Page 98 - Tropic Magazine Issue 19

TROPIC • REGIONAL HISTORY

Port Douglas in 1976

Natural lure Port Douglas, 1971

INFLUENTIAL FORESIGHT
John Morris
Tropic takes a look at the power of Port
Douglas to seduce visionary developers.
Words Renee Cluff

According to legend, the late In fact, the foresight can mostly be
entrepreneur Christopher Skase sat attributed to developer John Morris,
on the sand at Four Mile Beach in Port or ‘Mister Port Douglas’ as he’s
Douglas as early as 1968, dreaming affectionately known among locals. In
about the resort he would someday the early 80s, Mr Morris established
build in the idyllic tropical seaside the Port Douglas Resort Development
village. Corporation with a view to putting Aerial view of Port Douglas, 1971
Fast forward 20 years and his dream the town on the tourism map through
became a reality with the opening of architecture that complemented the where the tourism dollar makes up
the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, beach and rainforest, rather than 85% of the economy. International
which saw Port Douglas transformed dominated the natural environment, tourist numbers fell by 20,000 in a year
from a tiny fishing hub to a global Gold Coast-style. An aligning of the and a decade later, the region’s still
tourism destination. Movie stars and stars put him in the same Brisbane recovering.
celebrities descended in droves via the penthouse suite as Christopher Skase However, there are signs the wheel
newly-opened Cairns International and they formed a partnership. “He of fortune is on its way north again.
Airport, with Bill and Hillary Clinton, had the money, I had the know-how Crystalbrook Collection is finalising
John Travolta, Mick Jagger, Matthew and I said nothing was to be higher plans for its proposed $200 million
McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio and than a coconut tree,” Mr Morris told the development of the Crystalbrook
supermodel Claudia Schiffer among Australian Financial Review. Superyacht Marina, which includes
those spotted strolling along the beach. Following the construction of the two luxury hotels. It’s being lauded
While Skase sold up, went bankrupt Sheraton Grand Mirage, ‘Mister Port as another game-changer for Port
and died before the turn of the Douglas’ went on to further shape his Douglas, promising a return to the
century, Port Douglas steadily gained vision through many other projects, glory days of the post-Skase era. In a
a reputation as a luxurious tropical including the Ramada Hotel, QT Resort neat twist of fate, John Morris sold his
paradise that retained its laid-back and the Reef Park subdivision. luxury outback lodge and superyacht to
charm. It was a vision that was well But it hasn’t been plain sailing. When none other than Ghassan Aboud, who
planned and executed, but it wasn’t the global financial crisis hit, it had a adopted the lodge’s name for his new
exactly Skase’s. catastrophic effect on Port Douglas, tourism company - Crystalbrook.

98 • Tropic • Issue 19