ANDY & GRIFFIN TO RITZY HOMES
The Sovereign Islands have gone from Crown sand to the city’s most exclusive suburb in 35 years
MILLIONAIRES, mansions and infinity pools – The Sovereign Islands have more than earned their title as the Gold Coast’s most exclusive suburb.
From mining mogul Clive Palmer to motor-racing legend Dick Johnson, some of the state’s most famous faces have called it home in the 35 years since the subdivision was first proposed.
In the first of a two-part series, we reveal how this sand island was transformed into what was described as “Australia’s most prestigious, private and secure residential address”.
The Gold Coast has a long history of exclusive enclaves, going more than 50 years to the creation of Cronin Island.
Connected by a bridge to Chevron Island, Cronin was at one time the city’s hottest address, with its properties breaking real estate records.
Hedges Ave at Mermaid Beach became the go-to street for prestige and status by the early 1980s.
While Hedges remained the Gold Coast’s most famous street, The Sovereign Islands would go on to take the title as our most exclusive suburb by the mid-1990s when the first of its giant mansions was built.
It was originally known as Andy’s and Griffin Island, though the reasons for this name are a mystery.
Talk of developing the sand island occurred as early as 1974 when Hansard records show it was the subject of a fiery debate between then-Albert MP Bill D’Arcy and Land Minister Wally Rae.
But there was no movement on building on the island for more than a decade until it was bought by developer Lewis Land Corporation.
By late 1985 Lewis had spent $2.5m building the bridge connecting the island to Paradise Point after securing a deal with the Gold Coast City Council.
Even by this point, the area was being marketed as the future location of an exclusive suburb.
Alderman Chris Gibbs said he expected the land to sell for significant sums.
“There is 40ha of Residential A land, and you’d be flat out getting more than seven allotments per hectare on a canal development,’’ he said.
“So I would expect there would be about 280 blocks. I’ve no doubt, with the amount of money they’re spending, the blocks will cost $200,000 and upwards.’’
Lewis announced in January 1986 it would rename the area Sovereign Islands and unveiled plans for a $100m residential development.
It was named for Sovereign, the maxi yacht owned by the company’s boss, Sydney businessman and yachtsman Bernard Lewis.
It was described at the time as “the Gold Coast’s most exclusive water-based community”.
The proposal immediately attracted controversy. The Paradise Point and Northern Districts Progress Association argued it would deprive the public access and that Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s government had sold the Crown land too cheaply.
“If the government is determined not to retain Crown land on the island, it could obtain a far better return by public auction with an upset price of $225,000, which would immediately remove implications of collusion and selective treatment,’’ association secretary Jack Oberthur said at the time.
Ald Gibbs argued the deal was struck to stop high-rise development and a possible island population of 20,000 people.
Gold Coast Mayor Denis Pie argued it was right that the public should be denied access to the island.
“People don’t buy a house to have other people wandering through it all the time, so of course the area will be off limits to the public in many areas,’’ he said in 1986.
“The developers had initially planned a multiple highrise development until we agreed to rezone the area to Residential A. So what are people really complaining about now? The basic right of other people to buy and own their own home? That’s just ridiculous.”
By mid-1987 Lewis unveiled a dramatic expansion of the project from 60ha to 110ha by pumping up sand from the Broadwater.
The move would have created at least a further 100 exclusive residential blocks worth about $25m.
The plan was to have been a joint venture with a state government group, the Gold Coast Waterways Authority.
In January that year, the waterways authority applied to the Land Administration Commission for a special development lease over the sandbank extension.
It said it would require payment of 15 per cent of the gross sale price of each lot.
But the council objected to the proposal and voted it down because it would lead to further destruction of the Broadwater and to too many people living on the island.
“We emphatically disapproved,’’ council planning boss Lex Bell said.