One of Springbrook’s oldest properties now on the market
A historical property in the Gold Coast Hinterland, with an interesting history offers plenty of opportunity for a tree change venture.
Surrounded by the sprawling and picturesque, world heritage-listed Springbrook National Park, 8 Canyon Parade has a commercial zoning, and comes with a cafe licence and commercial kitchen, as well as a five bedroom, five bathroom home.
The residence currently operates as an in-demand boutique bed and breakfast.
The grand historic home is set on a 904 square metres of land, and offers two separate levels of living space.
It was once home to the popular Sitting Room Cafe, before it ceased operating last year.
The grand property is surrounded by the stunning Springbrook National Park. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“It is a stunning position on Canyon parade and of course that’s where the twin falls are, which is a special and unique part of the 6000 plus hectares of Spirngbook National Park,” selling agent Jenn Chambers ok of Harcourts Coastal said.
A tranquil hideaway offering much potential
After owning the property for a few years, the owners were sad to be selling due to a change in circumstances, Ms Chambers said.
With its commercial licensing, Ms Chambers said its new owners could create an event space for conferences or weddings, or reopen the cafe.
The popular cafe closed last year but its licence is still current. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“You feel like you are in the middle of a bush in a beautiful resort style place,” she said.
A rich history to discover
While the property is not part of a local heritage register, the City of Gold Coast [CoGC] has identified the residence as a heritage place on the master list that the council holds, a council spokesperson said.
“It’s the former Panorama Lodge c. 1930s and was privately owned by the Kurz family,” the spokesperson said.
“Built in the 1930s, it was originally known as the Highways Guesthouse. It operated for a time as only a tearoom, but after many years, resumed its former role as a guesthouse.”
The property is located in an eco-tourism hotspot, according to the CoGC.
“Eco-tourism is now the [Springbrook] plateau’s lifeblood, especially as it flanks the most rapidly growing urban area in Australia – the Gold Coast, with a residential population nearing half a million, not counting the ever-present tourist population,” the CoGC said in its Springbrook Heritage and Character study.
Local historian Pamela Hall said it was believed the property was built in 1933 due to the architecture, in addition to the discovery of a penny on one of the stumps.
“Quite often coins were put – particularly on top of stumps – to kind of date a building,” she said.
The home has undergone recent renovations. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Two or three owners ago, during excavations under the home to build the tourist accommodation many items were discovered, Ms Hall said.
“They found old pots and pans, open lanterns but the most interesting thing they found was a 1797 copper – I think it was a copper penny, ” she said.
“Now, the mountain was not utilised by Europeans until 1906-1907…it was a timber reserve and there was no one living here but Indigenous people [who] used the mountain very much as a place of ceremony and as a place of healing, and a place of gathering.”
Ms Hall said that area was located on the boundary of where three of four different Indigenous groups lived and she didn’t know how the 1797 copper coin came to be in the area.
“Sydney was only just being developed [for Europeans], so it was a mystery – we don’t know where that coin came from. All we can think of was it was in someone’s collection and they may have lost it,” she said.
“It’s a mystery and one I don’t think we will ever know.”
Other features of the grand home include a fireplace, a newly refurbished bathroom, three kitchenettes, native gardens and two 22,000 litre water tanks. It is a 90 minute drive from the Brisbane Airport.
8 Canyon Parade has an asking price of $1.2 million.
