Most people drive through Chifley on the way to somewhere else - Malabar's beach, Little Bay's headland, the golf courses out towards La Perouse. That's precisely why it stays affordable. Named after former prime minister Ben Chifley and tucked into the 2036 postcode between bigger-name neighbours, this small pocket rewards the buyer who looks where the crowd doesn't - and a buyers agent Chifley locals rely on knows exactly what that value looks like.
What it's like to live in Chifley
Chifley is quiet in the way only a genuinely residential pocket can be - no through-traffic destination, no strip of cafes drawing weekend crowds, just tidy streets on gently rising ground between Malabar and Little Bay. Its strongest card is proximity: the Malabar Headland walking trails, Little Bay Beach and the coastal golf courses are all a short hop away, and the redeveloped Prince Henry precinct at Little Bay has added supermarkets and services within easy reach. You're on the far coastal edge of the Eastern Suburbs here, closer to raw headland and open water than to harbour glamour, and residents tend to like it that way. It reads as a place where you buy for the land, the light and the walk to the sand rather than for a postcode to name-drop.
Who is buying in Chifley
The buyer pool skews towards people chasing Eastern Suburbs coastal access without the Maroubra or Coogee price tag. Families priced out of neighbouring suburbs come for freestanding homes on real blocks, often with a renovation in mind. First-home buyers who want the east but can't stretch to the beaches proper find Chifley one of the more realistic entry points. Renovators and small developers watch the older post-war stock, and investors factor in steady rental demand tied to the nearby Randwick health and education precinct and UNSW. Because no single buyer type dominates, offers here can come from very different angles - which is exactly where local read matters.
Chifley at a glance
| Region | Eastern Suburbs |
|---|---|
| Postcode | 2036 |
| Character | Quiet, unassuming residential pocket on the coastal fringe |
| Transport | Buses to Maroubra Junction, Randwick and the CBD; no train line |
| Typical buyers | Families, first-home buyers, renovators, investors near UNSW |
| Property styles | Post-war brick homes, former public-housing cottages now renovated, newer townhouses |
| Price positioning | One of the more affordable coastal entry points in the Eastern Suburbs |
| Green space | Close to Malabar Headland, Little Bay Beach and coastal golf courses |
Ready to find the value in Chifley before everyone else does?
Find a Chifley buyers agentThe buyers agent advantage in Chifley
- Knowing which of the older brick cottages sit on the better-oriented, renovation-friendly blocks and which don't
- A clear read on whether a home's price reflects its land value or just its coastal-adjacent postcode
- Off-market leads in a low-turnover pocket where good buys can change hands quietly
- Honest guidance on renovation potential versus over-capitalising for the street
- Independent advice throughout - your buyers agent works for you, never for the vendor's selling agent
Tip: in Chifley the land often matters more than the house. A modest post-war home on a well-oriented block can be the smarter buy than a slicker renovation next door - a local buyers agent will tell you which is which before you fall for the finishes.