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Bellevue Hill Students Put Down Roots in Local Canopy Effort

Three new trees at Bellevue Hill Public School have become part of a much wider local planting effort, with students recognised for helping grow Woollahra’s tree canopy.

The school’s Green Team received a Tree Champion certificate on 24 August after taking part in a tree-planting initiative led by Year One teacher and sustainability steward Jack McElroy.

Students also helped plant and name three trees with Woollahra Council’s Urban Forest Strategy team — Millie the lemon myrtle, Richard the lilly pilly and Jeremiah the cheese tree.

The additions may be small in number, but they form part of a much larger planting target. The three trees will count towards Woollahra’s goal of establishing 5,000 new trees on private land by 2050.

Bellevue Hill Public School — Photo Credit: WoollahraCouncil/Facebook

Bellevue Hill Students Join a Wider Local Effort

Schools are expected to play a role in that target because there is not enough available public land to accommodate all the trees needed to reach Woollahra’s canopy goal.

Residents and businesses are also being encouraged to plant trees at homes and workplaces, extending the effort beyond streets, parks and other public spaces.

The wider Urban Forest Strategy was adopted in November 2023 and aims to lift local tree canopy cover from 27.4 per cent to 30 per cent by 2050.

That target follows a decline in canopy across the municipality. Since 2010, Woollahra has lost an area of tree cover slightly larger than Edgecliff, while projections indicate coverage could fall to 23.8 per cent by 2050 without further action.

Trees are valued within the strategy for the shade and cooling they provide, along with their role in improving air quality, supporting wildlife habitat and helping manage stormwater.

Bellevue Hill students — Photo Credit: WoollahraCouncil/Facebook

More Schools Could Take Part

Bellevue Hill Public School may not be the only school encouraged to add more trees.

Woollahra Council is considering a one-for-one tree program that would match each tree independently funded and planted by a school with another tree supplied and planted on the school grounds by Council.

If introduced, the program would give other schools another way to contribute to the same canopy target now being supported by the three new trees at Bellevue Hill Public School.

Published 2-September-2026

Bellevue Hill Estate Sells for $17 Million After More Than 50 Years

Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

A Bellevue Hill estate dating to 1925, with a second-storey addition designed by Professor Leslie Wilkinson in 1939, has sold for $17 million after more than 50 years with one family.

More Than 50 Years With One Family

The heritage-listed property occupies about 1,346 square metres of north-facing land and was previously owned by doctor Robert Talbot. The residence has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and parking for two cars.

The latest sale ends a period of more than 50 years in one family’s ownership. The house was built in 1925 and substantially altered in 1939, when a second storey designed by architect and professor Leslie Wilkinson was added.

The grounds include lawns, a fountain, a sheltered courtyard and a terraced lower garden. Harbour views extend across Rose Bay towards Mosman and Manly from the upper-level bedrooms and ground-floor living areas.

property sales — Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

1939 Addition Shapes Bellevue Hill Estate

The home is Inter-war Mediterranean in style, with a balanced front elevation and central loggia among its exterior features. Four bedrooms are upstairs, including the main bedroom with built-in storage and a dressing room, while a fifth bedroom with an ensuite is on the ground floor.

The remaining upper-level bedrooms also have built-in wardrobes. Downstairs, the internal layout includes formal living and dining rooms, a family room, study, kitchen, casual dining area, powder room and laundry.

heritage homes — Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

The casual dining area opens to the garden courtyard, while the kitchen overlooks the same sheltered outdoor space. Separate pedestrian and rear vehicle access serve the property, with a tandem two-car garage at the rear.

The home is also close to schools, Plumer Road village and the harbour.

Sydney property — Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

New Owners Plan Minor Work

Nicole O’Neil and her husband, hedge fund manager Adam O’Neil, bought the property. Nicole O’Neil appeared in all three seasons of The Real Housewives of Sydney and was crowned Miss Australia in 2002.

The purchase follows the couple’s sale of their Vaucluse residence for $23.35 million in July. Di Wilkenfeld and Michael Pallier of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty handled the Bellevue Hill sale.

For now, the O’Neils plan only minor changes to the house, including new carpets and fresh paint.

Published 31-August-2026

Bellevue Hill Vet Launches Weekly Puppy Parties for Safe Socialisation

Photo Credit: Southern Cross Vet Clinic/ Facebook

Puppies in Bellevue Hill are mastering vital social skills long before their final vaccination jabs through an inventive community initiative hosted by Southern Cross Vet Eastern Suburbs.

Controlling the Environment

While traditional dog parks pose health risks for unimmunised animals, controlled indoor clinics provide a safe sanctuary for early development. Vets tap into an infant dog’s high brain neuroplasticity by introducing gentle auditory stimuli, diverse human voices, and varied surface textures. These controlled exposures teach bite inhibition and manners among peers without risking exposure to outdoor pathogens.

Redefining Clinical Anxiety

Familiarising a developing animal with a medical setting through play changes how adult dogs react to healthcare. Clinics filled with treats and positive reinforcement replace traditional trembling reactions with eager tail wags during future check-ups.

Community Support for Owners

New pet guardians often navigate overwhelming decisions regarding parasite prevention, toilet training, and desexing schedules. Qualified nursing staff are stationed on-site during weekly gatherings to provide professional guidance, while local pet owners connect over neighbourhood training tips and resources.

Event Logistics

Southern Cross Vet hosts these sessions every Wednesday evening from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Participation is strictly restricted to healthy puppies under 16 weeks of age.

Published Date 31-August-2026

Bellevue Hill Apartment Changes Hands For $4.175m After First Sale Since 2014

Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

A Bellevue Hill apartment formerly owned by late fashion and television figure Maggie Tabberer has changed hands for $4.175 million in its first sale since the residence was completed in 2014.

The three-bedroom home at 9/45–49 Bellevue Road forms part of Bellair, a boutique complex of 12 residences positioned about 100 metres from Bellevue Hill village.

Tabberer bought the apartment for $2.05 million when the development was completed in 2014. The recent transaction therefore marks the first time the property has been sold since then.

Bellevue Hill Apartment Offers 160sqm Layout

The Level 2 residence contains 160sqm of internal apartment space, along with 28sqm of parking and 6sqm of basement storage.

Its north-facing layout includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study, living and dining areas and a covered balcony. Two secure car spaces and two walk-in storage areas are also included.

The main bedroom has built-in wardrobes and an ensuite with a bath, separate shower and twin-basin vanity. The remaining two bedrooms also have built-in storage.

Living area inside the Bellevue Hill apartment — Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

An island kitchen sits beside the dining area, which has space for 10 people, while a separate study includes a built-in desk and shelving. Other features include a concealed laundry, ducted zoned air conditioning, video intercom and level lift access between the apartment, parking and storage areas.

The building provides level entry from the street, with shops, cafes and food stores in Bellevue Hill village nearby.

Sale Settles At $4.175 Million

The apartment sold in February on extended settlement terms through Michael Pallier of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty before settling at $4.175 million.

It had earlier been withdrawn from a planned November 2025 auction.

The buyers are the Mitchell family from Yarraman Park Stud at Scone, with the property set to be used as a rental. A neighbouring three-bedroom apartment had previously been offered for $1,885 a week.

Island kitchen and adjoining dining space — Photo Credit: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

A Home Held From Bellair’s Completion

Bellair was designed by Xpace, built by Jarvis Builders and developed by Eumax.

Tabberer acquired the apartment after selling her Sydney Road home in Randwick for $2.41 million.

Born in Adelaide, she moved to Sydney via Melbourne for her modelling career in 1960 and later became known for her work across Australian fashion and television. She died in December 2024.

The $4.175 million settlement brings the Bellevue Road residence into new ownership after remaining with Tabberer from the development’s completion in 2014.

Published 31-August-2026

What to Expect when Thornton Reserve Playground Reopens

Photo Credit: Your Say Woollahra

If you usually take the kids to Thornton Reserve in Bellevue Hill, you will need to find a new weekend park spot for a few months while local planners completely revamp the grounds.

Months of local consultations turned blue-collar blueprints into a bespoke neighbourhood hub. Why did the initial drafts get scrapped in favour of something better? Parents spoke up, demanding three traditional swings instead of a solitary round alternative.

Planners listened, ensuring every original shade sail remained fully intact overhead while shifting picnic tables to sunnier spots for weekend celebrations.

A towering three-metre slide now anchors the embankment, daring older children to test their bravery on the steep drop. Elsewhere, timber hopping logs, a dry creek bed lined with native flora, and sandstone balancing rails invite unstructured outdoor exploration.

Grown-ups are not forgotten either, thanks to an upper-body fitness station tucked near wide-open grassy stretches designed for impromptu football matches.

Construction crews officially locked the gates to begin the heavy lifting on August 3, 2026, sending local kids on a brief hunt for alternative weekend energy burners. Lyne Park, Bellevue Park, and Cooper Park are stepping up as temporary substitutes while the heavy machinery does its work. Could the upgraded reserve possibly meet its ambitious timeline? If the weather holds firm, eager runners and climbers will flood back through the newly accessible entrance when the park reopens in December 2026.

Published Date 24-August-2026

Bellevue Hill Mansion with Wellness Level Hits Market at $37 Million

A striking Bellevue Hill mansion featuring a dedicated wellness level — complete with sauna, ice bath, pool and spa — has come to market with a price guide of $37 million, making it one of the suburb’s most closely watched listings of the year.

The four-level, five-bedroom, six-bathroom home is the work of local couple Garrett and Stephanie Jandegian, who purchased the original Federation-era dwelling on the site for $15.1 million in 2023 and subsequently undertook a comprehensive rebuild. If the property achieves its asking price, the Jandegians stand to more than double their initial outlay in just three years.

The project brought together an accomplished team of collaborators: Sandlik Constructions led the build, with design by Weir Phillips Architects, interiors by Briony Fitzgerald Design, and landscaping by Wyer & Co. The result is a residence that reflects the couple’s guiding vision — timeless architecture, natural materials and considered detail, without sacrificing warmth or liveability.

The wellness level is arguably the home’s most distinctive feature, conceived to feel more like a private health club than a residential amenity, incorporating a fitness studio alongside the sauna, ice bath, pool and spa.

Stephanie Jandegian — who serves on the Starlight Children’s Foundation NSW state advisory board and appeared on Channel Ten’s So You Think You Can Dance — said the decision to take the property to market was made partway through the nearly two-and-a-half-year construction process. Despite that shift in plans, she has been clear that no corners were cut; the project remained a genuine labour of love from start to finish.

Her husband Garrett co-founded alkaline water label Aqualove Water back in 2017, later selling his stake in the business. He subsequently founded Pharma Soul, a supplier of PPE and rapid antigen tests, and more recently Vitaa, a company focused on the distribution and development of Australian wellness products.

The couple are already well established in Bellevue Hill, having purchased a separate five-bedroom, four-bathroom home with a tennis court and pool in the suburb for $26 million in 2022 — a property they retain.

The listing is being handled jointly by Ashley Bierman and Elliott Placks of Ray White Double Bay, alongside Bill Malouf and David Malouf of Highland Double Bay.

Published 23-August-2026

Owners Seek $737,000 Alterations to $50m Bellevue Hill Property

Photo Credit: Ray White Double Bay

A $50 million Bellevue Hill mansion owned by Scape Australia co-founder Stephen Gaitanos and his wife Emma is the subject of a $737,000 development application covering alterations, additions and landscaping.

$737,000 Bellevue Hill Mansion Proposal

Records show development application 210/2026 was lodged on 24 June 2026, with Humphrey & Edwards Pty Limited named as the applicant.

The proposed works include a new roof, driveway and turntable, paving, a lift, an entry gate and timber shutters. Plans also provide for demolition of the existing driveway, garage door and paving.

Architectural and landscape plans form part of the application, along with documents covering stormwater management, trees, geotechnical matters and waste management.

The application was advertised on the council website between 15 and 30 July, with neighbouring properties notified over the same period.

Council records show the further-information stage opened on 8 July and was marked completed on 9 July. A trees and landscaping referral was completed on 29 July, while a referral to the development assessment engineer remained listed as awaiting completion.

Driveway included in proposed property alterations — *Photo Credit: DA/210/2026*

$50 Million Purchase Followed March Settlement

Stephen and Emma Gaitanos emerged on settlement documents in March 2026 as the buyers of the six-bedroom property, which changed hands for $50 million.

The home was purchased from Plenary Group chair and co-founder Paul Oppenheim and his wife Cathie-Jane, who had paid $18.8 million for the property in 2017.

Architectural plans for proposed residential alterations — *Photo Credit: DA/210/2026*

During their ownership, the Oppenheims updated the interiors while retaining period elements including leadlight windows and ornate cornices. The swimming pool and tennis court were already part of the property.

The three-level house stands on a 1,714-square-metre property. Other features include a gym, office, steam room, library, rumpus room, billiard room, updated kitchen, multiple terraces and landscaped gardens.

Elliott Placks and Ashley Bierman of Ray White Double Bay declined to comment on aspects of the $50 million transaction or the identity of the buyers.

Bellevue Hill mansion exterior and landscaped grounds — *Photo Credit: DA/210/2026*

Gaitanos Co-Founded Scape Australia

Gaitanos, a former Morgan Stanley investment banker, co-founded Scape Australia with Craig Carracher in 2013.

The student accommodation business provides purpose-built housing across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Its rebranded parent business, The Living Company, also encompasses build-to-rent homes, affordable housing and retirement living.

Stephen and Emma Gaitanos also own a five-bedroom Hunters Hill home purchased for $4.2 million in 2018.

The renovation application for the Bellevue Hill mansion remains in the council assessment process, with the development assessment engineering referral listed as awaiting completion.

Published 5-August-2026

Roll Up Your Sleeves: Help Restore Bellevue Hill’s Cooper Park This National Tree Day

WMC

One of Sydney’s most quietly remarkable green spaces is about to get a little wilder. Cooper Park in Bellevue Hill is one of the local planting sites where residents can roll up their sleeves and help expand the park’s locally native bushland.

National Tree Day falls on Sunday 26 July. The free planting session runs from 9:30am to 11:30am near the corner of Northland Road and Holland Road. Registration is required, with all primary planting tools and equipment provided.

Registration is required, with all primary planting tools and equipment provided. Volunteers are welcome to bring their own trowels if they prefer.

A bushland unlike any other

Covering 38 acres from Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill to Manning Road, Double Bay, Cooper Park is the largest area of bushland in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and the only park in the area with its own natural creek system.

Aboriginal engravings and rock shelters dating back between 200 and more than 2,000 years sit within the park, and a volcanic dyke formed during the Jurassic age runs beneath Cooper Creek. It is heritage listed and entirely irreplaceable.

The wildlife that calls it home is equally worth the effort. Kookaburras, lorikeets and cockatoos live alongside possums and bandicoots, and the creek corridor supports rainforest understorey plants that depend on continuous native canopy to survive. Planting on the park’s edges directly extends that habitat.

Planting for the future

Volunteers plant locally native species chosen to suit Cooper Park’s specific ecology, working along the boundary where managed bushland meets open space.

No experience is needed, no tools are required, and the event is genuinely suitable for all ages.

Tree planting — *Photo Credit: National Tree Day*

After planting wraps up, there is a native wildlife program for kids and snacks for everyone. It is a morning that manages to be both productive and relaxed, which is exactly what a Sunday in July should be.

Book your spot

Spots are free but registration is required. Book your place and find full event details here.

The event is at Cooper Park near the corner of Northland Road and Holland Road, Bellevue Hill.

Published 13-July-2026

Bellevue Hill’s Cranbrook School Plans $4m Senior Building Upgrade

Photo Credit: Cranbrook School

Bellevue Hill’s Cranbrook School has lodged a $4.01 million renovation plan for its Senior Building, with the former indoor pool area proposed to become new classrooms, drama and workshop spaces.

Cranbrook School Plans Bellevue Hill Upgrade

Cranbrook School has lodged a development application for alterations and additions to its Senior Building at Bellevue Hill, with the works valued at $4,013,723.

The application, listed as DA 152/2026, relates to the school’s campus at 555 New South Head Road and 5 Victoria Road. It was lodged on 29 April 2026, with Cranbrook School named as both applicant and owner.

The proposal focuses on the former indoor pool area, which would be refurbished to provide extra learning spaces. The work is planned as the school continues its transition to coeducation.

Cranbrook School campus at Bellevue Hill — *Photo Credit: DA/152/2026*

Former Pool Area Reworked For Classes

The proposed works would convert the former pool area into classrooms, a drama studio and workshop space.

The broader renovation includes ground-floor upgrades to the Senior Building, improved toilet facilities and the installation of a new roof. The former pool use would be removed from that part of the campus under the proposal.

Most of the work is expected to be carried out during the Christmas school holiday period if the application is approved.

Senior Building renovation plans — *Photo Credit: DA/152/2026*

Girls Join Senior Years

Cranbrook School welcomed girls into Years 7 to 11 for the first time this year as part of its move toward coeducation.

The school has linked the need for additional learning areas to growing enrolment interest during that transition. Full coeducation has also been identified as part of the school’s future campus planning.

Cranbrook was established at Bellevue Hill in 1918 as an Anglican boys’ school. The latest proposal follows $4.13 million in previous works last year, which upgraded shower and change room facilities, as well as girls’ and boys’ bathrooms.

Former pool area at Cranbrook — *Photo Credit: DA/152/2026*

Bellevue Hill Application Moves Through Review

Planning documents for the Bellevue Hill works were published on 11 May 2026. The neighbours were notified from 20 May to 4 June 2026.

The application has also been referred for traffic, trees and landscaping, and heritage review. Those stages were listed as completed by late June.

Documents lodged with the application include architectural plans, a statement of environmental effects, a heritage impact statement, an arborist report, a cost estimate report, a construction traffic management plan and a waste management plan.

The application record does not list a final determination.

Published 25-June-2026

Bellevue Hill Stays Near Top as Portsea Leads Income List

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Bellevue Hill has remained one of Australia’s highest-income postcodes, ranking third nationally as Portsea on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula took first place in the latest taxable income figures.

Bellevue Hill Stays in the Top Tier

Bellevue Hill has held a top-three place in Australia’s latest postcode income rankings, recording average taxable income of $250,899 in the 2023-24 financial year.

The Sydney eastern suburb rose from eighth place the previous year, placing behind only Portsea and the shared Melbourne postcode covering Hawksburn and Toorak.

Portsea led the national list with average taxable income of $321,988, while Hawksburn and Toorak ranked second at $277,708.

For Bellevue Hill, the result keeps the suburb firmly among the country’s highest-income areas, even as the national lead moved away from Sydney’s east.

Bellevue Hill homes and streets — *Photo Credit: Wikipedia*

Portsea Takes the Lead

Portsea’s rise placed the small Mornington Peninsula suburb at the top of the rankings for the first time.

The coastal postcode is home to 787 people, with 656 taxpayers included in the income figures. Its reported capital gains rose sharply, increasing from $35 million in 2022-23 to $121 million in 2023-24.

The suburb is known for its Port Phillip Bay outlook, bathing boxes, mansions and surf beaches facing Bass Strait. It has also long been associated with Melbourne’s wealthy holiday-home market.

Hawksburn and Toorak reported a much larger combined capital gains figure of about $1.3 billion, but that amount was spread across 9933 residents, leaving the postcode second behind Portsea.

Sydney’s East Remains Strongly Represented

Sydney’s eastern suburbs still held several places in the national top 10.

Bellevue Hill ranked third, while the postcode covering Vaucluse, Dover Heights, Rose Bay and Watsons Bay placed fourth with average taxable income of $246,732.

The previous leading postcode, covering Darling Point, Edgecliff, HMAS Rushcutters and Point Piper, fell to sixth place with average taxable income of $238,954.

Woollahra, Double Bay, and Mosman and Spit Junction also appeared in the top 10. NSW held seven of the 10 highest-income postcodes, including five in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove in Western Australia ranked fifth, with average taxable income of $239,013.

Sydney eastern suburbs rooftops — *Photo Credit: Wikipedia*

Medical and Finance Roles Lead Occupations

The same tax figures ranked surgeons as Australia’s highest-income occupation, with average taxable income of $519,998.

Anaesthetists followed at $475,455, while internal medicine specialists recorded $362,120.

Financial dealers, including investment bankers, traders and stockbrokers, were the highest-income non-medical workers, with average taxable income of $347,375.

Published 25-June-2026