A stretch of Coronation Drive that sat derelict and underutilised for the better part of two decades has been transformed. Monarch Residences, a $450 million dual-tower apartment development built on the former ABC Queensland headquarters in Toowong, has officially opened, marking the first major redevelopment of the site since it was evacuated in 2006.
Read: Toowong To West End Green Bridge To Utilise Portion Of Former ABC Site
The 224 apartments, spread across two 15-storey riverfront towers, have sold out entirely, with the final residence reportedly changing hands for $4.1 million. The completion represents a striking transformation of a block that sat largely dormant for nearly two decades following its controversial history.
What came before the towers
Before the cranes arrived and the concrete was poured, this 1.2-hectare parcel on the Brisbane River was known for something far more troubling than real estate.
The Toowong site served as the home of ABC Queensland’s radio and television operations for more than 50 years. It became the focus of national concern after an unusually high number of female employees were diagnosed with breast cancer. The cluster grew steadily, eventually affecting more than 20 women, many of them young, with a number under the age of 40.
Former ABC sports presenter Ian Eckersley, who spent 18 years working at the site and was among staff involved in a dramatic walkout in June 2006, has said it is important the site’s history not be forgotten as new residents move in. The walkout came after the 12th breast cancer diagnosis among female staff, with employees demanding answers and action from management.
An expert investigation examined soil, water and air quality as well as electromagnetic fields inside the building, but could not pinpoint a definitive cause. What the inquiry did conclude was that the statistical chance of the cluster occurring randomly was roughly one in a million. That finding prompted then ABC managing director Mark Scott to order the evacuation and abandonment of the site in December 2006. The cause has never been definitively established.
Developer stands by safety of the site
Before proceeding with the development, Brisbane developer Consolidated Properties Group (CPG) says it examined the site’s history closely. Executive chairman James MacGinley has stated publicly that the safety of the site was the very first question the company examined during its due diligence process, with the team reviewing every available report and commissioning independent testing before proceeding. The company has maintained the site is safe for residential use.
CPG CEO and chairman Don O’Rorke described the project as one of the most warmly received residential developments in the company’s more than 45-year history, first announced in late 2021 and brought to completion four years later.
A riverfront precinct takes shape
The development was designed by Melbourne-based Wardle Studio alongside Brisbane-founded national practice Cottee Parker Architects, and built by Hutchinson Builders. At the heart of the precinct sits Middenbury House, a heritage-listed residence dating to 1865 that predates the ABC’s occupation of the site by almost a century. CPG has restored the building and is now seeking a boutique tenant to activate the riverfront frontage while respecting its historical significance.
Cr Penny Wolff and Cr Adam Allan attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion, both emphasising the development’s contribution to the city’s housing supply. Cr Wolff noted the project as an example of what collaboration between industry and government can produce, while Cr Allan highlighted that Monarch Residences was delivered efficiently at a time when many comparable projects nationally have faced delays.
Read: Petition Launched to Buy Back Old ABC Site for New Toowong Riverside Park
Colliers Director of Residential Andrew Scriven noted that absolute riverfront sites of this scale are extraordinarily rare in Brisbane’s inner west, and that demand for completed premium apartments in the area remains strong.
The site at 600 Coronation Drive has now worn three identities: a heritage homestead, a broadcasting hub, and a luxury residential address. Each chapter has lasted decades. What the latest one will mean for the broader Toowong community, beyond delivering 224 new homes to a suburb already short on housing supply, remains to be seen. For now, the Brisbane River views are the same. Everything else has changed.
Published 15-June-2026
