Historic beauty hits market
Grand old estate at Southport
One of the Gold Coast’s most iconic historic homes is up for sale as the city’s prestige market goes from strength to strength.
Surrey House in Southport is a colonial-style, master-crafted homestead and is known as the legacy of the late Professor John Corbett and his family.
It’s on the market for the first time in 30 years and follows the family’s push to sell another property, Eaglemont Estate at Springbrook.
Vendor Lorraine Corbett said she and her late husband fell in love with Surrey House when they returned from living in the USA, describing the home as “exuding the charm of Charleston, South Carolina”.
“Coming from bustling locations like Sydney, London and several cities in America, we were enchanted by its allure,” Mrs Corbett said.
“We wasted no time in purchasing it from another doctor, who lived upstairs and worked
downstairs.
“We set to work renovating, extending and styling the homes and grounds to suit our family and business lifestyle.”
Prof Corbett, who pioneered sleep medicine in Australia, established Snore Australia on the Gold Coast and oversaw its expansion to 30-plus centres.
He treated more than 200,000 patients at his Southport clinic, Surrey House.
A well-known landmark home, the property first hit
headlines in 2009 when the State Government moved to reassure the public it would not be flattened by a nearby road upgrade.
“Surrey House is an extremely important part of the history of the Gold Coast,” said Peter Lawlor, the Member for Southport at the time.
“It is a beautiful reminder of the life and character of the colonial days of Southport and our wonderful region.”
Surrey House’s grandeur isn’t confined to its architecture, but extends to resort-style amenities.
The home has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a powder room, multiple commercial-standard kitchens, a gym, steam room and a 13m indoor heated magnesium pool.
A private sitting room in the original residence provides access to a 3500-bottle, temperature-controlled wine room.
The house is surrounded by hedges and gardens, keeping the tennis court, manicured grounds and magnesium-heated plunge pool private.
“We have held many functions in the home and the gardens over the period we have been here,” Mrs Corbett said.
“Family and medical events for up to 100 people are easily accommodated on the grounds.”
The listing includes both Surrey House and the adjacent Doreen House (159-161 Nerang
St) as well as 76 Pohlman St, a 564sq m land parcel primed for development.
The one-of-a-kind estate is for sale via expressions of interest through Ray White Surfers Paradise Group’s Andrew Bell and Robbie Graham.
“This is opulent living on a scale rarely seen on the Gold Coast,” Mr Bell said.
“This estate really is an exceptional offering that unveils not only a rare elegance, but endless lifestyle and business opportunities.”
Southport’s highest sale price is a riverfront mansion at 5 Mcmillan Court which sold for $24.8m last year.