The Gold Coast site where workers got “a hard earned thirst” printing the news is set to be sold next month.

Agents Steve Macgregor and Kris Sonter of Ray White Commercial Gold Coast are looking for offers to purchase the 17,740m2 leasehold site and buildings by February 12.

‘Read all about it’, they urge prospective buyers of the Molendinar, Queensland, property, being offered for the first time for about 35 years. Included are three buildings and large hardstanding/car parking areas with frontage and exposure to Southport Nerang Road.

Reputed to be one of the locations for the iconic 1980s Victoria Bitter beer commercials, the site has already been vacated by office staff relocating to the high-profile 11-floor Seabank tower in Southport.

Printing of the daily Gold Coast Bulletin and its free distribution stablemate the Gold Coast Sun is being moved to News Corp Australia’s Murarrie, Brisbane, print site where presses are currently being upgraded. National production and logistics director Geoff Booth says the company is “still working through options” for the equipment. A nine-tower KBA Comet press installed in 2004 is similar to those at News sites in Darwin and Hobart, but the premises it occupies are not (yet) on the market. The press replaced a single-width Goss Urbanite.

• Was this the press in the 1988 VB commercial? If you know* – or have a story or two about the old site – let us know, by emailing GXpress or website members can add a comment.

And since any excuse for a beer commercial is a good one, here’s the ad.

Peter Coleman

*Former Bulletin production manager Geoff Austin writes: "The VB advert was on the Goss Urbanite, as well as another one that starred the Urbanite and one of our printers Michael Bellinger pushing a reel of newsprint, then having a beer at the Anglers Arms Hotel at Southport.

"Episodes of the TV show Mission Impossible were also shot around the Goss in the early 1990s.

"When the KBA press site closes later this year, it will be just on ten years of operation."