Henry Lawson Ave: McMahons Point home to become new park

It was once linked to the Shark Arm Murder mystery and has for many years been an eyesore on our beautiful Harbour. But now plans have been revealed for a stunning new public space.

A controversial property with one of the best views of Sydney Harbour Bridge has been snapped up by the State Government as part of plans to create new public space on the north shore.

A long-running proposal to incorporate 1 Henry Lawson Ave into future plans for Blues Point Reserve has jumped a final hurdle with the Department of Planning acquiring the run-down site from owners David Fox and Jozette Hazzouri last week.

The house sits in the middle of a reserve at McMahons Point and was previously subject to a long-running battle by Mr Fox to renovate it into a luxurious waterfront home.

An artists impression of the original development plans.

A $3.5 million development proposal was lodged to North Sydney Council back in 2010 for the four-storey project but hit a roadblock when it was refused by the council and the Land and Environment Court in 2012.

The Department of Planning has been negotiating to buy the site since 2012 and the matter is with the Valuer General to determine a final price.

As well as the site’s maritime past, the building’s rich history also has link to the notorious Shark Arm Murder mystery of the 1930s as it once owned by wealthy boatbuilder Reginald Holmes, who employed small-time criminal James Smith.

The site has seen better days.

Smith’s arm was spat out by a shark at a Coogee aquarium on Anzac Day in 1935 and Holmes was implicated in the resulting murder investigation, which centred on Patrick Brady, another criminal known to both men.

The acquisition will allow the old building to be demolished to make way for continuous foreshore access.

“Blues Point Reserve is one of our most popular foreshore parks, with spectacular views of Sydney Harbour and Sydney Harbour Bridge, but for decades there was a private property cutting the park in two,” Planning Minister Rob Stokes said.

The site boasts impressive views of the harbour.

While the slipway is heritage listed and the building itself is not and the North Shore Times understands it has been deemed unsafe and non-habitable and requires demolition.

Now acquired, the management of the site is expected to be transferred to North Sydney Council.

North Sydney State MP Felicity Wilson said she was happy with the outcome.

“Once the Sydney Metro is completed, we will have the opportunity to undertake further improvements to deliver an enhanced and expanded public space across the entire Blues Point Reserve,” she said.

“This acquisition is another investment in increasing local parks, this time right on the waterfront of Sydney Harbour.”