David and Pauline Bowden have lived on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for six years. Their 4 hectare (10 acre) property was first settled in 1946 by the Plummer family, who grew various small crops including ginger, peas, bananas and strawberries. In the past the land has also been used to grow macadamias (Macadamia integrifolia), and remnants of the plantation still exist today. Pauline and David have worked with the existing plantings and the shape of the land to develop a lush, enclosed front garden featuring tree ferns, bird’s nest ferns, madonna lilies, crocus and clivias. At the back is a dam, surrounded by a rainforest garden filled with large palms, tree ferns, heliconia and elephant’s ears. A cascading waterfall forms a fabulous backdrop to the seating area under a gazebo. Don enjoyed walking around the garden with Pauline and David and watching their dog, Cobra, leaping into the dam, but he was also very keen to look at David’s wonderful collection of racing cars.
Golden oldies
David has been passionate about touring car racing for more than 20 years. So much so that he has made it a personal crusade to own and preserve the great cars of the 1960s and 70s – the ‘golden’ era of Australian touring car racing. Three workshops on the property house approximately 50 racers, including a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing once owned by Ian Cocks, the Ford GT40 which won Le Mans four times (1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969), Norm Beechey’s Chevy Nova, Ron Hodgson’s Torana, Pete Geoghegan’s Ford Mustang, a 1957 Ford Zephyr Mark 2 Convertible and several of Peter Brock’s Bathurst-winning Torana A9Xs. David can’t bear to be too far away from Allan Moffat’s famous 1969 Trans-Am Mustang, so he has parked it next to the desk in his office.
Further information
Website: www.fouronthefloor.com.au
Fax number: (07) 5445 3957
