One of Bulimba’s last original riverfront relics has sold under the hammer for $8.42 million after a fast and erratic auction where bids dropped as low as 50¢.

Complete with an old Hills Hoist perfectly poised to soak up million-dollar river views and a bronze propeller out front paying homage to the suburb’s blue-collar wharfie roots, the five-bedroom brick and concrete house, at 49 McConnell Street, has set a street benchmark and a suburb record for price per square metre.

In front of a crowd of almost 120, five bidders battled before two punters turned the auction into high-stakes theatre.

“Bidding opened at $5.5 million and rose in $100,000 increments until we hit $8 million … then it got wild,” said Carla Haddan, of Place Bulimba.

“Two bidders were left and they dropped down to $3

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