The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
FINAL CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR URBANITY-25 JOIN MORE THAN 550 ALREADY ATTENDING
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR URBANITY 550+ ALREADY ATTENDING
REGISTER NOWDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
Real EstateTaryn ParisMon 29 Jan 24

‘Mercurial’ Lang Walker Dies, Aged 78

Billionaire property man Lang Walker AO died at the weekend, aged 78, surrounded by his family. 

He developed more than 1000 assets, and weathered at least three recessions in the course of his career, after founding what would become Walker Corp with his father, Alec, in 1964. 

This would have been his 60th year in business. 

The Walker family said the property stalwart, husband, father and grandfather would forever be in their hearts.

“Lang loved creating incredible places where people can live and work, but he loved his family more than anything else in the world and his generosity and affection had no boundaries,” the statement said. 

“Our hearts are broken by the loss of a great man who changed the lives of so many people through his visionary projects and philanthropy.

“His zest for life and his relentless pursuit of perfection lives on within everyone in the Walker family.”

The directors of Walker Corp paid tribute to Walker in a statement, which acknowledged he had “built a world class business shaping the Group into Australia’s largest privately owned property company”.

“Lang’s vision will remain an enduring force through the Walker DNA and the Walker Way which he actively passed on - it is embedded in our culture and our modus operandi,” Walker Corp chief executive David Gallant said. 

“The vital importance of business continuity and the need to maintain key relationships to retain our pre-eminent position has been instilled in all of us.”

Walker’s visionary projects

1 of 3


The Urban Developer
founder Adam Di Marco described Walker as “the most mercurial and successful city shaper in modern Australian history”. 

“Over more than 60 years Walker Corp successfully developed across almost every sector, across Australia, tackled the most challenging and complex sites and built some of the most sustainable and enduring real estate assets,” Di Marco said. 

Walker sat down with Di Marco at the flagship conference Urbanity in 2019, where the property mogul was honoured with the inaugural lifetime achievement award. 

In his interview with Di Marco, Walker revealed “doing a luxury island in Fiji was probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done”.

“As a kid I was always very entrepreneurial, always looking for opportunities,” Walker said, a skill he applied with relish in his working life. 


Walker Corporation spearheaded the development of Parramatta’s town square and Western Sydney University, transformed Rhodes waterfront land, reinvigorated Sydney’s wharfs, is building out the new Maroochydore CBD, and masterplanning communities in Adelaide. 

Walker has been lauded for his vision and capacity to transform underutilised parcels of land into destinations, and for his unwavering determination to forge his own path.

Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest said the property industry had “lost a great leader and innovator”.

“[He] was distinguished across the Australian property sector, with a career spanning over 50 years,” Forrest said.  

“Lang Walker has left behind an indelible mark on the urban landscape of the nation’s two major cities - with the award-winning Parramatta Square and Collins Square in Melbourne a legacy and tribute to Lang’s drive and determination.”

Property Council chief executive Mike Zorbas said Walker’s contribution to the sector and Australian life was immense.

“Lang Walker was a great son of Sydney. He was a great champion of the property industry and a great contributor to many Australian cities and communities,” Zorbas said.

“Lang lived and breathed property for more than five decades. During that time he housed and employed tens of thousands of Australians while investing in and shaping our cities for the better.”

ResidentialRetailIndustrialHotelAustraliaParramattado not useSector
AUTHOR
Taryn Paris
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Warren and Mahoney Western Bulldogs Women's Health and Leadership Hub HERO
Exclusive

Beyond the Boys’ Club: Inclusive Architecture Disrupting Sporting Precincts

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Exclusive

Inside the $10m Heritage Refit of Sydney’s $25,000-a-Year Members’ Club

Taryn Paris
4 Min
Kurraba Point 93 Kurraba Road TUD PLUS
Residential

Council Over Court: How HFO Won Rare North Sydney Approval

Vanessa Croll
7 Min
Exclusive

Why Sentinel is Betting Big on Olympic City Office Sector

Phil Bartsch
5 Min
The Port of Brisbane has released its Vision 2060 which details the need for inland rail connectivity
Infrastructure

Brisbane Port’s $15bn Future Faces One Big Obstacle

Renee McKeown
5 Min
View All >
An aerial view of Ipswich, whose suburb Springfield Lakes, had the highest number of house sales for Queensland in Q2, 2025.
Residential

Ipswich Suburb Leads Queensland House Sales

Marisa Wikramanayake
Warren and Mahoney Western Bulldogs Women's Health and Leadership Hub HERO
Exclusive

Beyond the Boys’ Club: Inclusive Architecture Disrupting Sporting Precincts

Leon Della Bosca
Development

Zen Group’s West End Towers Greenlit

Taryn Paris
Brisbane builder-developer Zen Group has won approval from Brisbane City Council for its two-tower project at West End..…
LATEST
An aerial view of Ipswich, whose suburb Springfield Lakes, had the highest number of house sales for Queensland in Q2, 2025.
Residential

Ipswich Suburb Leads Queensland House Sales

Marisa Wikramanayake
5 Min
Warren and Mahoney Western Bulldogs Women's Health and Leadership Hub HERO
Exclusive

Beyond the Boys’ Club: Inclusive Architecture Disrupting Sporting Precincts

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Development

Zen Group’s West End Towers Greenlit

Taryn Paris
2 Min
Goldfields Kyneton Central Edgecombe Road precinct rendering
Development

Goldfields Forges Ahead on $150m Kyneton Central Hub

Leon Della Bosca
3 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mercurial-lang-walker-legacy-death-walkercorp