‘Freak accident’: Rose Bay villa partially collapses during luxury rebuild

For more than a century, the Victorian-era villa known as Hillcrest has stood as a stoic reminder of the past amid an ever-shifting Sydney skyline.

Perched on New South Head Road, a stone’s throw from the shimmering waters of Rose Bay Beach, the heritage-listed landmark survived two world wars, the Great Depression, and the steady march of urbanisation.