Renovate or detonate. How two heritage homes had very different fates

November 13, 2026 — 5:00am

They are less than 10 minutes’ walk from each other but two exceptional Federation houses in Marrickville have experienced very different fates.

One has been restored and renovated and is now on the market with a price guide of $6 million. The other, cared for by the same family for more than 60 years, is now rubble.

The difference? Heritage protection.

The fallout from the loss of a substantial Federation home has highlighted the challenges of managing development in Sydney’s older suburbs while meeting the city’s broader need for more housing. It has also raised the ire of design professionals frustrated by heritage approval processes they see as unnecessarily complicated and, at times, combative.

In its aftermath, Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne has said change is on the way.

Social media uproar

When news broke that 16 Darley Street had been demolished, it caused an uproar on Drew Hoy’s Forgotten Sydney account on Instagram. Even Hoy, who has amassed 61,000 followers by documenting Sydney’s heritage buildings, was surprised by the vehement response at the loss of the home known as Ravenscraig.

“I don’t think I’ve had something go viral before,” he said.

Others, including architects, expressed their frustration at having to navigate difficult council processes to get the correct approvals only to see such a significant home razed to the ground.

Eva-Marie Prineas, a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, was among those expressing her dismay.

“Ultimately, council bears some responsibility for failing to heritage list 16 Darley Street,” she told this masthead. “As architects, we are made to jump through extraordinary hoops to make even modest changes to heritage homes, yet somehow a house of this significance can be demolished.”

No protection

Marketed as an opportunity to “reimagine or rebuild”, Ravenscraig was sold under the hammer and demolished in accordance with Complying Development legislation under the NSW government’s Low and Mid Rise (LMR) Housing Policy, which is aimed at increasing housing supply. Ravenscraig was not listed as a heritage item nor was it in a heritage conservation zone, so the new owner was within their rights to remove the property.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) said the LMR policy included protections for heritage items and heritage conservation areas.

“Housing and heritage should and do co-exist, but our cities are not museums and must be able to grow and change to meet the needs of current and future residents,” the spokesperson said.

Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne said he first learned that Ravenscraig had been knocked down – which he described as a tragedy – on social media. He said council took the unusual step of issuing a press release about an individual property to provide clarity.

“Because the planning system is so arcane, many local people were under the misapprehension that council had approved the DA [development application] for demolition, which is simply not the case,” he said.

“It’s very frustrating for the community to see such a destructive proposal be whisked through a private certifier without there being a proper development application process, particularly when we know our own heritage controls for individual householders who are trying to undertake a renovation to their home in a heritage conservation area can often be really difficult to navigate.”

Complying Development legislation was introduced in NSW in 2009 and was designed to sidestep convoluted local council processes, speeding up assessments by meeting a set of pre-determined criteria. Complying development certificates can be granted by council or, as in this case, through a private certifier.

A simpler pathway

In the aftermath of the demolition, following a council meeting this week, Byrne has announced sweeping changes to development controls in the LGA to streamline the process for home owners, effective from January 1, 2027.

Three development control plan (DCP) documents will be streamlined into a single “simpler” rule book to better support home owners living in older properties.

“We want to do both things: we want to put in our [local environment plan] greater and new protections for heritage conservation precincts in places like Marrickville but also in our DCP make it simpler so it is easier for local residents to get a renovation through,” Byrne said.

He also acknowledged council’s role in the loss of Ravenscraig.

“Would it have been possible for Marrickville Council or [Inner West Council] to put a heritage order on that particular house? Yes. But the reason it was demolished was because our planning controls have not been implemented and the government’s top-down planning controls will result in more and more of these demolitions if they are left in place.”

Old house, new beginnings

A short walk away, it’s a different story. When Phillip Alphonse bought 6 David Street just over a year ago, he always planned to restore and renovate the c1918 brick home.

The house is in a heritage conservation area – the lowest level of heritage protection – notable for its high number of larger, mostly intact Federation homes with details such as slate roofs, return verandas and timberwork. Inside, the house is just as detailed, enhanced by a contemporary extension designed by Antonio Galati.

“It’s a beautiful home – it was really done right,” Galati said.

Alphonse said the house was in sound condition but “it needed a lot of love”.

“[The plan was] bringing it back [to life] and perhaps making it better than what was here,” Alphonse said. “It has these two incredible domed ceilings in the front rooms. You look at the craftsmanship, all the ornate work, if you think about the quality of what was built back then [you want to be] able to add to it and respect the building.”

Galati is more circumspect.

“It’s part of the character of Marrickville,” he said. “To repeat that is not impossible but it is extremely difficult.”

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Robyn Willis is a property reporter and the former lifestyle editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

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