Historic heritage Freemantle home on the market

The numbers 8 8 8 gracing the facade at Fremantle’s former Trades Hall aren’t a mark of the historic building’s address, or even the year of construction.

The digits are a nod to the labour movement’s motto of eight hours work, eight hours rest and eight hours leisure. It’s a symbolic welcome to a heritage home with a big story to tell and plenty of space to work, rest and play.

Few residences capture the spirit of a city quite like 6 Collie St, in Fremantle’s vibrant West End. Since its foundation stone was laid in 1901 by Western Australia’s first Premier, Sir John Forrest, the period property has lived several colourful lives.

Originally the headquarters of the trades and labour movement, the 701 sq m site was sold for $21,000 in 1968, when it became a popular music hall. By the early 1980s, it had been turned into a landmark restaurant known as Zorba the Buddha, operated by the Rajneeshee – aka the controversial Orange People.

Then the block became Club Le Maschere, a high-society Italian restaurant and bar, made famous after the America’s Cup win, when, in December 1986, it even earned a glowing review in the LA Times. Later, the two-storey building served as a convention centre until it was transformed into one of Fremantle’s most iconic private residences in 2009.

The Collie St home last sold in 2022 for $5.5 million, but is now seeking new custodians. Michael Harries and Kat Goddard of Ray White Dethridge Groves have listed it via an expressions of interest campaign, expecting in the “high $7 millions”.

Beyond the marble-floored portico, arched niches still display the workers’ organisations that once filled the hallowed halls. The remainder of the home, however, has been transported into the 21st Century through a sophisticated interior makeover.

At ground level, there is a ballroom-sized multipurpose workspace framed by tall curved windows, intricate pressed tin ceilings, stately bookcases salvaged from the old Battye Library, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. The vast space flows out to a private courtyard with sheltered seating and a sculptural pond.

Across the hallway, the main bedroom features a fireplace and a palatial ensuite with a freestanding tub. The same floor also houses two more bedrooms, a media room, and a laundry room.

Upstairs, via a meticulously restored sweeping jarrah staircase, the primary living level is a grand open-plan lounge and dining zone with cathedral-style ceilings. The contemporary commercial-grade kitchen features a large butler’s pantry and two work islands.

Additionally, there is another bedroom with an ensuite, an internal deck with a plunge pool overlooking Esplanade Park, plus three Juliet balconies.

In total, there are four bedrooms, with the possibility of a fifth, artwork lighting systems, CCTV security and alarm, climate control, electronic blinds, and off-street parking for three cars.

Sitting across the road from the Esplanade Hotel, this rare residence is also within walking distance of Bathers Beach, museums, galleries and sought-after restaurants.

The unique heritage home at 6 Collie St, Freemantle is for sale via an expressions of interest campaign with Harries and Kat Goddard of Ray White Dethridge Groves.

A landmark beachfront home in Balgowlah Heights has sold for $17.5 million, setting a new residential record for the tightly held Northern Beaches suburb.

The six-bedroom residence at 30A Beatty Street changed hands on July 21 through Clarke & Humel Property, eclipsing its own previous benchmark by $5.7 million.

The property last sold for $11.8 million in October 2017, a result reported as a Balgowlah Heights record at the time. Its latest sale represents an increase of more than 48% in almost nine years and places it well ahead of other known sales in the suburb.

It is not the first time the address has reshaped local expectations. The home sold for $3.15 million in 2013 before extensive alterations and additions transformed it into the substantial trophy residence seen today. From that transaction to its latest sale, its recorded value has increased more than fivefold.

Occupying 1,074sqm in an exclusive no-through pocket, the property backs directly onto the golden sand of Forty Baskets Beach. A gate at the bottom of the garden opens to the beach and surrounding foreshore walks, creating the kind of direct harbour access rarely available on the Northern Beaches.

The home’s elevated, cascading design takes full advantage of its position. Walls of glass frame panoramic views across North Harbour, while a succession of indoor and outdoor living spaces follows the slope towards the water.

Arrival is suitably dramatic. The four-car garage—complete with harbour views—is connected to the residence by a lift. From there, a covered walkway leads through tropical gardens to an entrance framed by a koi pond, stone flooring and soaring ceilings.

At the centre of the home is an expansive living and entertaining level. A stone kitchen fitted with Miele appliances steps down towards the view, incorporating an integrated refrigerator and freezer and a built-in breakfast bar positioned to overlook the harbour.

The adjoining formal dining room opens through a bi-fold wall to a landscaped side courtyard. A substantial living room, anchored by a gas fireplace, also connects to the main terrace, creating a continuous relationship between the interior, gardens and water.

An electrically operated roof allows the terrace to be used in different weather conditions, while automated internal blinds and ducted airconditioning add to the home’s extensive technology and comfort features.

Outside, the entertaining areas continue around a swimming pool and spa. A built-in barbecue, steam room and generous terraces give the property the atmosphere of a private resort, with the beach only steps away.

The accommodation has been arranged to suit a large or multigenerational household.

Four bedroom suites occupy an upper level, while the main bedroom commands an entire floor. The private retreat includes sweeping harbour views, a large walk-in wardrobe and a luxurious ensuite.

On the lower level, a billiard room and bar are accompanied by two bedrooms and a bathroom. A separate self-contained studio provides further flexibility for extended family, guests or live-in staff.

The residence also includes a private home office, yoga room and extensive storage—features that allow it to function as both a secluded family home and a large-scale entertaining destination.

Sustainability and energy resilience have also been incorporated through solar panels and a Tesla battery.

Despite its rare waterfront setting, the property remains close to the conveniences of the lower Northern Beaches. Bus services are approximately 450 metres away, while Balgowlah Village, local schools and North Harbour Reserve are within easy reach. Manly is about three kilometres from the home.

The sale underlines the scarcity premium attached to Sydney homes combining substantial land, direct beach access and uninterrupted harbour views.

Balgowlah Heights has a median house value of about $4.23 million, according to PropTrack data displayed on realestate.com.au. At more than four times that figure, the Beatty Street result sits in a different tier from the suburb’s conventional prestige market.

Its price is also $6.65 million above the $10.85 million paid for neighbouring 30 Beatty Street in December 2025.

While conventional luxury features helped support the result, the defining asset is one that cannot be readily replicated: a private rear gate opening directly onto Forty Baskets Beach.

Historic heritage Freemantle home on the market

A landmark Trades Hall reborn as a grand private residence, 6 Collie St blends century-old heritage with bold contemporary luxury in the heart of the West End.