Gold Coast Bulletin’s most read stories 2024
They are the most-read Gold Coast stories of 2024 - from a New Year flood-Christmas storm double whammy to ‘Hump towers’, and a school gender war. Here’s the top 10 most-read stories
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In 2024, the Gold Coast was the backdrop to some of Australia’s biggest and most-read stories.
As the home to a higher-than-normal concentration of adult content creators, a dog and bird pairing which almost broke the internet, a booming population exacerbating growing pains of all kinds, and just for good measure a natural disaster which smashed the city at the start of the year, the tourism capital is the ideal breeding ground for compelling stories which you the readers love to soak up.
Take a walk down memory lane and revisit the top ten most-read stories from the Gold Coast Bulletin in 2024.
1. ‘Mandate secure’: Tate’s multi-billion dollar agenda revealed
Gold Coast Tom Tate was re-elected for his fourth term in 2024. He celebrated his win in style after the March local government elections, and claimed a mandate to set the city up for success for years to come.
Just days into his re-election, Mr Tate already had a laundry list of promises to Gold Coast residents.
“I am buoyant and ecstatic because of what I have got planned for the Gold Coast now that I have a mandate to do it,” Mr Tate said.
“Light rail Stage 4, the lyric theatre at HOTA and the waste-to-energy plant, these are big projects and the people have said, ‘Tom, have a crack’, so I will.”
The election was not without controversy, though, with councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden running also running for re-election, despite facing a murder charge after the death of his step-father - he has entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge and was not re-elected, with Joe Wilkinson.
2. ‘This won’t let up’: Torrential rain outlook amid flashflood emergency
A year in Queensland would be incomplete without at least one catastrophic weather event.
Unfortunately for the Gold Coast, it copped two major ones in quick succession for a disastrous start to 2024. Within a week after the epic Christmas storm that killed a woman, destroyed homes, ripped off roofs, and left thousands without power, more than 210mm of rain was dumped on parts of the Gold Coast in the first few hours of the new year.
Mayhem quickly descended on the Gold Coast as water levels rose and urgent evacuation warnings were triggered, less than a week after the “tornado” level storm tore through parts of the Gold Coast on Christmas Day 2023.
While the New Year's’ Day flooding was not fatal, it added to the catastrophe of the storm, rubbing salt into the wound after, which devastated countless homes across the region and claimed the life of 59-year-old Helensvale woman Robyn Carman. Now more than 12 months later, parts of the community are still recovering from the devastation.
3. ‘I see them having sex’: Luxury tower’s eye-catching flaw
With so many towers adorning the Gold Coast skyline, one might think the city had skyscraper developments down to a fine art.
Perhaps that’s why there was so much vitriol when residents ended up seeing a lot more of their new neighbours than they bargained for.
As new residents moved in to Raptis Group’s Pearl tower at Main Beach, residents of a neighbouring tower reported they could see the Pearl residents “urinating, showering and fornicating.”
A spokesman for Raptis Group said the tower had “been certified by all relevant building and design authorities” and insisted “all apartment features comply with the Construction Code”.
“Raptis has been building apartments on the Gold Coast for more than 40 years and have always complied with the relevant building codes,” he said.
“It is alarming that a resident had their privacy breached by a neighbouring resident in the Spinnaker tower.”
Area councillor Darren Taylor said the incident underlined the need to better consider different elements of towers.
“We have the best intentions to protect people’s privacy in each development,” he said.
“We consider the privacy of those who are in the adjoining towers, however what this highlights is the opposite effect.
“This is something we need to understand and consider more appropriately going forward.”
The reports spurred on hundreds of readers to take their sentiments to the comments.
Many argued the simple implementation of curtains or blinds would solve the problem, while many other took aim at the developer claiming it was their oversight, and also at council for allowing the build to go ahead.
Some said the issue was more personal, blaming either exhibitionism or voyeurism.
4. ‘Tears started rolling’: First photo of Molly the Magpie after being ‘taken’
The plight of Molly the Magpie and her best mate Peggy the Staffy was a blockbuster saga which spanned months and was followed by millions across Australia.
The dog-and-bird duo’s story was wrought with controversy, attracting attention from politicians, government departments, a lawsuit in the Supreme Court, and a children’s book.
The story first attracted attention in March, after Molly the Magpie was surrendered to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation. By keeping Molly, Peggy’s owners, Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, were contravening some of Queensland’s strict laws to protect wildlife.
An outpouring of emotion followed the surrender, which sparked a giant social media campaign with even former Premier Steven Miles advocating for the besties to be reunited.
Eventually, DESI granted Ms Wells and Mr Mortensen a special license to allow Molly back into their care.
However, the Supreme Court later found that was illegal, and revoked the special licence, though Molly is still living with Ms Wells and Mr Mortensen.
In the meantime, the pair have been immortalised in a children’s book, with an animated series on the horizon.
5. Let’s say goodbye to this awful Aussie tradition forever
The suggestion that camping should be scrapped as the nation’s go-to budget-friendly holiday was enough to lure swarms of readers into heated debate.
Though camping is ingrained in Australians’ psyches as a cheaper approach to a getaway, Ann Wason Moore wrote that skyrocketing prices might ultimately contribute to the past-time’s demise.
Thousands of readers voted as to whether camping in Australia was “dying,” with some shocking results, and many hundreds took to the comments section with their two cents.
6. X-rated star savaged over ‘disgusting’ shopping centre show
When Gold Coast influencer and racy OnlyFans creator Anna Paul, hosted a pop-up event at a Gold Coast shopping centre it drew crowds and controversy.
While some revelled in the glow of meeting their idol, others openly shared their disgust that an adult film creator hosted a meet-and-greet, spruiking products and attracted young fans.
One mother wrote: “Had a realisation today at Pacific Fair and seeing all those young kids lining up to meet this OnlyFans chick. I’m worried for our younger generations with what we are promoting. Pacific Fair, yes you dam(n) right sent the wrong message today.”
Breakfast radio star and mother Emily Jade O’Keeffe said those online shouldn’t be quick to judge.
“While I don’t follow Anna Paul, there is more to her than just ‘sex worker’,” she said.
“She’s an entrepreneur, connected well with her audience on all platforms and pioneered connecting with them to her benefit. My daughter is a fan of her cosmetics and her other social media platforms.”
7. Tiger handler still in hospital after mauling at theme park
It was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Dreamworld’s Tiger Island, after a handler was mauled by a tiger in September, which triggered a review resulting in the end of human interaction at the tourist attraction.
On September 2, Dreamworld tiger handler, Melissa Reynolds sustained serious injuries after an incident with a tiger which left her hospitalised for days.
It sparked a review by Dreamworld, which announced in December that it would end human interaction with the tigers on Tiger Island.
8. ‘Like a shotgun’: My life with two vaginas
Gold Coast OnlyFans poster Evelyn Miller opened up about how she made her rare medical condition an asset to her career as an adult content creator.
Ms Miller was born with a rare condition which means she has two reproductive systems.
She said while the condition has created a lot of complications in her life, it was also unexpectedly useful and lucrative on OnlyFans.
A story of wealth, adult content, and an unusual medical condition, it sparked the curiosity of Gold Coast readers with her describing it as “like a shotgun”.
9. Dad’s gender war with private school over son’s hair
When this Gold Coast dad pulled his child out of a prestigious school because they wouldn’t allow him to have long hair, it catalysed a conversation around whether such standards could and should be enforceable in this day and age.
Mark Morris yanked his son out of AB Paterson College and lodged a complaint with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on the basis of discrimination if his son was forced to cut his hair. He later withdrew his complaint but also withdrew his kids from the school.
The AB Paterson College principal Joanne Sheehy commented: “Like other private schools, we have a uniform policy. Ours is intended to encourage all our students to be well-presented, respectful, and unified. Whilst there are obvious differences applicable to each gender, clear standards of presentation are expected of both male and female students. Mr Morris agreed to this policy when he enrolled his children at the College.”
10. Inside story of Australia’s most controversial escort
If there’s one thing Gold Coasters couldn’t get enough of in 2024, it was content about OnlyFans content creators in the adult space.
In the lead up to Gold Coast Schoolies 2024, the internet all but broke as people learned of controversial escort Bonnie Blue’s plans to film content with “barely legal” teenage boys during the week-long event.
Ms Blue sat down for a tell-all interview with this publication, sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of her job - revealing she’d come to Australia as a worker in recruitment, had been sexually harassed on the job and decided on a career change and what her parents thought about her new direction. Eventually she had her Australian visa cancelled - and took her film production plans elsewhere.
She justified what she was doing by saying if people had a problem with her, they had a problem with the law as it was all legal, of age and with signed consent forms.
You were outraged - but you also couldn’t get enough of it, according to the readership numbers.
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