A developer in Sydney, Australia has accidentally demolished the childhood home of AC/DC members Angus and Malcolm Young.
Last month, Burwood Square Pty Ltd bulldozed a house located at 4 Burleigh Street in Burwood, Sydney, where the Young brothers first formed their band as teenagers.
The company told Nine News it was not aware of the cultural significance and history of the location, which was added to the New South Wales National Trust’s Register of Historic Houses back in 2013. Unfortunately, the register does not have any legal status, so protection could not be offered.
“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,” explained the company’s general manager Leon Kamita.
The one-story, two-bedroom brick house was purchased by the developer in March 2023 for $5.8 million AUD, then demolished in December 2024 as part of a multi-million dollar residential development.
The loss of the iconic home has drawn a backlash from AC/DC fans and neighbours in the area.
“[P]ossibly the most iconic residence in the entire country has been demolished,” local record store Utopia Records posted on Instagram. “One of my very favorite things to do was take visiting mates and musicians from around the world to this spot for the ultimate AC/DC photo op.”
“One house out of an entire continent of houses couldn’t be protected as an Australian Rock Museum or a tourist destination for the gazillion Acca fans worldwide?" it continued. "Graceland keeps Memphis alive … this spot could have kept money coming into Burwood for decades to come. No one from the Local Council, State or Federal Governments stepped in? Even the bloke in charge that is apparently some huge Aussie rock fan?”
The Young family migrated from Scotland to Australia in the mid-'60s, moving to the home on Burleigh Street in 1965. Eldest brother George Young found fame with his band The Easybeats around the time, and the house became a tourist attraction for fans, even once causing a mini riot outside the house after its address was disclosed in a fanzine.
Burwood told Nine News that it is “dedicated” to commemorating the house's history by salvaging materials from the demolition to produce a special tribute to the band's legacy.