Legendary identity Norm Rix inducted into Gold Coast Business Hall of Fame

HIS motto is “the harder he works, the luckier he gets”.

Legendary Gold Coast developer Norm Rix. Picture Glenn Hampson

HIS motto is “the harder he works, the luckier he gets”.

Gold Coast developer, shopping centre owner and former councillor Norm Rix might have had some luck, but it’s all down to hard work.

The legendary Coast identity was inducted into the Gold Coast Business Hall of Fame at a packed ceremony at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards.

It’s an honour he said was “a highlight of his life”.

Born in Southport in 1935, Mr Rix’s father managed a service station while his

mother was a homemaker.

His father died from cerebral malaria in 1946.

Aged 14, his mother remarried and Mr Rix left home.

He got a job as a bowser boy in Southport but was homeless and slept in the

petrol station, at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving or on any available spare bed.

He got a second job as a waiter at the now-demolished Southport Hotel and a third job

washing cars which meant he could afford to rent a flat.

When he needed a pair of long pants, Mr Rix and a friend pooled their cash

to buy a pair, sharing that pair of pants for two years, taking turns to wear them.

Mr Rix at 19 was called up to National Service, loved it because it paid

good money, and served for three years instead of the required two.

He got his big break working for real estate agent Laurie

Wall, known nationally as Mr Millions.

Mr Rix said on his first day, he sat around waiting for a buyer to appear until Laurie

told him in no uncertain terms “go out and find buyers”.

He did, and within a year, at the age of 26 he launched his own real estate agency

in Southport.

With houses to sell becoming difficult to find, Mr Rix teamed up with three friends to build and sell spec homes.

Within three months he had enough money to start his own home building

business — the start of his development career.

Mr Rix has since built hundreds of homes, expanding into apartment buildings, residential subdivisions and commercial developments and so many subdivisions he has lost count.

In the midst of this he ran for Gold Coast City Council and was elected for nine years.

One of his biggest projects was building the Ashmore City Shopping Centre, which sold for

more than $30 million in 1998 and more recently the Coomera Grand Shopping Centre.

Unlike many other developers, Rix Developments, has survived the

downturns because the business never carries any debt.

“I grew up poor and all I ever wanted was 500 pounds in the bank, to own my own car and to

own my own home,” he said.

Norm has done a little better than that. He is now worth more than $200 million and is

among Queensland’s richest people.

Now 81, he is still in the office every day at 8am and working hard.

He has three adult children and seven grandchildren.