TOTNES, A BRIGHTON ICON SINCE 1890, RETURNS TO THE MARKET
Brighton icon Totnes hits the market with history, luxury and a $9.25m price tag.
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There’s nothing middle of the road about Middle Crescent in Melbourne’s coveted bayside suburb of Brighton.
The celebrated semi-circular street is not only known for its Victorian-era architecture, but it has also been home to a long list of remarkable residents.
Number 32 was famously owned (not once, but twice) by the late, great test cricketer Shane Warne, while 43 Middle Crescent featured in the final season of The Bachelor Australia. Brighton’s “White House” at number 31 is also another architectural icon.
Right across the road, at number 36, Totnes has come to market with $9.25 million to $9.75 million price expectations through Kay & Burton Bayside agents Alex Schiavo, James Driver and Shantelle Francis.
The four-bedroom parkside residence last sold in December 2013 for $3.752 million.
Completed around 1890 for local dentist John Davy, the elegant period property is situated on a vast 1,169 sq m block surrounded by a mix of ultra-modern mansions and heritage dream homes.
For more than 130 years, Totnes’ storybook facade has remained largely unchanged, making it one of the neighbourhood’s most iconic homes.
Beyond its fairytale frontage, complete with wrought-iron fences and ornate lacework, Totnes features a traditional tessellated-tile veranda and manicured gardens.
Behind the commanding front door with stained glass detailing, an elaborate entry hall awaits, featuring stately archways, herringbone parquetry, and high patterned ceilings that set a great first impression for the rest of the house.
Centred on the spacious footprint, there is an illuminated open-plan family room with a conservatory-style glass ceiling and a kitchen featuring Miele appliances, a huge island bench, and a wine room. The icing on the architectural cake is the combined butler’s pantry and laundry with a secret wrought-iron spiral staircase leading up to the “tower” office and roof top terrace showcasing city and bay views.
Spoiled for choice, homeowners have two separate living rooms with fireplaces, as well as a louvred alfresco dining area and an integrated barbecue for poolside entertaining all year round.
In the palatial main bedroom suite, there is a long walk-in wardrobe and a deluxe ensuite, while two more bedrooms share another ensuite, and a third family-friendly bathroom has a tub.
Additional highlights at Totnes include intricate stained-glass and sash windows throughout, garden irrigation, a security system, and a two-car garage.
Facing Wilson Reserve from its corner block, Totnes is close to Brighton and Firbank Grammar Schools, Bay and Church St eateries, local shopping, swimming beaches, and the foreshore’s Yacht Club.
Totnes at 36 Middle Crescent, Brighton is listed with Kay & Burton Bayside with a price guide of $9.25 million to $9.75 million.
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Office rents in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are climbing at their fastest pace since the pandemic as tenants compete for premium CBD space amid tightening supply.
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Australia’s major CBD office markets are recording some of their strongest rental growth since the pandemic, with businesses increasingly prioritising premium office space despite elevated geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Knight Frank’s Australian Office Indicators Q1 2026 report found net effective rents in Sydney and Melbourne CBDs rose at their fastest annual pace since COVID-19, increasing 10.2 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively over the 12 months to March.
Brisbane posted the strongest growth nationally, with net effective rents climbing 11.7 per cent over the same period.
The report points to a widening divide between prime CBD office towers and secondary office stock, as occupiers increasingly focus on quality, location and workplace amenity when making leasing decisions.
Knight Frank Senior Economist, Research & Consulting Alistair Read said demand remained heavily concentrated in premium assets within core CBD precincts, helping drive stronger rental growth in top-tier buildings.
“Occupier demand continues to be heavily concentrated in the most desirable CBD precincts and the highest-quality buildings, accelerating a sharp divergence between core and non-core markets,” Mr Read said.
According to the report, Sydney’s Core precinct and Melbourne’s Eastern Core significantly outperformed broader CBD markets over the past year.
“In Sydney’s Core precinct and Melbourne’s Eastern Core, net effective rents surged 14.3% and 16.1% over the past year, significantly outperforming the rest-of-CBD precincts,” Mr Read said.
The rental gap between prime and non-prime office locations has also continued to widen sharply.
“As a result, core CBD rents are now 54% higher than non-core locations in Sydney and 93% higher in Melbourne, highlighting the growing premium placed on amenity, accessibility and workplace quality,” he said.
Knight Frank said the strong rental growth across the major CBDs was being underpinned by a limited supply pipeline, with few new office developments expected to be delivered in the near term.
Mr Read said subdued construction activity was likely to support ongoing rental growth and tighter vacancy rates over the medium term, particularly for premium office towers.
“The combination of sustained demand and declining levels of new development will aid ongoing prime rental growth and lower vacancy rates over the medium term, particularly for best-in-class assets,” he said.
The report noted that current economic conditions were making new office developments increasingly difficult to justify financially.
“Economic rents remain well above expected market rents, making the construction of new office towers largely unviable, and concentrating tenant demand into existing buildings,” Mr Read said.
While suburban office markets generally remained subdued compared with CBDs, Melbourne’s Southbank precinct was identified as a relative outperformer, recording annual net effective rental growth of 2.7 per cent.
The report comes as broader Asia-Pacific office markets continue to stabilise following several years of disruption linked to hybrid work trends, inflation and rising interest rates.
Knight Frank’s separate Asia-Pacific Q1 2026 Office Highlights report found Sydney and Brisbane were among the strongest-performing office rental markets in the region, behind only Bengaluru and Tokyo for annual prime net face rental growth.
The Asia-Pacific report also found 18 of the 24 cities monitored across the region recorded stable or increasing rents in the first quarter of 2026, even as geopolitical uncertainty intensified following escalating conflict in the Middle East.
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