Grand plan for ‘castle’ on top of Trinity Beach abandoned
Shrouded in mystery, the concrete bunker standing sentinel over Trinity Beach has been the subject of innuendo and rumour for almost 40 years.
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SHROUDED in mystery, the concrete bunker standing sentinel over Trinity Beach has been the subject of innuendo and rumour for almost 40 years.
Eerie ruins and a rumour about the death of a construction worker when a concrete truck careered off a steep cliff have captured the imagination of many.
Big iron gates emblazoned with a “keep out” sign on Panguna Street present a horror movie-type entrance for would-be trespassers.
It has been labelled “the Bunker” and “the German’s house” but for property owner Robert Zmeskal, the ruins of what was planned as a grand Beverly Hills-style mansion are a poignant reminder of what could have been.
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Mr Zmeskal emigrated from Austria with his grandmother and mother to settle in Sydney when he was three years old.
After graduating from university with a maths degree, he headed north and secured the 2.19ha Trinity Beach block for $14,000 in 1980. With a grand vision in his head, Mr Zmeskal drew his own plans for a turreted concrete house complete with a rooftop swimming pool.
But after completing a huge concrete driveway and a small centre section of the house, the developer fell on hard times.
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“The pilot strike happened and I was relying on Cairns going forward. For a long time it didn’t, then I had to wait for a time for my finances,” he said.
“And by that time, I had lost interest.”
Mr Zmeskal settled close to town in Manunda and by the time he was financially able to finish his castle on the northern beaches, he lacked the desire.
So the building sat as a target for vandals, neglected and forgotten for nearly 40 years.
The house has been on and off the market for $1m since 2010 but has never sold.
Gumtree posts advertised the property for rent in May for $300 a week, details of which the owner said were “commercial in confidence”.
The property spruiked as having “no visible neighbours” was again listed for sale through Buymyplace in March with a new price of $1.6m.
It remains for sale.
Premium Property Specialists realtor Grant Freeman said the scope of the planned build was immense.
“You don’t want to see the plans; it was a monstrous development, really huge,” Mr Freeman said. “He has got this amazing concrete footings and what was planned for up there is unbelievable.
“There are plans for a rooftop pool.”
Mr Zmeskal said he hoped the new owners of the property picked up where he left off.
“It would be nice if they build that or something similar, it would be a very positive landmark for Cairns,” he said.
“It just requires someone with the money and vision.”
The property owner said he did feel a nostalgia about the project after investing so much time into the build.
“For a while, I was going to build my castle on top of the hill, so there was some kind of attachment there,” he said.
Mr Zmeskal made it clear no construction workers died before the build was abandoned.
Originally published as Grand plan for ‘castle’ on top of Trinity Beach abandoned
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