Restored Babinda Quarters listed for $2.2m

After: Babinda Quarters

A heritage guesthouse that has hosted everyone from scientists and musicians to the occasional NRL legend and Hollywood visitor has been listed for sale after being saved from the scrap heap.

Called Babinda Quarters, the Art Deco structure was built in 1953 as accommodation for nurses at Babinda Hospital, and was saved in 2014 by Margaret Perpetua Nelson, fondly known as Maggie.

Before: Babinda Quarters

A lifelong enthusiast of heritage buildings, Maggie transformed the almost derelict property into a vibrant guesthouse.

After succumbing to a long battle with cancer in 2020, Maggie’s daughter, Kim Marsden, embarked on a five-year commitment to rejuvenating the ‘grand old dame’ in tribute to her late mum.

“I challenged myself to make Babinda Quarters realise its tourism potential and, in so doing,

help fund repairs,” Marsden said.

“Our overnight guests were key players in helping save the building, and I am so grateful for bringing life into the building, adding to its warmth and ostensibly providing support.”

Before: Babinda Quarters

Before: Babinda Quarters

Now, with the first restoration phase largely complete and a new chapter calling, Babinda Quarters is offered for sale as a freehold property and licensed guesthouse.

Just 50 minutes south of Cairns and moments from the Wooroonooran National Park, the triple-brick Art Deco building sits on an elevated 2924sq m block.

After: Babinda Quarters

It features 20 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a manager’s quarters, and a newly built rear deck—all framed by heritage terrazzo, timber and glass detailing.

After: Babinda Quarters

“Guests are increasingly seeking authentic places with colour and history,” Marsden said.

“This is not a cookie-cutter motel—it’s part boutique guesthouse, part artist retreat, part old school adventure.”

After: Babinda Quarters

Inside, Babinda Quarters is bursting with colour, and its own special blend of charming quirk and character.

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After: Babinda Quarters

A music lounge, crowned by a vintage Bernstein Baby Grand piano, sits at the heart of the building, surrounded by an eclectic mix of instruments, from guitars to ukuleles.

After: Babinda Quarters

Each guest room and shared space is adorned with handpicked works by local artists, including Ed Koumans, Julie Poulson, Ricky Beresford and Karen Charlebois.

After: Babinda Quarters

Outside, tropical gardens encircle the guesthouse.

After: Babinda Quarters

The building’s flexible layout offers ample opportunity for new owners to expand or reimagine its potential—as a wellness retreat, creative hub, eco-lodge, or continued guesthouse.

One possibility, Marsden suggests, is reconfiguring the upper front floor into a private residence while continuing to operate the eight guest rooms.

She added that while many shared spaces have been restored, the large communal kitchen downstairs—still reminiscent of 1980s laminate—remains a blank canvas.

The property is now listed for $2.2 million with Professionals Edge Hill agent Diane Bray.

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