shalhoub said these terraces offered something different—a house on the harbour, rather than an apartment in a high-rise. “These are Torrens-title terrace homes, which give buyers a very different option to the typical high-rise apartment with strata levies,” Shalhoub, who is leading the sales campaign, said. The properties range from one-bedroom loft-style terraces to five-bedroom family homes. Mr Shalhoub said early demand had been strong from owner-occupiers and investors, particularly given the scarcity of heritage properties in Sydney’s CBD. For investors, exclusivity is key. ▲ Carahers Lane circa 1900. “We sell in surrounding areas like Millers Point and Circular Quay, but these offer a true Rocks address,” Shalhoub said. “They’re the only Torrens-title terraces of their kind in this location, and I expect to see strong growth based on their scarcity.” The stage one release includes a grand five-bedroom terrace at 136-138 Cumberland Street, originally built as a butcher’s shop in 1881, a four-bedroom home at 130 Cumberland Street, dating to 1888, and two one-bedroom studio cottages at 13 and 15 Carahers Lane, built as part of a heritage redevelopment project in 1996.

Wentworth Capital Lists Homes Among Sydney’s First

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