Queensland

Location: Traditional Caloundra Beach Houses, Caloundra

Threat:     Neglect and Inappropriate Development

The simple clean lines of the typical fibro beach house built at Caloundra during the 1950s and 1960s have provided a cohesive and characterful style to the town, which is now threatened by intrusive multi storey development.

The original houses, built as post war austerity changed to prosperity, used flexible modern materials to create functional cottages displaying many features of the modern movement. Houses often included geometric features, port holes, stepping windows, skillion roofs, sloping walls an large areas of glazing. Internally, the houses utilised every new fabric, often in bright colours, including laminex, formica, tilex.

Typically, the houses were small, and were sited simply across the block, with plenty of trees for shelter and shade. This harmonious development is being increasingly disturbed by insensitive new development which pays no regard to the style of these distinctive beach houses. If allowed to continue, this development will destroy completely the special character of this coastal town.