Tag: Darling Point

Fewer Under-20s Deepen Double Bay and Darling Point’s Age Divide

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Almost one in four residents in the Double Bay–Darling Point area is aged 65 or over, while the gap between seniors and under-20s is the widest recorded since 2001.

Read: Sculptor Couple Snap Up Darling Point Harbourfront Estate for $12.2M

Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates show the combined area had 2,538 residents aged 65 and over in 2024, compared with 1,424 people under 20. That was a difference of 1,114.

The figures cover the Double Bay–Darling Point Statistical Area Level 2, or SA2. The ABS combines the neighbouring suburbs for statistical purposes and does not provide separate age totals for each suburb in this dataset.

An older age profile for decades

The older age profile is not new. Seniors have outnumbered under-20s since at least 2001, but the gap is now wider than in the earlier comparison years.

Double Bay and Darling Point have had more residents aged 65 and over than under-20s for at least two decades. In 2001, the area had 2,068 seniors and 1,239 people under 20, leaving a gap of 829. The difference was 812 in 2011 and 927 in 2019. By 2024, it had widened to 1,114.

Of the area’s estimated 10,248 residents in 2024, people aged 65 and over made up 24.8 per cent. Under-20s accounted for 13.9 per cent, while residents aged 20 to 64 made up the remainder.

The recent change came mainly from a fall in the number of children and teenagers, rather than a large rise in the senior population. Between 2019 and 2024, the area’s total population fell by 357. The number of under-20s dropped by 161, while the population aged 65 and over rose by 26.

Housing may be one factor

The ABS figures measure the estimated resident population as of 30 June each year. They show how the age mix has changed, but they do not record why people move into or leave an area.

Housing may help explain the age profile, although the population figures alone cannot prove a direct link. Double Bay is known for its shops, cafés and restaurants, which attract visitors from outside the area. Neighbouring Darling Point has a more residential character.

Double Bay and Darling Point contain a mix of apartments and detached homes. Separate property and household data would be needed to measure how prices, rents and dwelling sizes affect families seeking to live locally.

Ageing in place may also contribute. However, the ABS figures do not show how long residents have lived in the area or whether they own or rent their homes.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Services for older residents and families

Woollahra Municipal Council has identified population ageing in its strategic planning. Council documents have also linked ageing in place with the need for accessible housing near shops, health services and public transport. The older age profile may increase the importance of health services, accessible footpaths, safe crossings and support at home. 

Woollahra Council supports programs for older residents, including Dementia Friendly Woollahra. The Cottage Dementia Day Centre also operates in Darling Point and provides support for people living with dementia.

Read: Families Reflect on What’s at Stake for Woollahra Preschool

Still, services for children and families remain part of the local mix. Woollahra Preschool in Double Bay is an 80-place early education and care service for children aged three to five.

Published 23-July-2026

Sculptor Couple Snap Up Darling Point Harbourfront Estate for $12.2M

Photo Credit: Sotheby's International Realty

Renowned Australian artists Gillie and Marc Schattner have added another address to their growing collection of Sydney trophy homes, this time picking up a harbourfront deceased estate in Darling Point for $12.2 million.

Read: Heritage, Skate Ramps, and Tree Roots: Inside the Decade-Long Transformation of Rushcutters Bay Park

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

The husband-and-wife duo, celebrated internationally for their bronze and fibreglass sculptures, are understood to have struck a deal on 84 Darling Point Rd shortly after the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home passed in at auction on Friday night with a final bid of $11.55 million.

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

Sitting on a 456sqm block at the prestige harbourfront end of the street, the property had been on the market for more than 100 days. It was originally floated off-market with an $18 million guide before being brought down to around $15 million during the formal campaign, before eventually changing hands for $12.2 million.

The home was marketed by Richardson and Wrench principal Michael Dunn alongside James Dunn of Sotheby’s. While the agents have not been able to confirm the sale price, the listing has since been updated to reflect a sold status, and the figure has been corroborated by multiple sources.

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

A long-held family home

The Darling Point residence had belonged to the late Richard and Janet Cowan, who had owned the property for more than 50 years. Publicly available land title records do not show the purchase price or settlement date from when the Cowans first bought in.

The three-level home is described in its real estate listing as taking in a north-facing aspect, with wide terraces and sweeping balconies designed to make the most of harbour views and natural light. It also features high ornate ceilings, marble fireplaces and ironlace balconies typical of the area’s heritage housing stock, along with a country-style kitchen that opens onto a landscaped garden and inground pool. The upper floors house two large bedroom suites and a converted attic space.

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

Renovation specialists with form

This isn’t the first time the Schattners have taken on a major reno project in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The pair are well known for buying character homes, giving them a refresh, and decorating them with examples of their own artwork before moving on.

Most recently, they sold a five-bedroom home on a 456sqm block at 304 Jersey Rd, Woollahra, after a sales campaign that stretched across roughly eight months. That property had been listed with a $15 million guide last July and eventually sold for $13.8 million — still a healthy return on the $10.5 million they’d paid for it back in 2021.

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

Before Woollahra, the couple sold a Centennial Park property for $12 million in 2021, having bought it for $6.5 million four years earlier. They have also taken on similar projects in Bellevue Hill and Potts Point over the years.

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

Gillie and Marc have built an international reputation for their large-scale public sculptures, which have featured in cities around the world, and for their recurring artistic characters Rabbitwoman and Dogman.

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s International Realty

Read: Double Bay Heritage Home Sells for Circa $11 Million

Given their track record, it’s likely the Darling Point home’s traditional interiors — including that country-style kitchen — will eventually make way for a look that better suits the couple’s distinctive bronze and fibreglass pieces.