Reading Street Archives - Paddington Today

Paddington Heritage Home ‘Governess’ Listed for $13 Million After Year-Long Transformation

There is a Paddington heritage home on Reading Street that locals have walked past for well over a century — and it has just been returned to the market with a price guide of $13 million, following a remarkable year-long renovation that has put it firmly in the running to break the suburb’s property price record.

Known as “Governess”, the filigree-clad home at 49 Reading Street sits on a generous 1,634-square-metre corner block with sweeping views of the Brisbane city skyline. The property is understood to have been designed by architect Benjamin Backhouse — the same man behind the original design of Government House, which sits just across the road on Fernberg Road. Government House, originally commissioned in 1865, is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register and remains one of Brisbane’s most significant heritage properties. That Governess shares this architectural lineage gives it a distinct historical weight that is unusual even by Paddington standards.

The home’s recent chapter began when medical manager Clare Gorman and surgeon Justin Perron purchased the property with the aim of transforming it into something cohesive. Over the years, piecemeal updates had left the 1860s residence feeling disjointed — rooms that no longer connected intuitively, and a layout at odds with how families live today. According to Gorman, the renovation was less a straightforward building job and more like solving a long-running architectural puzzle.

Award-winning Brisbane builders Graya were engaged to carry out the work, and the project took just over a year to complete. The result is a five-bedroom home that weaves together its original heritage bones and a confident contemporary vision. At its centre is a striking spiral staircase that divides the old from the new, while a 4.5-metre marble island anchors a kitchen designed with serious cooking in mind. Windows wrap around the space, offering leafy outlook even from the butler’s pantry, and the flow extends outward to a timber deck and resort-style pool.

The top floor is given over entirely to a private primary suite, complete with its own lounge, dressing room and an ensuite featuring a fireplace and skylight above a freestanding bath. Additional features include a study, gym, five-car garage and internal lift, as well as home automation and a security room.

For Gorman and Perron — who have a 13-month-old child — the decision to sell comes down to a desire to downsize while staying in the suburb they love. Gorman has described the finished home as a unified vision of Brisbane history and “Graya flair”, ready for whoever takes it on next.

The current Paddington house price record stands at $11.8 million, set early last year for a fully renovated pre-war five-bedroom home on Garfield Drive. A sale at the $13 million price guide would comfortably surpass that figure.

The property is listed with Josh Brown and Matt Lancashire of Ray White New Farm.

Published 18-March-2026

Paddington Home Has Changed Hands, Breaking Suburb Record

Photo Credit: Ray White New Farm

A Paddington home that became the subject of a protracted legal dispute between neighbours has changed hands for a suburb record of $12.075 million, bringing closure to a five-year saga that involved court injunctions and allegations of unlawful construction.

The five-bedroom property at 9 Reading Street, known as ‘Skyline’, was at the heart of a neighbourly disagreement that began in 2021 when construction commenced on the steep 810-square-metre block.

According to court documents, technology entrepreneur Steve Baxter, founder of digital signage company Mandoe Media, initiated legal proceedings against the property owners Anthony and Kylie Preston, along with builder Graya, over concerns regarding retaining walls being built next to his neighbouring $8 million home to support a swimming pool and outdoor entertaining area.

In April 2021, an injunction was filed citing safety concerns and allegations that works were being undertaken unlawfully. The Planning and Environment Court ordered a temporary suspension of construction work on the home.

The Prestons subsequently obtained both an exemption certificate and development approval for operational work from Brisbane City Council by July 2021. However, Mr Baxter raised additional allegations, prolonging the legal proceedings.

The court ultimately determined that continuing the application from July onwards was productive of serious and unjustified trouble and harassment, and had the effect of prolonging the trial. Mr Baxter was ordered to pay costs to the Prestons and Graya from 15 July 2021 through to 9 December 2021.

The Prestons had purchased the original property for $3.15 million in 2018 before demolishing the existing structure and embarking on what became one of the suburb’s most ambitious residential projects.

Designed by Brisbane-based Joe Adsett Architects, the completed home showcases a flat, fully integrated floor plan with a 20-metre frontage and commanding views across Brisbane’s CBD. Joe Adsett Architects is a national award-winning studio known for luxury residential architecture and subscribes to a design philosophy of subtropical modernism.

The property includes two separate living areas, an upstairs balcony, and a pilates studio. Each of the five bedrooms features an ensuite bathroom. External amenities include the heated infinity pool and spa that were central to the original dispute, along with an outdoor kitchen, gazebo, and sunken fire pit.

Ray White agents Matt Lancashire and Josh Brown handled the sale, which surpassed the previous Paddington record of $11.8 million set last year for a 653-square-metre property at 45 Garfield Drive.

The sale demonstrates continued strong demand for premium residential property in Paddington, despite the construction project’s contentious beginnings. The suburb, characterised by its hilly terrain and proximity to the Brisbane CBD, has seen increasing interest from buyers seeking luxury homes with city views.

Published 25-February-2026

Stunning Paddington Residence With Challenging Construction Techniques Hits the Market

Photo Credit: Ray White New Farm

A stunning Paddington residence has hit the market following a complex 14-month renovation that tested the limits of modern construction techniques on one of Brisbane’s most challenging blocks.

The five-bedroom home at 9 Reading Street sits atop a ridge where the street climbs at a precipitous 1-in-3.5 gradient – making it Brisbane’s third steepest street behind Gower Street in Toowong and Stoneleigh Street in Red Hill.

Rob Gray, managing director of design and construction firm Graya, said the project proved more demanding than anticipated despite his company’s decade of experience building on sloping Paddington sites.

The existing house required a double-lift system, with the entire structure suspended whilst concrete was poured around the supporting stumps below. Delivery trucks regularly struggled to stop on the sharp incline, whilst some tradespeople’s vehicles slipped on the steep slope.

The 810-square-metre dual lot now features level grounds, with architect Joe Adsett of Joe Adsett Architects having cleverly utilised the natural slope. A swimming pool was positioned with its rear wall serving as retaining structure to level the land, whilst the space beneath the house accommodates parking for four vehicles and an additional living area.

The property includes five bathrooms, two living areas organised around a central courtyard, and a heated infinity pool with spa. The outdoor entertaining space features a kitchen, covered terrace and sunken fire pit. Upstairs additions include a balcony, window seat, study and Pilates studio.

The renovation faced additional complications beyond the topography. The house sits within a conservation area, requiring any modifications to preserve its character and appearance. Extensive asbestos was also discovered during works.

The original weatherboard cladding and stucco were removed, with the home rebuilt to more closely resemble a traditional Queenslander featuring weatherboard and metal roofing. According to Adsett, the finished home is completely unrecognisable from its previous form.

Ray White New Farm sales agent Josh Brown is marketing the property, highlighting the elevation advantages that deliver views from every room across Brisbane’s northern cityscape.

Whilst steep-block construction presents significant design challenges compared to flat sites, the resulting outlook provides substantial compensation for the engineering complexities involved.

Published 26-September-2025

Prestigious Reading Street Home Poised to Set New Paddington Price Benchmark

Photo Credit: Ray White New Farm

A stunning architectural achievement on Reading Street is generating significant interest in Paddington’s property market, with industry observers predicting it could establish a new price benchmark for the historic suburb.

The custom-built residence at number 9, known as ‘Skyline’, represents the culmination of an ambitious project that began when Kylie Anne and Anthony Steven Preston acquired the site for $3 million in 2019. The couple commissioned Graya and Joe Adsett Architects to create their dream family home on the prime 810-square-metre block.

The building process proved more complex than initially anticipated, extending over several years due to various planning considerations and regulatory requirements. Real estate agent Josh Brown from Ray White New Farm, who is marketing the property alongside colleague Matt Lancashire, explained that the extended timeline reflected the owners’ commitment to achieving their architectural vision.

The completed home showcases contemporary luxury living across five bedrooms, each featuring its own ensuite bathroom. Additional amenities include dual living spaces, a dedicated pilates studio, and an upper-level balcony that capitalises on the property’s elevated position and 20-metre street frontage.

External features complement the sophisticated interior design, with a heated infinity pool and spa anchoring the outdoor entertainment areas. The landscaped grounds also incorporate an outdoor kitchen, gazebo, and sunken fire pit, creating multiple zones for family gatherings and entertaining.

Brown emphasised the property’s unique positioning within Paddington’s topography, noting that the unobstructed city views are exceptionally rare for the suburb. The flat, integrated floor plan maximises the site’s potential whilst maintaining the character expected in this sought-after inner-city locale.

The owners lived in their custom home for three years before deciding to relocate to Victoria, prompting the current sale. Their departure represents an opportunity for another family to acquire what may become Paddington’s most expensive residential transaction to date.

Market analysts are closely watching the expressions of interest process, particularly given the suburb’s previous record sale of $11.8 million achieved by a property on Garfield Drive. That transaction involved a smaller 653-square-metre site, suggesting the Reading Street property could command a premium price point.

Brown indicated strong initial market interest, particularly from families seeking luxury accommodation in Paddington’s established school catchments and transport links. The target demographic appears to include households with multiple children who value both space and proximity to Brisbane’s CBD.

The sale process continues through expressions of interest, with industry watchers keen to see whether this architecturally distinctive home will indeed reset Paddington’s residential price expectations.

Published 3-September-2025