The view from the two-storey Melrose on Fifth penthouse at Maroochydore.
A Sunshine Coast penthouse is the latest weapon in the fight to advance medical research into Covid-19 treatments with an auction campaign launching on Friday for the 670sq m sky home that has been gifted to the RBWH Foundation.
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The multimillion dollar penthouse at 1001/51 Fifth Ave, Maroochydore is the former home of Queensland builder Keith Drake and his wife Glenda, who bought the property in 2006 for $2.75m.
Keith and Glenda Drake have been giving to worthy causes for more than 40 years.
The couple moved from the penthouse to acreage in Forest Glen five years ago with their 57-year-old son, who is severely disabled with quadriplegia cerebral palsy and requires round the clock care.
“Glenda and I are very much aware of the importance of medical research and science,”
Mr Drake said.
“Your most important asset is your health. If you lose your health, you have nothing, and
without the benefits of science, my family could have lost Glenda to diabetes and Neville
to his condition.”
Inside the luxury two-storey penthouse.
The Drakes had planned to sell the penthouse and gift the proceeds to the RBWH Foundation when Covid-19 first hit in early 2020 but that plan was put on hold during incessant waves of lockdowns and the family instead transferred the property ownership to the Foundation which has held the property in trust and is now enlisting Place Projects Residential to take the penthouse to auction on August 6.
The penthouse has been rented out while the RBWH Foundation waited for the right time to take the property to auction.
The Drakes are long-time supporters of the RBWH and the Foundation has already assigned funding from their donation to support Covid treatment trials through the Australian-first Herston Infectious Diseases Institute.
“From the Drake donation, the Foundation has begun clinical treatment trials, supported research fellowships for doctors, early career research-enabling grants targeting people at the beginning of their research career, as well as researching treatments for future pandemics and emerging infectious diseases,” RBWH director of infectious disease Dr Krispin Hajkowicz said.
Dr Hajkowicz leads national research into new Covid treatments to help keep patients out of ICU and had been chosen to replace Dr Jeanette Young as Queensland’s new Chief Health Officer but stepped down for personal reasons before the appointment began. Picture: Dan Peled
Place Projects Residential is also donating its commission from the sale of the penthouse with selling agent Ryan Hayes saying that penthouses on the Sunshine Coast are mostly fetching between $3m-$6m.
The auction follows last year’s anonymous donation of eight flats and houses to the RBWH Foundation in a Place Estate Agents auction event that ended up raising $5,384,500 with all properties selling either on auction day or shortly after.
Place Estate Agents chief auctioneer, Peter Burgin, at the December 2021 RBWH charity auction event. Photo: Steve Pohlner
Dr Hajkowicz said all buyers involved in the August auction were helping to advance medical research.
The Melrose on Fifth apartment complex was built in 2006 and this home has the top two levels.
“Not only are you are going to do yourself a huge favour by getting a really nice property, and a great investment but at the same time you’re going to be promoting the health and wellbeing of Queensland now and into the future by supporting lifesaving research at the RBWH Foundation,” he said.
The dual level 670sq m Melrose on Fifth sky home has 360-degree views, a private heated swimming pool and is ready for a makeover. Body Corp fees are $288 a week or $15,000 a year.
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