Iconic Airlie Beach estate with historic past hits market

Ray White Whitsunday principal Mark Beale, who is marketing the property at 186 Mandalay Road, Airlie Beach, said while most luxury homes feature wine cellars and home theatres, the property features bunker-grade construction, commercial cold rooms, and enough reinforced concrete to outlast several cyclones.

Mr Beale said the 900sqm fortress was “one-of-a-kind” and set to go to auction on 22 November.

Known as Chesapeake Mansion, the Mediterranean-style villa is set high on a hill and is owned by author and investor Bruce Bickerstaff.

It was previously owned by Don Algie, from Hog’s Breath Cafe, who transformed the property into a tranquil retreat.

Mr Bickerstaff said the property was built in the early 1980s by New Zealand visionary Don McDonald and designed with an unusual brief.

"The entire structure is reinforced concrete. Every door - even internal ones - has at least five heavy-duty hinges, slide bolts, and key locks. The windows are hardened glass with shutters and provision for cyclone bars,” Mr Bickerstaff said.

“Records show the original vision included several million dollars in infrastructure including a private water reticulation system, sealed roads built to public standards, rock retaining walls, Armco fencing, and stormwater culverts,” he said.

“The estate, originally named 'Parc Exclusif', was conceived as an ultra-exclusive high-security retirement community with its own private hospital.”