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Millionaire businessman Tony Quinn buys mansion at Admiralty Dr Paradise Waters for $7.975m

A Gold Coast rich lister has splashed some serious cash on one of the city’s most luxurious waterfront properties. His reasons for doing so might surprise you.

Pub prince Tony Burnett put his waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au
Pub prince Tony Burnett put his waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au

RICH lister Tony Quinn has splashed some of his lolly shop cash on one of the Gold Coast’s most luxurious waterfront properties because “it seemed like a good idea”.

Mr Quinn, who made $200 million selling most of his stake in confectionary giant Darrell Lea last year, paid $7.975 million for 22 Admiralty Dr, Paradise Waters, in a sale which settled on March 1.

“I used to stay in Commodore Dr years ago and I like the area,” he said.

“I’d been looking for a house rather than an apartment.

“I’d actually looked at it three times in three years and it was just a good idea at the time.”

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Pub prince Tony Burnett had the waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au
Pub prince Tony Burnett had the waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au

Mr Quinn will have plenty of room for his collection of Aston Martin cars in the six-car garage at the home, which also features a soundproofed cinema, 12m indoor pool, 24m serviced pontoon, library, boathouse, games room, entertaining terrace and two decks.

It was on the market 464 days until September 2018, but was not being actively marketed when Mr Quinn signed a contract on January 31.

The sale was made by Michael Willems of Ray White Surfers Paradise.

Tony Quinn with his Aston Martin Vulcan, a car limited to 24 in the world, parked at his business Game Over Gold Coast at Helensvale. Picture: Jerad Williams
Tony Quinn with his Aston Martin Vulcan, a car limited to 24 in the world, parked at his business Game Over Gold Coast at Helensvale. Picture: Jerad Williams

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It had last sold for $6.725 million in August 2011 to pub boss Tony Burnett, who at one point had it marketed at just under $11 million.

“It’s fine house, I hate the westerly sun and so many houses are affected by the westerly sun,” Mr Quinn said.

“This has a beautiful big tree … it is a lovely house.”

Pub prince Tony Burnett put his waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au
Pub prince Tony Burnett put his waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au

The sprawling the five-bedroom, six-bathroom Paradise Waters mansion was built by the family behind the Panasonic electronics empire, sits on a 1351sq m parcel of land and was designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes in the early 1990s for then owners the Matsushita family.

Other previous owners have included property identity Dan McVay and his wife Helen.

The straight-talking Scotsman said he planned to keep the beachfront apartment in luxury building SEA at Main Beach he bought for $5.6 million in May.

Pub prince Tony Burnett has put his waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au
Pub prince Tony Burnett has put his waterfront home on the market for just under $11m. Picture: Realestate.com.au

Mr Quinn, who has had considerable success in business, selling the VIP Petfoods for $410 million and confectionary maker Darrell Lea for $200 million, bought Retail Food Group’s ill-fated global headquarters site in Molendinar for $6.5 million in December.

He returned from England this week where he completed a deal for his newly-acquired New World Foods, a 30-year-old beef jerky operation based in the northern NSW town of Casino and whose products are sold in Australia, Japan and England.

Tony Quinn has bought the waterfront home. Picture: Realestate.com.au
Tony Quinn has bought the waterfront home. Picture: Realestate.com.au

A Quinn company also bought a car yard site at the eastern high point of the high-traffic Ferry Rd, along with an adjoining office building.

Mr Quinn said he was still considering the futures of both commercial sites.

The car lover has two motor-racing circuits in New Zealand — Hampton Downs south of Auckland and the Highland Motorsport Park, which he built, at Cromwell in the South Island.

Mr Quinn also has a home in Byron Bay and operates motorsport facilities and other businesses, including popular entertainment centre Game Over at Helensvale.

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Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/business/millionaire-businessman-tony-quinn-buys-mansion-at-admiralty-dr-paradise-waters-for-7975m/news-story/169d29344a059e51470cc5fddeb66568