HI-JINKS is an essay that I wrote to contribute to the Gold Coast Art Gallery’s FIBROCOAST exhibition in 2014.
Its purpose was simply to explain the cultural heritage significance of Gold Coast beach houses and suggest an approach to conservation of some of the best few remnants.
In retrospect now, I see that my outlook was overly optimistic. I suggested that promoting awareness and appreciation is the most effective conservation method, because regulation in this city would be futile, and at least with a positive approach, some voluntary private conservation efforts might result.
In this regard, there have been some successes, but you can count these on one hand. Places like La Costa holiday flats at Bilinga and the Pink Hotel at Coolangatta are trading well in a retro accommodation niche. The Elite Motel at North Burleigh has been refurbished as flats and I have noticed several houses that have been retained and renovated, but I expect these are just holding patterns, waiting until the property market grows to demand the magnitude of development that the council’s City Plan allows.
I still believe that conservation controls would not be effective in this city, but what, if anything can be done before it’s too late?
There are still several places that could be purchased and conserved and holiday-let as a cultural tourism niche offering the simple pleasures of 20th Century beach holidays, but I don’t sense there is political will to even try to make this happen.
That’s why I’ve started another Instagram account just for Gold Coast beach houses from the last century, to keep alive some memories this aspect of our urban history. If you’re interested to see more, please follow @goldcoastbeachhouses
P.S. The Hi-Jinks house was beachfront at the southern end of Hedges Avenue. Photo taken circa 1995