The 1997 Gold Coast Classic was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Hope Island Resort Tennis Centre in Hope Island, Queensland in Australia that was part of Tier III of the 1997 WTA Tour.

It was the first edition of the tournament and was held from 30 December 1996 through 5 January 1997.

Third-seeded Elena Likhovtseva won the singles title.

Elena Likhovtseva defeated Ai Sugiyama 3–6, 7–6, 6–3 Naoko Kijimuta / Nana Miyagi defeated Ruxandra Dragomir / Silvia Farina 7–6, 6–1 27°52′18″S 153°21′01″E / 27.8717°S 153.3504°E / -27.8717; 153.3504 (Hope Island Resort Tennis Centre)