Iconic Brisbane party boat listed for sale after years of lying low

Years after disappearing from public view, an ageing Brisbane icon has come up for sale.

Kookaburra Queen I was one of two similar boats built for World Expo 88. It was a near-constant presence on the Brisbane River for decades, hosting countless parties and tours.

The vessel is now tethered off Colmslie Beach Reserve at Murarrie, with the last commercial operator closing down in 2022.

It was listed for sale by Grays auction house this month.

“With her distinctive charm and proven service as a dinner cruise and event vessel, the Kookaburra Queen I presents a rare chance to acquire a piece of Australian maritime history,” the online advertisement says.

An estimated price was not provided, but the 30.5-metre timber vessel was also offered on Facebook Marketplace in 2024 for $800,000.

The paddleboat features two dance floors with a separate PA system, seating for 320 people, an observation deck, a commercial-grade kitchen and cold room, and eight bathrooms.

Rust, fading paint and plants growing through the wood are visible in some areas, but the seller says the vessel is “ready to operate” and “fully capable of commercial operation”.

While modelled on the classic coal-powered steam paddlers that spotted the Murray River from the late 19th century, the modernised boat is powered by two 175-kilowatt diesel engines.

Both Kookaburra Queens served as party and tour boats on the Brisbane River for years under various owners.

“I’d certainly love to see the boat keep going here,” Brisbane Cruises owner Jim Kelly, who owned and operated the boat between 2007 and 2015, told ABC Radio Brisbane last year.

“It’s a local construction, with local timbers and good workmanship.

“They look heaps better than some of the current vessels doing parties on the river. They’re so good.”

It is not known who now owns the boat or why it is being sold. This masthead has contacted the seller for more information.

The other Kookaburra Queen, which was not the original built for Expo 88 but a later replacement, could be seen tethered alongside boat I in Google Maps satellite images from this year, but on Sunday it was not at the jetty.

Eagle Street Pier in the CBD, from which the boats previously operated, was demolished to make way for Waterfront Brisbane, a $2.5 billion two-tower development with a new riverwalk and moorings.

In 2019 Kookaburra Queen II was involved in a low-speed crash, with several people injured when a woman fell from the top floor and landed on another passenger using the toilet.

Kookaburra Queen I can be inspected from September 18 to 25 between 10am and 11.30am, with the online auction scheduled for September 24.

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