The Castle, Candy Shop Mansion and that old Hedges Ave house: Inside Gold Coast’s most iconic homes
They’re not always the most beautiful on the block, but these homes sure do grab your attention … and what could be more GC than that?
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They are the iconic characters of the Gold Coast.
No, I’m not talking about Princess or the Nerang Gatekeeper, these identities are a little more wooden. Or brick. Or maybe even fibro.
These are the houses that make our city a home. They’re not always the most beautiful on the block, but they sure do make a statement.
Forget about your Insta-worthy palaces like the Bajo El Sol Beach House in Burleigh Heads or Jefferson on Jefferson Lane, Palm Beach … these abodes don’t need any likes to secure their status.
In fact, sometimes it’s more about loathing than loving that makes them the subject of locals’ attention and affection. But what could be more GC than that?
While we’re not allowed to stickybeak inside these abodes, residents can get a look at some of the city’s best public and private architecture at the launch of Gold Coast Open House this Tuesday.
GCOH is even holding an open weekend at the Ernest Junction Railway Tunnel at Molendinar, the scene of every Gold Coast urban legend worth telling. Satanic cults, virgin sacrifices, murders … you name it and it hasn’t actually happened there. But it sure looks like it could have!
Meanwhile, the following properties perhaps won’t make the GCOH list, but in this city that was built on the back of the ‘look at me’ ethos … they’ve already made it.
The Castle
Let’s start with my personal favourite, the residence I refer to as the Miami Castle.
Now, some would argue its location is North Burleigh, some might call it a tower, but everyone knows exactly what I’m talking about.
Perched atop Miami Headland, regular drivers on the Gold Coast Highway know it as the fortress-flavoured landmark that has lost a little of its lustre over the last few years.
But here’s hoping it will never be demolished, because what it lacks in beauty it more than makes up for in character.
The Egg House
What would happen if George Jetson became a surfer? He’d build this house on Duranbah Hill.
Officially titled the Tweed Terrace House and with views to die for, this home has killer style. Whether that’s interpreted as a positive or negative description is up to the individual.
Comprised of two space-age looking pods, GCB Constructions director Trent Clark worked on the home for nearly three years and consulted with Movie World prop makers to come up with the home’s 3D design, which was inspired by a concept found in Mexico.
“You are always going to have someone whinge about it but that’s human nature,” he said.
And that’s the GC in a nutshell.
The White House
Tucked down a relatively quiet street on the Isle of Capri is this palace fit for a president.
Complete with columns and a stately porte-cochere, this home would not look out of place on the plantation fields of America’s deep south. Which is a little disconcerting, but it sure does make a grand statement.
In fact, it’s even listed on Google maps as a tourist attraction with a 4.5 star rating, despite not being open for public inspections and assumedly just a private residence.
Still, I bet you couldn’t help but feel like the leader of the free world, or at least the Isle of Capri, living here.
The Old House on Hedges
Remember the days when this description could apply to more than half of the properties on this beachfront street?
Nowadays, Millionaire’s Row is more Multi-millionaire’s Row, but this beach house still steals my heart.
Technically its address is on Dudley Street, but its frontage faces Hedges so that’s where it lives in my mind.
It’s very mid-century modern meets surf shack and while I’ve never seen anyone actually living there, that priceless front veranda is just begging for some late arvo drinks.
And the truth is, that’s exactly why the GC is what it is … because that lifestyle never goes out of style.
Honourable Mentions
Diamond Head:
The Mick Doohan mansion made famous by its celeb tenants … including the notorious pups Pistol and Boo, and their even more infamous owners Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
The Candy Shop Mansion:
Owned by tobacco tycoon and controversial businessman Travers “The Candyman” Beynon, this pad is home to the self-proclaimed ‘world’s best house party’.
Over-the-top opulence means good taste is not welcome through the ornate front gates, but perhaps the most amazing feature is that such hedony makes its home in Helensvale.
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Originally published as The Castle, Candy Shop Mansion and that old Hedges Ave house: Inside Gold Coast’s most iconic homes
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