ascot in queensland - April 2004

Ascot: A Brisbane hot spot, originally published in Sun Herald

Sandwiched between Eagle Farm Racecourse and the river is Brisbane’s most expensive patch of dirt, the suburb of Ascot.
With wide streets lined with red-flowering Poinsianas and purple-flowering Jacarandas, this is the traditional “old money” suburb of Brisbane.
“It’s probably the equivalent of Sydney’s Darling Point or Double Bay,” says Hamilton ward councillor Tim Nicholls, who represents the blue ribbon suburb on Brisbane City Council.
Ascot and the neighbouring suburb of Hamilton are often uttered in the same breath, as they occupy Brisbane’s premiere position – The Hill overlooking the Brisbane River.
Nicholls says the area has always attracted the local hoi polloi due to the high geographical position.
“Back in the old days, that was one of the few places in Brisbane to get the cool north-easterly breezes,” he says.
Nicholls says the suburb is typically a place where wharfies can rub shoulders with judges. It is a suburb where judges, politicians, property developers, company managing directors and celebrities live.
“I can think of four Liberal senators living in the area off the top of my head,” he says. “It’s always been home to the judiciary, politicians and business leaders. This is where Christopher Skase lived.”
Ascot has the city’s highest median price of $763,000 according to Home Price Guide, and it has had massive growth in the last five years.
“Everyone who is anyone in Brisbane aspires to live in Ascot,” says Adcock Prestige’s Jason Adcock who sells prestige property in the suburb.
Hamilton – the neighbouring suburb on the shores of the Brisbane River – used to have the reputation for being the most expensive, but the recent property boom has seen Ascot grow more quickly.
Conias Realty’s Jeremy Webb explains that Hamilton probably has more premium houses than Ascot, but both areas have more affordable houses in the “flat section”.
“The area has really grown on the strength of Racecourse Road – that’s the strip that is Brisbane’s premiere latte-drinking strip,” he says.
Racecourse Road runs from the river to the gates of the race course and is now home to boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants and cafes. Nicholls says there are two ends of the road – the Paris end with restaurants and the Beirut end with offices and old pubs.
Baguette – one of the strip’s most popular restaurants – was opened 27 years ago by former Sydneysider Marilyn Domenech and her French husband Francis.
“When we opened the restaurant 27 years ago we were very naïve and everyone said ‘what are you doing – all the good restaurants are in town’,” Domenech says.
”Racecourse Road now has 17 cafes and restaurants and is the best place to go window shopping in Brisbane.”
Nicholls says the most pressing local government issues include traffic (less of it, please), parks and recreational facilities (more of them, please), as well as conservation of the colonial architecture.
“The traditional Queensland home is timber and tin but the pressure on land prices means everyone wants to knock down the old Queenslander and build two of those Tuscan houses,” he says.
“Some people think we should call Ascot Tus-cot because it has so many of these Tuscan-style houses with no eaves and no sun shading that rely on air-conditioning.”
The old timber Queenslanders are now being renovated and can command a premium price – a renovated Colonial house in Ascot would start at $750,000 on a 16 perch block.
Webb explains that 16 perch is equal to 407 square metres – “I know perch is very quaint and English, but that’s the way we work up here. For some reason the imperial thing has stuck.”
The most sought after properties are houses on 32 perch blocks, preferably on The Hill.
Adcock Prestige is currently marketing the suburb’s most expensive property, a 10-year-old contemporary house designed to look like an Art Deco Hollywood home.
The architect-designed house is on 1600 square metres of land and has around 740 square metres of internal space and will sell for more than $4 million.
“What you have in this suburb is an incredible selection of the best built homes in Brisbane,” he says.
“There are a lot of colonial Queenslanders and some incredible modern homes in lovely tree-lined streets.”

ASCOT FACT BOX

Distance from the CBD:5km
Transport: Bus transport and train station, a five-minute drive to the airport.
Go shopping at: Racecourse Road
Nearby Schools: Ascot Primary, St Margarets, Clayfield College.
Type of housing: Low rise units, townhouses, modern houses and classic Queenslanders.
Best streets: Sutherland Avenue is the premium street but other good streets include Massey St at the top of the hill, Mayfield St, Yabba St and Henry St.
Prices start at: $250,000 for a unit up to $4 million for a prestige house.
Median house price growth during 2003: 31.5 per cent
Who lives there: 42 per cent are renters, 35 per cent fully own their property, 17 per cent are buying their property and 6 per cent are vacant.
* statistics from Australian Property Monitors and PRDnationwide research

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Ascot: A Brisbane hot spot, originally published in Sun Herald Sandwiched between Eagle Farm Racecourse and the river is Brisbane’s most expensive patch of dirt, the suburb of Ascot. With wide streets lined with red-flowering Poinsianas and purple-flowering Jacarandas, this is the traditional “old money” suburb of Brisbane. “It’s probably the equivalent of Sydney’s Darling Point or Double Bay,” says Hamilton ward councillor Tim Nicholls, who represents the blue ribbon suburb on Brisbane City Council. Ascot and the neighbouring suburb of Hamilton are often uttered in the same breath, as they occupy Brisbane’s premiere position – The Hill overlooking the Brisbane River. Nicholls says the area has always attracted the local hoi polloi due to the high geographical position. “Back in the old days, that was one of the few places in Brisbane to get the cool north-easterly breezes,” he says. Nicholls says the suburb is typically a place where wharfies can rub shoulders with judges. It is a suburb where judges, politicians, property developers, company managing directors and celebrities live. “I can think of four Liberal senators living in the area off the top of my head,” he says. “It’s always been home to the judiciary, politicians and business leaders. This is where Christopher Skase lived.” Ascot has the city’s highest median price of $763,000 according to Home Price Guide, and it has had massive growth in the last five years. “Everyone who is anyone in Brisbane aspires to live in Ascot,” says Adcock Prestige’s Jason Adcock who sells prestige property in the suburb. Hamilton – the neighbouring suburb on the shores of the Brisbane River – used to have the reputation for being the most expensive, but the recent property boom has seen Ascot grow more quickly. Conias Realty’s Jeremy Webb explains that Hamilton probably has more premium houses than Ascot, but both areas have more affordable houses in the “flat section”. “The area has really grown on the strength of Racecourse Road – that’s the strip that is Brisbane’s premiere latte-drinking strip,” he says. Racecourse Road runs from the river to the gates of the race course and is now home to boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants and cafes. Nicholls says there are two ends of the road – the Paris end with restaurants and the Beirut end with offices and old pubs. Baguette – one of the strip’s most popular restaurants – was opened 27 years ago by former Sydneysider Marilyn Domenech and her French husband Francis. “When we opened the restaurant 27 years ago we were very naïve and everyone said ‘what are you doing – all the good restaurants are in town’,” Domenech says. ”Racecourse Road now has 17 cafes and restaurants and is the best place to go window shopping in Brisbane.” Nicholls says the most pressing local government issues include traffic (less of it, please), parks and recreational facilities (more of them, please), as well as conservation of the colonial architecture. “The traditional Queensland home is timber and tin but the pressure on land prices means everyone wants to knock down the old Queenslander and build two of those Tuscan houses,” he says. “Some people think we should call Ascot Tus-cot because it has so many of these Tuscan-style houses with no eaves and no sun shading that rely on air-conditioning.” The old timber Queenslanders are now being renovated and can command a premium price – a renovated Colonial house in Ascot would start at $750,000 on a 16 perch block. Webb explains that 16 perch is equal to 407 square metres – “I know perch is very quaint and English, but that’s the way we work up here. For some reason the imperial thing has stuck.” The most sought after properties are houses on 32 perch blocks, preferably on The Hill. Adcock Prestige is currently marketing the suburb’s most expensive property, a 10-year-old contemporary house designed to look like an Art Deco Hollywood home. The architect-designed house is on 1600 square metres of land and has around 740 square metres of internal space and will sell for more than $4 million. “What you have in this suburb is an incredible selection of the best built homes in Brisbane,” he says. “There are a lot of colonial Queenslanders and some incredible modern homes in lovely tree-lined streets.” ASCOT FACT BOX Distance from the CBD:5km Transport: Bus transport and train station, a five-minute drive to the airport. Go shopping at: Racecourse Road Nearby Schools: Ascot Primary, St Margarets, Clayfield College. Type of housing: Low rise units, townhouses, modern houses and classic Queenslanders. Best streets: Sutherland Avenue is the premium street but other good streets include Massey St at the top of the hill, Mayfield St, Yabba St and Henry St. Prices start at: $250,000 for a unit up to $4 million for a prestige house. Median house price growth during 2003: 31.5 per cent Who lives there: 42 per cent are renters, 35 per cent fully own their property, 17 per cent are buying their property and 6 per cent are vacant. * statistics from Australian Property Monitors and PRDnationwide research Put domain story here.