Annie Cannon-Brookes spends $24m on Queensland island with view to revamp tourism
A prominent Aussie investor has added an entire island to her property empire, with plans to revamp the land as a tourist mecca.
Another Aussie rich-lister has dropped a huge amount buying a Great Barrier Reef island, giving tourism groups hope the weather-beaten asset may return to its former glory.
Luxury property circles were aflutter on Tuesday with news mogul Annie Cannon-Brookes, the wife of tech entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, had spent $24m to buy Dunk Island south of Cairns.
The purchase continues a run of rich-lister interest in Tropical North Queensland, with Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest buying Lizard Island near Cooktown for a reported $42m in November, while developer Glenn Piper in May spent $10m for a slice of Hook Island in the Whitsundays with plans to open an eco-lodge.
The 150 hectare Dunk Island – which sits about 4km off the coast of Mission Beach on the Cassowary Coast – has an existing 160-room hotel, a day spa, a sealed commercial airstrip, and a nine-hole golf course, but the resort has been closed since early 2011 after it was smashed by Cyclone Yasi.
Parts of the old resort are in need of pulling down and rebuilding.
A statement released by Ms Cannon-Brookes did not make it clear whether Dunk Island will be returned to its former heyday as a bustling visitor destination, but local tourism groups have nonetheless hailed the move as a positive one.
“Annie has purchased the land with the intent to preserve its natural beauty for years to come,” a spokesperson for Ms Cannon-Brookes said on Tuesday.
Dunk Island has been on the cusp of new ownership for a couple of years but proposed deals to purchase from previous owner Peter Bond fell through.
Tropical Coast Tourism chief executive Patrick Bluett told radio station 4CA Cairns he was buoyed by news the island had a new buyer.
“We just have to wait for their plans and see what they plan to do with it,” Mr Bluett said.
“Everyone‘s being very tight lipped about it … We haven’t engaged with the new owners yet. I'm sure in due course they will … start some engagement with the council with local tourism bodies.”
The Cannon-Brookes are considered among Australia’s richest people, with Mr Cannon-Brookes having co-founded tech monolith Atlassian.
Together with his wife, the pair has amassed a significant property portfolio which includes a manor at Wattle Ridge in the NSW Southern Highlands and a beachside home at Coaster’s Retreat at Pittwater.
In 2018 they bought Australia‘s most expensive house, Fairwater, in Sydney’s Point Piper, for a staggering $100m.
Mr Cannon-Brookes is also a co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and a minority owner of NBA team Utah Jazz and has made waves as a corporate environmental activist through his takeover of AGL Energy and intent to steer it away from running coal power.
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