The family home where the 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 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 rose to fame, a mini riot 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. Burwood Council commissioned artist Claire Foxton to create a mural dedicated to Angus and Malcolm Young on the side of 12 Burleigh Street, just a few seconds’ walk from the original Young family home.
The one-story, two-bedroom brick house was bought by a property developer in March 2023 for 5.8 million Australian dollars. It was demolished last month, according to Nine News. The developer, Burwood Square, told Nine News that it did not know about the cultural importance of the home, despite conducting due diligence on the site. Leon Kamita, the company’s general manager, expressed regret for not being informed of the historical connection to AC/DC by the previous long-term owner. The developers plan to turn the lot into a 50-story tower with hotel rooms and affordable housing apartments.
The suburban home, a bungalow built in the “Federation style” that was mass-produced in the early 20th 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 opportunities at the address. It later served as a medical practice and was rented out to an unspecified tenant at the time of the developer’s purchase. An article published in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003 argued for the building to be protected from developers. Although the house was listed on the Australian National Trust Register in 2013, it did not receive historical protection to prevent its demolition. A 2015 review by Burwood Council did not recommend a heritage listing, citing the band’s period of habitation as too brief to be relevant to the life and work of AC/DC. The review also said the home did not meet aesthetic significance criteria, nor did it have any known technical or research value.
In a statement sent to CNN, the council stated that the Young House has a special association with Australia’s rock music history as the site where AC/DC formed. Despite not recommending the heritage listing, the council continues to undertake initiatives to celebrate the band’s legacy, including the commissioning of a mural near the site. Burwood Square, in its statement to Nine News, said it is dedicated to celebrating the location and is salvaging materials from the demolition to create a special space for fans to celebrate the band’s legacy.