AC/DC was born in this house. A developer mistakenly demolished it

By Rosa Rahimi, CNN

(CNN) — The family home where rock band AC/DC was founded has been mistakenly demolished by a property developer in Australia.

Located in the Sydney suburb of Burwood, 4 Burleigh Street had long been a place visited by the band’s fans from around the world.

AC/DC’s Malcolm and Angus Young lived in the house as teenagers when they were founding the band, along with their brother George Young, a guitarist for another wildly popular rock group, the Easybeats.

The family migrated to Australia from Scotland, living first in a migrant hostel before moving to Burleigh Street in 1965.

When the Easybeats made it big, a mini riot once reportedly unfolded outside the house when a fan magazine disclosed the address. Hundreds of girls from local high schools descended upon the house and twenty forced their way inside – trampling a young Angus on their way, according to the home’s listing on Australia’s National Trust Register.

The one-story, two-bedroom brick house was bought by a property developer in March 2023 for 5.8 million Australian dollars ($3.6 million). It demolished the building last month, according to CNN affiliate Nine News.

The developer, Burwood Square, told Nine News that it didn’t know about the cultural importance of the home, despite conducting due diligence on the site.

“Unfortunately the historical connection to AC/DC was not identified, and we regret the previous long-term owner did not share this vital part of the property’s background with us,” said Leon Kamita, the company’s general manager.

“Learning about this connection after our plans were already underway has shocked us,” he said in a statement.

The developers plan to turn the lot into a 144 meter (472 foot) 50-story tower with 120 hotel rooms and 48 affordable housing apartments, according to Nine News.

The suburban home, a bungalow built in the “Federation style” that was mass produced in the early 20^th century, had been in “poor condition” since the Young family left it in 1978, according to a review published by the Burwood Council.

In 1985, it became a brothel – with local newspapers promoting “Adult Work Opportunities” at the address, according to the council. It later served as a medical practice and was being rented out to an unspecified tenant at the time of the developer’s purchase.

An article published in the Sydney Morning Herald back in 2003 argued for the building to be protected from the hands of developers.

“There is however, one domicile begging for immediate acquisition and deification; a small, simple dwelling at 4 Burleigh Street,” wrote rock historian Glenn A. Baker.

Although the house was listed on the Australian National Trust Register in 2013, it did not receive historical protection to prevent its demolition.

Burwood Council conducted a review in 2015 to determine whether it should be listed as a heritage site. Ultimately, it did not recommend a heritage listing, citing among its reasons that the band’s “period of habitation was too brief to be relevant to the life and work of AC/DC.”

The review also said the home “does not meet the criteria for aesthetic significance,” nor did it have “any known technical or research value.”

In a statement sent to CNN, the council said “it has long-maintained that the Young House … has a special association with Australia’s rock music history as the site where band AC/DC formed.”

Despite not recommending the heritage listing, the council said it continues to undertake initiatives to celebrate the band’s legacy, including the commissioning of a mural near the site.

In its statement to Nine News, Burwood Square said it is “dedicated” to celebrating the location and is salvaging materials from the demolition to create a special space where fans can gather to celebrate the band’s legacy.

CNN has reached out to representatives of AC/DC for comment.

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CNN’s Hilary Whiteman contributed to this report.