Compass Estate Agents

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Jobs for this week...

One of our rental properties threw us a curveball – the dishwasher finally gave up after 12+ years. The motherboard couldn't be replaced, so instead of waiting around, we made a quick trip to Bunnings, picked up a new dishwasher, removed the old one and installed the new one.

While we were there, we also re-sealed the shower. Two jobs knocked over in one visit.

Happy tenant.
Happy landlord – only billed $369 for a brand-new dishwasher with no installation charge.
Happy property managers.

Compass Estate Agents. No BS! Just honest advice and exceptional service.

A slower week on the maintenance front at Compass Estate Agents... and for me! 😄

This week was about saving one of our Williamstown landlords some of their hard-earned money.

A mould issue had already been professionally treated, and the report confirmed there were no roof or plumbing leaks. I headed down today suspecting the problem was ventilation.

A quick check found the bathroom exhaust fan was working perfectly, but the toilet exhaust fan had failed.

One trip to Bunnings, a new 250mm high-flow vent fan for $65.55, and because it was a simple plug-and-play replacement, there was no electrician call-out required.

Total fix: $65.55.

That's the difference with Compass Estate Agents. We can't promise every maintenance job will be this simple, but we always do our utmost to reduce costs for our landlords—whether that's tackling the small jobs ourselves or making sure your money is being spent wisely.

Thinking of changing property managers?

Switch to Compass Estate Agents and receive 3 months FREE management fees. (Conditions apply.)

Compass Estate Agents. NO BS! Just honest advice and exceptional service.

Brace Yourself - It's Finally Here!
Centrally located, architecturally designed and built for the whole clan.

This exceptional family residence, circa 2015, delivers the space, flexibility and lifestyle that modern families crave — all while being just a short stroll from the very best Altona has to offer.

Set across an impressive 46+ squares, this thoughtfully designed, low-maintenance home offers secure accommodation for four cars plus all the toys that come with bayside living. From the entertainer’s kitchen and expansive alfresco to the multiple living zones and superb outdoor spaces, this is a home designed to be lived in and enjoyed.

Compass Estate Agents. No BS! Just honest advice and exceptional service.

Coming Soon! 🏡

This modern executive family residence has every box ticked for those looking for an outstanding family residence in the heart of Altona.

This exceptional home ( over 45 Sq) offers:

• 4 bedrooms + home office (or 5th bedroom
• 3 bathrooms
• 3 spacious living areas
• Covered alfresco with built-in BBQ & café screens
• Huge walk-in pantry
• Massive garage with workshop
• Room for 4 cars in the garage
• Plus 2 additional off-street spaces behind a remote-controlled gate

And best of all, you're within easy walking distance of the very best Altona has to offer — the beach, cafés, restaurants, shops, schools and transport.

A truly impressive family home in a superb Central Altona location.

Call Peter Weaver 0430808240 to arrange a pre-market inspection.

Coming Soon — Compass Estate Agents. No BS!

Another property Leased!!!

Compass Estate Agents. No BS!

The early subdivision history of Altona and Seaholme is one of the most interesting examples of Melbourne’s late‑19th and early‑20th century speculative land development. What is now a tightly held bayside residential area began as a mixture of pastoral land, mining speculation, and railway-driven estate subdivision.

Here is the timeline and the key estates that shaped the modern street pattern.

Before subdivision: pastoral land (1840s–1880s)
The Altona/Seaholme area was originally part of large pastoral holdings on the western shore of Port Phillip. European settlement dates from the 1840s, and the name Altona was in use by the 1860s. The district remained sparsely populated for decades, with salt marshes, grazing land and coastal scrub dominating the landscape.

The first major subdivision: the 1880s land boom
Like many Melbourne suburbs, Altona was transformed by the 1880s land boom.

Altona Beach Estate (1886–1888)
The crucial development was the Altona Beach Estate, promoted by private developers who saw the area as a future seaside suburb. Lots were offered from 1886, and the estate was connected to Melbourne by a private railway branch line opened in 1888 from the main Geelong line. The station was originally called Altona Beach.
This is why so many of Altona’s streets are:
Relatively short, laid out in a regular grid and oriented toward Pier Street and the beach.

The railway was not built by the government but by the estate company itself, a classic land-boom strategy: sell cheap bayside allotments by promising easy rail access to the city.

Merton Street Estate ( Altona Meadows)

At the same time, adjoining land was subdivided as the Merton Street Estate, extending development inland from the beachfront. Sales were advertised to both investors and working families.

Collapse after 1890
The crash of the Melbourne property boom in 1890–1891 hit Altona hard.
Regular rail services were suspended.
Many allotments remained unsold or vacant.
Large areas existed only on paper for years.

For the next two decades, Altona was a curious landscape of isolated cottages scattered across a fully surveyed grid. Some owners bought lots as speculative investments and never built on them.

Coal mining and renewed settlement (1908–1919)
A second wave of activity came with brown coal mining.

Mining operations from 1908 brought workers and renewed interest in the township. The railway service was restored under an arrangement with Victorian Railways in 1917, and population growth accelerated.
By this stage, the original 1880s subdivision had become the framework for the growing town.

Birth of Seaholme: a 1920s estate, not an old township
Seaholme is often assumed to be an older separate settlement, but historically it was a housing estate created in the early 1920s as an extension of Altona.
The Seaholme Estate
Developers marketed the area between present-day:
Millers Road, the bay and the railway line as an exclusive bayside residential enclave.

The name “Seaholme” was a marketing invention designed to evoke:
sea air, holiday living and a more refined coastal character than industrial Williamstown or rural Laverton.

The estate was promoted around the time the Seaholme railway station opened in 1920.
A different subdivision philosophy
Unlike the tighter 1880s Altona grid, Seaholme’s layout shows 1920s planning ideas:
Slightly wider streets, more generous corner treatments, stronger emphasis on the Esplanade and beach frontage and residential rather than mixed commercial intentions.
The blocks were generally marketed for detached homes rather than investment terraces or worker housing.
Why the street pattern changes at Millers Road
One of the clearest historical clues is the change in urban grain around Millers Road.
1880s
East of Millers Road (older Altona):
Tighter grid, Narrower allotments, Land-boom speculation, Railway and township focused

1920s

South/east of Millers Road (Seaholme estate)
More spacious layout, Holiday/bayside character, Residential prestige marketing and Esplanade oriented.
This is essentially the boundary between two different subdivision eras.