Kookaburra Queen sold to mystery buyer for $550,000

An ageing Brisbane icon has sold for more than half-a-million dollars to an unnamed Gold Coast buyer.

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 boat was sold for $550,000 after 378 bids at the end of last month, up from an initial offer of just $9.

Bids were made from as far away as Port Melbourne and the inland NSW town of Dubbo.

An “A.S” from Biggera Waters was listed as the successful buyer.

It’s unclear what he or she plans to do with the boat. Grays Online – the auction house that oversaw the sale – went into administration just three days after the successful bid, and its representative stopped picking up the phone soon after.

This masthead photographed the Kookaburra Queen tethered off Colmslie Beach Reserve at Murarrie when the listing went online.

Rust, fading paint and plants growing through the wood were visible in some areas, but the seller described it as “ready to operate” and “fully capable of commercial operation”.

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

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.

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.

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