In 1963, the Young family moved from Scotland to Sydney, where they spent some time at a migrant hotel and a few rented houses before settling into a permanent home at 4 Burleigh Street. In 1964, George Young, the eldest son of the family, started a popular rock ‘n’ roll band called the Easybeats. George’s two younger brothers Malcolm and Angus Young started AC/DC in that house in 1973. The schoolboy outfit that Angus still wears is based on the uniform he wore when attending nearby Ashfield Boys High School. The means that 4 Burleigh Street is a location with a rich rock ‘n’ roll history — or at least it was, before some developers mistakenly demolished the house.

As the Herald Sun reports, Leon Kmita, general manager of Burwood Square Pty Ltd., has issued a public apology for destroying the house where AC/DC started. Kmita’s company bought the house for $5.8 million in 2023, and they’ve got plans to turn that property, as well as the one next door, into a $28.75 million residential site. According to the paper, the AC/DC house “was quietly bulldozed in recent weeks.”

The AC/DC house was added to the National Trust List of Historic Homes in 2013, and a nearby wall has a mural of Angus and Malcolm Young that was unveiled just last year. But Kmita says, “We regret that the previous long-term owner did not share this vital part of the property’s background with us.” He says they’re “shocked” and “genuinely sorry” for the error and that the company is trying to salvage artifacts from the house to build a bar, café, or similar “special space” where fans will be able to “gather to celebrate the band’s enduring legacy.”

Here’s more of what Kmita has to say for himself:

On behalf of the team at Burwood Square, I want to convey our heartfelt regret… We now recognise how deeply this location resonates with the AC/DC community and fans worldwide. We feel a strong responsibility to honour AC/DC’s legacy and to make amends to all the fans who hold this band in such high regard…

While we cannot change the past, we are dedicated to celebrating this significant part of their story. To the global fanbase of AC/DC, please know that we hear you, appreciate your deep admiration for this legendary band, and are devoted to making this right

George and Malcolm Young both died in 2017. Angus Young is still touring with AC/DC, and they’ll play North American stadiums this year.