Flashback: Cheap Gold Coast property in the 1980s

Would you pay $88,000 for a two-bedroom unit overlooking one of the world’s most famous beaches? It was possible on the Gold Coast in the 1980s, along with some other incredible things, like winning the Miss Sundale Teenage Quest.

IT is July 1985. Live Aid is on TV, Bob Hawke is Prime Minister and Duran Duran is No. 1 on the charts.

Life on the Gold Coast was going well. Sundale Shopping Centre was hosting free magic shows while a corned silverside in white onion sauce lunch at the Benowa Tavern set you back just $1.50.

PART ONE: BEST GOLD COAST ADVERTISING 1975

Best Gold Coast advertising from 1985

VIEW GALLERY

A two-acre block at Nerang was $22,000 while a unit in Surfers Paradise’s Condor building was $105,000.

The personal computer revolution was underway with plenty of exciting products on the market.

FLASHBACK: 50 YEARS OF GOLD COAST PUTT PUTT

A Commodore 64 Family Pack.

FLASHBACK: GOLD COAST BUILDINGS NOW AND THEN

FLASHBACK: INSIDE THE MERMAID BEACH CINEMA

FLASHBACK: REMEMBERING THE MERMAID BEACH MCDONALDS

A Commodore 64, with a joystick, arcade game, money manager and Rolf Harris tape was $419. The IBM computer was far more expensive. A 20mb hard drive PC was $4290.

Home video had also become popular, with a VCR available to rent from $6.91 a week.

If you were looking for a night out on the town, it was “ladies nite” at the Penthouse nightclub on Mondays and Thursdays.