Treasured trove of Australia’s leading ‘forever home’ suburbs revealed

New data has revealed Australia’s favourite ‘forever home’ suburbs where homeowners have kept hold of their properties for more than two decades.

Rosemary Hickey and Lawrie Matthews in Killarney Heights in Sydney’s north. Picture: John Feder

New data has revealed Australia’s favourite “forever home” suburbs where homeowners have kept hold of their properties for more than two decades.

Ten suburbs around the country have an average ownership time of more than 20 years, with houses typically being owned longer than units, according to property researcher PropTrack.

Houses within the NSW northern beaches suburb of Church Point have the longest ownership period nationally, at an average of 22.47 years. It is closely followed by southeast Queensland’s Mount Ommaney (21.51 years), Macgregor (20.77 years) and Battery Hill (20.57 years), alongside the small mountainous suburb of Morangup (21.18 years) an hour northeast of Perth.

Dolls Point in Sydney’s south is the only suburb where the units would typically surpass 20 years of ownership. Second to it is Adelaide’s Kingswood at 19.91 years hold time, and the waterfront Perth suburb of Hillarys (18.12 years).

The average ownership period for a house in Australia sits at 11.15 years; units are held for 9.62 years.

President of Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia Melinda Jennison said many ­people looked for their forever home to raise a family. “They’re looking to cement themselves in a particular neighbourhood for those schooling years,” she said.

“Primary school catchments are a really big draw card, but I also think it’s about lifestyle. They want to be in a community where it’s easy to access their employment, grab a good coffee, take the kids to the nearby park and to integrate within local activities, like kids sport.”

Rosemary Hickey, 83, has lived in her Killarney Heights home, in Sydney’s northern suburbs, since 1987, far longer than the suburb ave­rage of 20.27 years. Several other Sydney suburbs, including Yarrawarrah and Abbotsbury, also exceed hold times of two decades.

Ms Hickey and her partner, Lawrie Matthews, 80, raised her two daughters in the family home and have long enjoyed its proximity to the beach, airport, and city.

Streamline Property Buyers managing director Melinda Jennison.

PropTrack senior economist Eleanor Creagh.

They are now begrudgingly taking the home to auction next month to downsize, but hope another family can make its own memories there.

“One of the charms of Killarney Heights is that it is an isolated suburb with effectively no through roads, therefore only local traffic,” Ms Hickey said.

“The schools are highly rated, and there is a bilingual flavour. The whole are is surrounded by beautiful bush, and there are some magnificent walks with captivating views.”

Mr Matthews added: “We are really sorry to leave. We don’t ­really want to because we love it so much. It’s like a hidden oasis.”

PropTrack senior economist Eleanor Creagh said the data, which reviewed the ownership lengths of properties sold over the past year, revealed suburbs with good amenity and infrastructure were favoured.

“The most tightly held suburbs are those that generally appeal to a broad demographic, from younger families to retirees,” she said.