In a sign of the times, another Sutherland Shire caravan park has closed, to be replaced by an up-market townhouse development.
Residents received 90 days notice to leave Cronulla Cabins in Gannons Road, Woolooware, before an auction of the 66 en suite cabins.
The property is due to change hands on June 28, with work scheduled to start within weeks on the development of Lotus Woolooware, described as “an exceptional collection of 24 townhouses surrounding Lotus Park within a gated resort style community”.
Cronulla Cabins owner Peter Malpass bought the business 35 years ago from the original owner, a member of the prominent Harvey family of Cronulla.
“We got rid of the last caravan in 1990, and it has been all cabins since then,” he said.
Mr Malpass, who ran the park with his son Brent, said there were 120 registered bidders for the on-site auction, and 95 per cent of the cabins were sold that weekend.
Prices had ranged from $7000 for small cabins to $25,000 for two-bedroom cabins, which could sleep up to six people.
”The majority went to people with acreages,” he said.
“A few were wanted for granny flats, and some were bought by other caravan parks.”
The closure leaves three remaining shire caravan parks, at Miranda, Woronora, and Heathcote.
Caravan parks at Kurnell, and Ramsgate in St George, have closed in recent years.
Possibly the best known former resident at Woolooware was Stevie Wright, leader of the rock and roll band the Easybeats, who died last year.
Wright lived in a cabin several years ago while dealing with drug and alcohol problems.
Mr Malpass said Cronulla Cabins had provided a home to “a lot of good people”.
“There will always be a couple of bad eggs, but you will get them anywhere,” he said.
“We had people from all walks of life.
”A lot of contractors used to stay here while working away from home, and I don’t know where they will go now.”
A long-serving shire policeman said he and his colleagues would be “pleased to see it gone”, describing it as “a haven for criminals”.
“We always found the managers helpful and co-operative when we went there looking for someone,” he said.
