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.
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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.
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Australia’s median advertised rent has climbed to a record high, with every capital city recording quarterly price growth despite a slight lift in vacancy rates.
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Australia’s rental market has reached a new milestone, with national median advertised rents climbing to a record $670 per week in the June quarter as prices continued to rise across every capital city.
New data from realestate.com.au shows national rents increased 3.1 per cent over the quarter and 6.4 per cent over the past year, while capital city rents rose 2.2 per cent over the quarter to a median of $690 per week, up $10 from the March quarter.
REA Group economist Luc Redman said rental price growth had continued despite a small increase in vacancy rates.
“National median rents reached a new high in the June quarter, with widespread price growth across the capitals,” he said.
“The rent increases occurred despite a small increase in the rental vacancy rate over the same period.”
Melbourne and Perth recorded the strongest quarterly growth among the capitals, with rents increasing 3.5 per cent in each city. On an annual basis, Perth led the nation with rental growth of 10.3 per cent, followed by Hobart at 9.1 per cent and Darwin at 7.7 per cent.
Sydney remained Australia’s most expensive city for renters, with a median advertised rent of $800 per week, while Melbourne and Hobart were the most affordable capital cities at $600 per week.
Regional markets were more subdued, with rents holding steady over the quarter but remaining 5.3 per cent higher than a year ago, suggesting the rapid pace of growth outside the capitals has eased.
Mr Redman said the full impact of the Federal Budget’s changes to investor tax settings was yet to be seen.
“The May Federal Budget, which announced sweeping changes to investor tax settings, occurred in the middle of the quarter, so the full impact on the rental market is yet to be seen,” he said.
“While the vacancy rate has edged higher, the expected decrease in investor demand due to the budget’s tax changes could slow the pace of new supply, putting further pressure on rents.”
The report also found house rents continued to outpace units, rising 2.9 per cent across capital cities over the quarter compared with 1.5 per cent for units. Melbourne was the only capital where renting a unit was more expensive than renting a house, reflecting demand for well-located apartments.
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