REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Saturday, April 29, 1989

IF YOU thought unruly party houses were a recent problem, take a step back to 1989.

In the last days of April that year, the Bulletin revealed the neighbourhood nightmare facing Surfers Paradise resident Elizabeth St John.

In a situation few could imagine, Mrs St John’s house was overrun by up to 22 international backpackers who refused to leave.

Mrs St John, 62, won the first round of a bitter legal battle to evict the unwanted house guests. For four months the house had been used as a hostel by backpackers from across the world.

But magistrate Bert Latham ruled that live-in tenant, Matthew Norton, who had been operating the hostel, would have to leave the house within three weeks.

Mr Latham also ordered him to pay Mrs St John $3900 in rent arrears.

Mr Norton told the Bulletin that it was, in fact, Mrs St John who had come up with the idea.

“She was the one who sold me on the idea and she even worked out how many people I could put into the place,” he said.

However, this was disputed by the homeowner who said she was pleased with the court’s decision.

“I am delighted by the decision and if it goes to appeal I am confident I will win,” Mrs St John said.

“All I really want is my house back.”

She claimed that within days of Mr Norton moving in that she had been forced to move into a small room in the house and forced to share its one bathroom with up to 22 people.