Ironic twist in sale of Millers Point’s historic Darling House

The crown jewel of Millers Point is being sold off
There’s been a surprise development in the controversial sale of the historic Darling House, which was auctioned off last week for $7.7 million.

There was little known about the new owner of the former community aged care hostel – other than that they were “a local” – but it has now been revealed it was bought by a company with big plans: to turn it back into an aged-care facility, albeit a more upmarket one.
Provectus Care, which markets itself as “premium aged care” and runs half a dozen “boutique facilities” across Australia, outbid two other serious contenders at auction last Thursday evening.

Millers Point’s Darling House at 8-12 Trinity Avenue sold last week for $7.7 million.

Darling House closed down last year when the NSW government scrapped a $5-a-week rent agreement it had made with the community-run organisation 20 years earlier.
Managing director of Provectus Care Group Dr Shane Moran, the son of nursing home tycoons Doug and Greta Moran, said he was keen to restore the Victorian Georgian house as an aged care facility.
Dr Moran is no stranger to Sydney’s heritage buildings, having moved in 2011 with his family into Swifts, a neo-Gothic castle in Darling Point that his had parents spent a decade renovating.
Dr Moran said he had known about Darling House since it was set up for aged care and was surprised it had closed down.
“The aim is to bring it back to rehouse the elderly who were thrown out unceremoniously 18 months ago.”
“It has to be a commercial venture but it is not going to be an over the top venture,” Dr Moran said.
Members of the Millers Point community were surprised by the announcement.
Chairman of the Millers Point Resident Action group John McInerney said that while he wasn’t opposed to a new aged care facility he was angered at how the community had been manipulated by the NSW government.
“The fascinating thing is that the government has taken a community facility, cashed it in for $7 million odd dollars and has now made it inaccessible to the bulk of residents around here,” Mr McInerney said.
“Government housing tenants get old too you know.”
Dr Moran said that while he hadn’t worked out the costs, he was hoping for a broad range of residents.
“There is still government support for residential aged care and hopefully we will still be working with the community,” he said.
“It could suit someone working in the city with an elderly mum or dad who could pop in every other lunch time or it could suit someone who has been living there all along.”
Dr Moran expects to spend “a couple of million to refurbish it properly, at first glance” and to make sure the original Georgian features are restored.
“It’s pretty ordinary inside. It has had a lot of wear and tear since it was renovated in the 1990s.”
The initial plan is to make room for 12 or 13 low-care residents.
News of Darling House’s future coincides with a new batch of government houses listed for sale.
A further 12 properties in Millers Point will be auctioned off at the end of March through McGrath Estate Agents.
So far the government has raised more than $100 million from the sales of state-owned properties in Millers Point.
The proceeds from the sales are being reinvested into 1500 new dwellings for people on the social housing waiting list, with 100 homes already completed.
Millers Point: a community under the hammer