
Sydney’s iconic Rocks district is offering buyers a rare chance to own a piece of Australian history with the release of 17 heritage terraces and one commercial property.
Real estate investment firm Wentworth Capital launched the first stage of sales for Long’s Lane Heritage Terraces this week, with some buildings dating back to 1806.
The properties represent the only privately-held Torrens title houses in The Rocks, with 14 of the 18 properties listed on the State Heritage Register.
The precinct includes one of Sydney’s earliest laneways and features some of Australia’s first European architecture, including Jobbins Terrace designed by NSW’s first Australian-born practicing architect, Oswald Hoddle Lewis.
Wentworth Capital Executive Director Paul Apostoles said the company was undertaking careful renovations to modernise the buildings while preserving their heritage.
“Each home will sit on its own Torrens title and we’re restoring the properties as individual homes again by elevating them to modern standards,” Mr Apostoles said.
“The heritage features of each home are being meticulously preserved, recognising their importance as some of the earliest and most well-preserved examples of European architecture from Sydney’s settlement period.”
The site faced demolition threats in the 1960s for proposed high-rise commercial structures, but these plans were rejected following community opposition.
McGrath Millers Point agent Richard Shalhoub said the location offered unmatched convenience.
“Long’s Lane encapsulates the very essence of life in The Rocks, where cobblestoned laneways, heritage architecture, and vibrant community life converge,” Mr Shalhoub said.
The first stage release includes six properties: a five-bedroom residence that formerly housed a butcher’s shop, a four-bedroom terrace, two two-bedroom terraces, and two one-bedroom studio cottages.
Colliers Associate Director Oliver Stillman said the properties offered unique historical significance.
“It’s not often you have the opportunity to buy one of Australia’s first butchers shops, constructed in 1881, a former Chinese boarding house from 1868, or one of Sydney’s earliest lolly shops,” Mr Stillman said.
The buildings range from early Victorian to Edwardian architectural periods, with prices yet to be disclosed.