English: The Glitter strip has been the centre of the Gold Coast's social scene for more than 50 years but precious little remains of the hotels from the city's earliest days.

Among the first and most famous was the Chevron Hotel which was built on a property owned by the Cavill family.

It was the pet project of Polish-born developer Stanley Korman who turned the first sod in early 1957 and opened its first accommodation in June the same year.

By September 1957, a second accommodation wing had opened, as well as the Skyline Bar, one of the era's major entertainment venues, alongside The Playroom and Twin Towns.

In his 1984 book, The Fabulous Gold Coast, historian Alexander McRobbie said the Skyline Bar was "something quite new - in effect an indoor beer garden where liquor, meals and coffee were available with entertainment and dancing," he wrote.

Just a month after opening, the Cavill family sold the famous Surfers Paradise Hotel to Chevron Queensland Ltd for more than $700,000.

The Chevron Hotel continued trading until the mid-1980s when it finally closed. It was demolished in 1987.

To continue reading visit: Gold Coast Bulletin, 6 December 2013

View the original image at the Queensland State Archives:

Digital Image ID 714