MARSHALL WHITE DIRECTOR LISTS $9M ESTATE
Prestige property veteran John Bongiorno is selling his sprawling Mornington Peninsula retreat, Musk Ridge Farm, complete with a pool, guest quarters and sweeping coastal views.
2 min
When introducing the 2026 Marshall White Prestige Property Index, the company’s group sales director, John Bongiorno, said he had high hopes for the luxury real estate market.
This positive outlook may have influenced his decision to sell his own home, Musk Ridge Farm. The 8ha Mornington Peninsula property has come to market with a price guide of $9 million to $9.5 million.
“Looking ahead, international influences are likely to remain an important factor shaping Melbourne’s prestige market throughout 2026,” he wrote.
“Australia’s reputation as a stable and desirable place to live will continue to attract strong interest from expatriate buyers returning home, and we are already seeing an increase in enquiries from this group, particularly for properties in Melbourne’s most established school zones and blue-chip suburbs.”
No doubt the company director expects demand to extend into regional Victoria. His
Flinders estate, which has pastoral and bushland views to the waters of Westernport and Phillip Island, last traded in 2017 for $4 million.
Its 2026 price guide is in line with other recent Flinders transactions. In late 2025, 2275 Mornington Flinders Rd sold for about $8.75 million, and 88 King St sold for $12.25 million.
Bongiorno’s landmark peninsula property was designed by architect Stephen Akehurst to create a coast-meets-country lifestyle estate for avid entertainers or weekend guest retreats.
The private seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom residence features manicured English-style gardens, a self-cleaning mosaic-tiled pool and spa, converted stable guest quarters, a separate games room with bar, a barbecue pavilion, and a self-contained manager’s cottage.
With more than four decades of prestige-market experience, Bongiorno says the same guidance he gives clients has shaped his own property decisions: desirable locations and long-term lifestyle appeal will sustain high demand.
“Regardless of market conditions, quality real estate fundamentals remain the most important consideration. For me, that has always been about location, quality of construction and a home’s ability to stand the test of time,” Bongiorno says.
“Homes that consistently perform over the long term are those positioned in tightly-held locations with genuine lifestyle appeal and quality design that will remain relevant for years to come.”
His Hamptons-style homestead features spacious interiors and designer elements, including a large entry foyer, American Oak floors, high ceilings, and multiple French doors opening onto patios and terraces. Modern amenities include hydronic heating, integrated cooling, smart home technology, and CCTV security.
The palatial main living zone is bookended by twin open fireplaces and crowned by a central iron-ring chandelier. A glass conservatory dining area captures the natural backdrop, and a quartz stone kitchen features a big island bench, Bertazzoni appliances, a butler’s pantry, a SubZero fridge/freezer, and two Vintec wine fridges.
Off the kitchen, there is also a mudroom, a powder room, a bathroom, and a commercial-grade laundry.
The ground-floor main bedroom suite includes two walk-through wardrobes, a shower ensuite, a fireplace, and access to the wraparound veranda. Upstairs, there are two additional bedrooms with en-suites and built-in wardrobes, along with a study area.
Outside, beyond the pool terrace and barbecue pavilion, the grounds feature fenced paddocks, a spring-fed dam, an automatic front gate, a machinery shed, a double garage, plus multiple driveway parking bays.
Bordered by the Main Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve and Manton Creek, Musk Ridge Farm is close to Red Hill and Flinders townships, and is surrounded by world-class wineries, golf courses, and the peninsula’s popular beaches.
A Vaucluse masterpiece by MHNDU with interiors by Poco Designs brings architectural ambition and breathtaking ocean outlook to the auction block.
Brickworks has enlisted acclaimed architecture studio Kennedy Nolan to explore how homes could become more adaptable, energy-efficient and connected to community.
Brickworks has enlisted acclaimed architecture studio Kennedy Nolan to explore how homes could become more adaptable, energy-efficient and connected to community.
2 minAustralia’s housing debate is often dominated by affordability and supply, but a new collaboration between Brickworks and acclaimed architecture firm Kennedy Nolan argues the conversation should also focus on the quality and longevity of the homes being built.
The project, titled Our Next Neighbourhood, examines how suburban housing could evolve in response to shrinking block sizes, rising energy costs, increasing density and changing family structures.
Rather than proposing luxury dream homes, the initiative focuses on what its creators describe as achievable suburban housing models that are more flexible, sustainable, and better suited to modern Australian life.
Brickworks commissioned Kennedy Nolan to investigate what suburban housing might look like if “design, long-term liveability and enduring materials were placed at the centre of the conversation”.
The result is two housing concepts, known as the Street Terrace and Canopy Terrace, which explore higher-density living while maintaining access to green space, natural light and privacy.
The designs incorporate adaptable floorplans that can evolve as family needs change, along with passive design principles intended to reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
Brett Ward, General Manager of Marketing at Brickworks, said the company wanted to broaden the discussion around housing beyond simply increasing supply.
“Much of the housing conversation today is understandably focused on supply and affordability, but there is an equally important discussion to be had about the quality and longevity of the homes we build,” he said.
“We wanted to explore how thoughtful design, combined with durable, resilient materials, could create homes that not only function well today, but continue to support Australian families and communities long into the future.”
Kennedy Nolan said the project was partly inspired by concerns that contemporary housing often struggles to adapt to changing household structures and environmental pressures.
The architects said innovation in suburban housing was “essential” to address changing family groupings, energy use, urban heat island effects and growing disconnection from place.
According to the design team, the concepts draw on lessons from some of Australia’s most influential housing projects while seeking to create neighbourhoods with stronger links to landscape, community and local identity.
Rachel Nolan, founder of Kennedy Nolan, said the practice saw an opportunity to reimagine suburban housing as something “more connected to our climate, our landscape, our communities and our Australian identity”.
The project comes as policymakers, developers and planners continue searching for ways to deliver more housing without sacrificing liveability, neighbourhood character or long-term sustainability.
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