By HOLLIE HARRIS
BACK in 1959, Pelican Street was home to one little lowset house.
A couple of blocks away, at number 41, the second home to be built in Peregian Beach was only a roof behind being finished.
Now beneath the luxurious exterior of a modern makeover lies a very special piece of Sunshine Coast history.
With the auction fast approaching, current owner Derek Finley reflects on a very different beachside life at 41 Pelican Street as he embarks on a massive renovation of the old besser block lowset that had sat there for almost 40 years.
“It was all sandy roads back then. Red foxes walking up the street, kangaroos on the roundabouts and koalas in the trees out the back,” he said.
Derek said there wasn’t a single light to be seen in the Hinterland and emus frequented the beaches back then.
This little old house, which was once a peaceful refuge from the First World War for a Romanian couple, was ready for a makeover.
The rare 1067 square metre block is situated in an elevated part of the street which gives the property breathtaking 270 degree views from the Glasshouse Mountains to the Ocean.
Being surrounded by national park ensures these magnificent vistas will never be built out.
Derek said it was important for the renovation to maximise the coastal weather in all its glory.
Derek embarked with a vision to transform the beachfront shack into a luxurious, architecturally designed family home in 1996.
Engineers had insisted the foundations of the original home were so rock solid that it would be mad not use them.
Hoping to hold onto a piece of history, Derek decided to build 90 per cent of the new extensions onto the original place, keeping one original wall and the existing shower, which still stands in the basement.
“It adds story to the place. I think people crave a bit of history these days,” Derek said.
There will be a tug at some heart strings when it’s time to let go of this beachfront treasure at the 30 July auction.
Derek said his favourite aspects of the property as it stands today are “when its low tide, sitting at the kitchen bench and looking out to the top of Moreton Island. It’s really something.
“And those full moons over the ocean – it’s picture book stuff.”
