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Brisbane

Brisbane is the state capital of Queensland and its most populous city. It is also the third most populous city in Australia, behind southern rivals Sydney and Melbourne. The city is situated on the Brisbane River on a low-lying floodplain between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland. The local indigenous people knew the area as Mian-jin, meaning 'place shaped as a spike'.

The city is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. Brisbane's demonym is a Brisbanite. The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony at Redcliffe, 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of Brisbane in 1824. That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to the now Brisbane central business district in 1825. Free settlers were permitted from 1842. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony in 1859.

Brisbane is controlled by the Brisbane City Council. In 1925, the City of Brisbane Act was passed by the Queensland Government, abolishing 20 local government authorities in the city and forming the largest local authority in Australia,[5] with a population of over a million. The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur.

History

Captain James Cook became the first European to note the region when he sailed along the coast on May 16, 1770 in the HM Bark Endeavour. Captain Matthew Flinders, an explorer charting the continent north from the colony of New South Wales, sailed past in 1802. The region remained uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach, which was named after his boat, a cutter named Mermaid. The hinterland's red cedar supply attracted large numbers of people to the area in the mid 1800s. The western suburb of Nerang was surveyed and established as a base for the industry. Later in 1875, Southport was surveyed and established and quickly grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for the upper class Brisbane residents. In 1925, tourism to the area grew rapidly when Jim Cavill established the Surfers Paradise Hotel, which transformed to Circle on Cavill neighbouring with Towers of Chevron Renaissance shopping mall and resort apartment complex. The population grew steadily to support the tourism industry and by the 1940s, real estate speculators and journalists were referring to the area as the "Gold Coast." The true origin of the name is still debatable. The name "Gold Coast" was officially proclaimed in 1958 when the South Coast Town Council was renamed "Gold Coast Town Council." During the 1970s, real-estate developers gained a dominant role in local politics, and high-rises began to dominate the area now known as Surfers Paradise and later in 1981 the airport was established. In 1994 the Gold Coast City Council and the Shire of Albert amalgamated to create new city boundaries under the administration of the City of Gold Coast Council.

Geography

Gold Coast City stretches from Beenleigh on the southern fringe of Logan City, for approximately 60km (38 miles) south to Coolangatta situated on the New South Wales border, and extends west to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range in World Heritage listed Lamington National Park. Tweed Heads and sections of Beaudesert are also commonly referred to as being a part of 'The Gold Coast' region. However, they do not fall into the statistical boundaries of Gold Coast City. The Gold Coast is situated in the southeast corner of Queensland, to the south of Brisbane, the state capital. Due to continuous development in south-east Queensland over the past 30 years, the Gold Coast/Beenleigh/Logan City/Brisbane region is now a conurbation. The Gold Coast officially stretches from the south end of Logan City and Russell Island to the border with New South Wales. The southernmost town is Coolangatta which includes Point Danger and its lighthouse. Coolangatta is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the border. At [show location on an interactive map] 28.1667? S 153.55? E, this is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland (Point Lookout on the offshore island of North Stradbroke is slightly further east). From Coolangatta, approximately forty kilometres of holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretch north to the suburb of Main Beach, and then further on Stradbroke Island. The suburbs of Southport and Surfers Paradise form the Gold Coast's commercial centre (latitude about 27.7 degrees south). The administrative area of the Gold Coast City Council continues north up to and including Beenleigh. The major river in the area is the Nerang River. Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland was once wetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 km [4], or over 9 times that of Venice, Italy) and artificial islands covered in upmarket homes. The heavily developed coastal strip sits on a narrow barrier sandbar between these waterways and the sea. To the west, the city is bordered by a part of the Great Dividing Range commonly referred to as the 'Gold Coast hinterland'. A 206 km? section of the mountain range is protected by Lamington National Park and has been listed as a World Heritage area in recognition of its "outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species."[5] The area is popular among bushwalkers and day-trippers.

Waterways

Waterfront canal living is a feature of the Gold Coast, and most canal frontage homes have pontoons. The Gold Coast Seaway, between The Spit and South Stradbroke Island, allows vessels direct access to the Pacific Ocean from The Broadwater and many of the city's canal estates. Breakwaters on either side of the Seaway prevent longshore drift and the bar from silting up. A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process. Residential canals were first built on the Gold Coast in 1950s and construction continues to the present day. Early canals included Florida Gardens, Isle of Capri which were under construction at the time of the 1954 flood. Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There is over 890 km of constructed residential waterfront land within the city that is home to over 80,000 residents.

Beaches

The city consists of 57 kilometres of coastline with some of the most popular surf breaks in Australia including, South Stradbroke Island, The Spit, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Nobby Beach, Miami, Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Heads, Tallebudgera Beach (some beastly local surf nazi's include julian and his older brother tristos. Members of the 'fiberglass hoons'), Palm Beach, Curruminbin Beach, Tugun, Bilinga, Kirra, Coolangatta, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks and Froggies Beach. Duranbah beach is one of the world's best known surfing beaches and is often thought of as being part of Gold Coast City, but is actually just across the New South Wales state border in Tweed Shire. There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860km of navigable tidal waterways. Popular inland beaches include Southport, Budds Beach, Marine Stadium, Currumbin Alley, Tallebudgera Estuary, Jacobs Well, Jabiru Island, Paradise Point, Harley Park Labrador, Santa Barbara, Boykambil and Evandale Lake.

Governance

The city is governed at the local level by the Gold Coast City Council. On 23 October 1958, local administrators established the Gold Coast Town Council. Only six months later, on 16 May 1959, the Queensland Government proclaimed the Gold Coast a city. In 1995, Albert Shire Council merged with the existing Gold Coast City Council to form a supra-local authority that maintained the existing name Gold Coast City Council. The Crime and Misconduct Commission has held an inquiry into allegations of official misconduct against candidates who ran in the 2004 Council elections.[16] The CMC found ?secrecy, deceit and misinformation? had corrupted the electoral process during the 2004 Gold Coast City Council election.[17] Fourteen divisions represent Gold Coast, numbered from division 01 (based at Beenleigh) to division 14 (based at Coolangatta). Former Olympian Ron Clarke was elected mayor of the city in 2004. Former mayors of the city include Gary Baildon, Lex Bell, Ray Stevens, Ern Harley and Sir Bruce Small. In July 2007, the Queensland state government announced local government reforms for Queensland that included removing division 01 (Beenleigh) from Gold Coast City and adding it to Logan City. The new city boundaries will come into effect in association with the local government elections of March 2008.[citation needed] The city is represented at the state level by nine members in the Queensland Legislative Assembly. The seats they hold are: Broadwater, Burleigh, Currumbin, Gaven, Mudgeeraba, Robina, Southport and Surfers Paradise. Federally, Gold Coast is represented by four members in the House of Representatives, whose seats are Fadden (northern), Moncrieff (central), McPherson (southern) and Forde (western). Historically, the Gold Coast has remained a very safe conservative electorate. Three of the Gold Coast electorates (Fadden, Moncrieff and McPherson) have returned only Liberal Party representative since 1986. Southport Courthouse is the city's major courthouse and has jurisdiction to hear petty criminal offences and civil matters up to AU$250,000. Indictable offences, criminal sentencing and civil matters above AU$250,000 are heard in the higher Supreme Court of Queensland which is located in Brisbane. There are subsidiary Magistrates Courts, also located at the northern and southern suburbs of Beenleigh and Coolangatta. Numinbah Correctional Centre, located in the city's hinterland suburb of Numinbah Valley, is an open-custody prison farm. The centre is a minimum security prison accommodating for up to 104 male prisoners and in a separate annex, twenty-five female prisoners.

Suburbs

Here is a list of suburbs in Gold Coast and some details about each of them

PARKWOOD-ARUNDEL

You can almost find any kind of variety in these suburbs from the hill and valley of a golf course to the lake side Coombabah conservation Park and busy Smith Street and Olsen Avenue. This suburb is one the most active areas on the Gold Coast with direct access to Pacific M1 motorway towards north. Parkwood and Arundel are the best choice for Griffith University students not only because of its excellent degree choices but also its sporting facilities and proximity to the beach and Surfers Paradise.

Both suburbs are nicely set up and well-serviced by public transport, shopping centres and other facilities such as schools. These neighbourhoods have shown and sustained solid growth over the last decade, which indicates steady improvement for future. Many first home buyers tend to be in this area. There are two (2) primary schools, four (4) secondary schools and one (1) private school located in this area as well as Griffith University Gold Coast Campus. Arundel Hills Country Club, Parkwood International Golf Course and Gold Coast Country Club are the recreation spots in Parkwood and Arundel. Four of the major shopping centres placed in this suburb are Harbour Town, Ashmore City, Arundel Plaza and Australia Fair

ASHMORE

Ashmore is a well-liked and nicely established suburb built on gently sloping hills and surrounded by elderly trees. Due to its superior location, some Ashmore homes can enjoy views to the beach and ocean and back towards the Hinterland. This suburb is just a little distanced from the eventful areas of the Gold Coast yet it is so conveniently centred near the beach, CBD, retail precincts, M1 and rail links. Ashmore has a strong community feel which is concentrated on family life. There is also a large number of older residents in the area, which is helped by the great retirement facilities located in Ashmore. As you drive through Ashmore streets you are privy to the many Community Centres and sporting grounds. The Gold Coast Youth Orchestra Centre is located on Community Drive and is home to the Gold Coast Philharmonic Orchestra, Gold Coast City Choir, Youth Choir, Banana Blenders and Rhapsody Music. There are three (3) well-known retirement places, The Domain Retirement Country Club, Amity Gardens and Ashmore Lodge. This is a perfect suburb for families for educational aspect because there are four (4) primary schools, two (2) high schools and five (5) private schools in the neighbourhood. Royal Pines Resort is located in Ashmore and hosts Ladies Tennis Masters. Medical facilities of the suburb are Ashmore City Medicare Centre, Pindarra Private Hospital, Gold Coast Hospital, Allamanda and Pacific and Wesley Private Hospitals.

BIGGERA WATERS

This beautiful water-front suburb offers a high-class and quiet to the residents as well as closeness to major shopping centres such as Harbour Town. Harbourside Residential Resort is located in Biggera Waters with 2 & 3 bedroom homes, heated pool, bowling green and clubhouse. Because of the recent demographical changes and infrastructure of the area, it is rated as a young and fast developing suburb.

BROADBEACH

Broadbeach represents a combination of stunning beaches, magnificent accommodation, shopping and premium dining. Broadbeach is one of the most favourite spots for surfing patrolled by two (2) Surf Life Saving Clubs. The Kurrawa Surf Club is a local favourite; it also is fully licensed bistro with excellent food and beverage menu. Broadbeach is an ultimate shopping destination on the Gold Coast; there are chain stores, department stores and speciality stores located in one of the largest shopping centres in Queensland, Pacific Fair in Broadbeach. There are two (2) other shopping malls in the area as well, Oasis and Broadbeach Mall, all in one area. You can find all kinds of restaurants by walking along Broadbeach streets, Australian fusion, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian and many more. There also are some fantastic bars that serve cocktails and tapas. If you decide to have a late night you can try the night clubs on Broadbeach, such as Quest, Platinum or Bling night club. There are also many parks and playgrounds in Broadbeach if you like to take the family for a day out or picnic. Basically, there is something for everyone in the area. Broadbeach is the host top the Blues On Broadbeach music festival every year in May. Many of the Gold Coast’s hospitals and medical centres are located within 10 minutes drive from Broadbeach.

SOUTHPORT

The city central suburb of Southport is the heart of the Gold Coast business district with a mixture of all sorts of businesses located in the area. Southport is business pulse of the city with more than 5,000 business activities with approximately 10,000 registered businesses in this neighbourhood. Southport is one of the Gold Coast’s oldest suburbs and is wonderfully structured with matured gardens and huge evergreen trees and the homes range from villas, town-houses and units. A large number of businesses run in Southport are structured as home-offices. The area has over 15,000 friendly local residents who walk to work every day because everything is so close and handy! Southport is the home of Gold Coast’s oldest schools, boys go to TSS, The Southport School and girls go to St Hilda’s Girl School; some strong local and state business leaders and politicians came from these schools. In total, there are four (4) primary schools and two (2) high schools in the area. Two major hospitals are located in Southport, Gold Coast Hospital and Allamanda Private. Australia Fair is a multilevel shopping complex supplying simply every shopping need, department stores, ladies and men fashion, jewellery, toy store, pet store, food court and coffee shops and the list can go on and on! Because of low density and proximity of the suburb, Southport is one of the favourite neighbourhoods for having a quiet life style. Griffith University is located in area and it is only 15 minutes far from Bond University; perfect for students! Also, the suburb is well serviced by public transport. Several annual events take place at The Gold Coast Showground in Southport, such as The Gold Coast Show which is one week of exhibitions, rides and fireworks. Another event is Big Day Out that represents many Australian and International music bands. The area is also home of many sports events, namely The Gold Coast Marathon which runs through the streets of Southport in July and Gold Coast Triathlon in February every year. The well-known club of Southport Surf Life-Saving is in this suburb too; the club has won several Queensland, Australian and World Championships. Southport Sharks, the premier rugby team’s club is located in Southport. Southport Golf Course represents one of the best short holes on the Gold Coast. There are numerous parks, picnic spots, dog parks and bikeways in this area, as well as being only two (2) minutes away from safe swimming area.

SURFERS PARADISE

Surfers Paradise is the heart of the Gold Coast. It is the pulse of tourist life of the city attracting 4 million visitors every year. Terrific white beaches, stunning blue skies, palm trees and spectacular deep blue ocean, all come together in Surfers Paradise. It is a beautiful area with lots of choices for accommodation from holiday to permanent rentals or purchasing gorgeous properties with views of the ocean or hinterlands. Surfers paradise is located on a fine strip between well-known Surfers Paradise Beach and Nerang River. There are several famous landmarks located in Surfers Paradise, namely Q1 the tallest residential building in the world with an observation deck practically in the sky, beautiful Chevron Renaissance Towers, newly build and modern Circle On Cavill complex, River Front Avalon building Hard Rock Cafe, and this list can continue! When you stay in Surfers Paradise, you never come short of something to do! The area is awake and alive round the clock; verity of restaurants, .coffee shops, night clubs and shopping outlets can be found in Surfers Paradise. One of the most attractive and secured beaches of Australia is in this ocean front suburb; it is ideal for paddling and catching some waves under your board or bringing the family for an unforgettable holiday on the beach. Surfers Paradise is the party pulse of the gold coast with a huge number of clubs which are located along the Cavill Avenue, Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise Bulverde and Gold Coast Highway. All the famous hotels, apartments, backpackers’ and hustles are located in this area. There are two (2) surf clubs nearby so, if you decide to learn surfing nowhere in the world is better than Surfers Paradise. Every year Surfers Paradise’s streets host Indy 300 which in the day time is car race and V8 Super Cars’ race and when the night starts, the party will just begin! Schoolies Week is also held mainly in this area every year; years 12 finishers celebrate their high school graduation. Another enjoyable activity in Surfers Paradise is shopping; there are a few but with a lot to offer shopping centres in the area such as Centro Shopping Mall, Circle On Cavill and Chevron Renaissance as well as several Duty Free shopping spots, namely Galleria. You can find quite a few souvenir and gift shops in Surfers Paradise and a lot of the stores stay open till late at night. There is a medical and surgery centre in the middle of Surfers Paradise and Gold Coast Hospital is only 5 minutes away.

MAIN BEACH

Main Beach is one of the most elegant and posh suburbs of the Gold Coast and is admired by prosperous people. Tedder Avenue is the heart of Main Beach with some of the best restaurants and cafes along the street. This area has an incredibly friendly atmosphere; everybody stops to say hello! When you walk along Tedder Avenue you feel everyone is a friend and the number of prestigious sport cars you spot impresses you. On the north side of Main Beach is Broadwater, Nerang on the south side and Ocean is on the east. The construction structure of this suburb consists of villas, town-houses and older three story houses. There are no high-rises in Main Beach. Marina Mirage is located in this area, offering several marina-side restaurants and bars, high-class boutiques and different day and night time cruises along the rivers or ocean. The beach in this suburb is one of the best patrolled spots for surfing or having a family day of fun. Main Beach is also home of Sea World Resort with its famous polar bears, sharks, dolphins, exciting rides and many more. The 6 star Palazzo Versace and Southport Yacht Club are located in this suburb. Main Beach is only 5 minutes away from Southport, if you need schools, medical centre, Tennis club and Australia Fair, one of the largest shopping centres of the Gold Coast.

NARROWNECK

Narrowneck is a narrow strip of coastline that parts the anabranch of Nerang River from southern end of Main Beach and northern border of Surfers Paradise. The Narrowneck reef is the most famous spot for Diving, Fishing, Kite-surfing and Long-Boarding. This artificial reef is constructed 100 meters from the shore, using 300 tons of geotextile sand containers and generates great waves for surfing. Production of the reef magnificently assisted the marine life growth in this area; there are several exceptional marine species around Narrowneck reef, such as Cray Fish, Wobbegong Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Pineapple Sharks, Lion Fish, and Cardinal Fish. Nudibranchs, Shrimps, Octopuses, and Turtles also inhabit in close proximity to the reef. There are different schools of fish swim pass Narrowneck reef on constant basis, which makes it the best diving spot in Queensland. Marina Mirage is located in this area; it is Queensland’s most elegant water-front dining and shopping place, next door to the world first Palazzo Versace Hotel, and cross the street from 5 star Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa. You can also come across some of the famous ladies’ and men’s fashion boutiques in Marina Mirage, namely, Versace, ESCADA, HERMES, LUISE VUITTAN, NAUTICA, DOLCE & GABBANA, CHARLIE BROWN, LARRY WHO, and so on.

COOLANGATTA

Coolangatta is Queensland’s most southerly coastal area, the border line between the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales. Coolangatta and the area around it represent a combination of natural world and rural area with five world heritage listed national parks and a vast variety of birds and plants. Plenty of forests, miles of untouched, white beaches, clear rivers and lakes, an assortment of birds and marine life, crystal clear watercourses, marine reserves and offshore natural resources combined with a semi-tropical climate with gentle temperatures all year, near to the attractions and theme parks on the Gold Coast. Every year in June, the area hosts the Wintersun Festival; it is two-week remembrance of 1950s and 1960s, with a lot of entertainment, live bands playing music of the era, costumes and restored classic cars. Gold Coast Airport is located in this suburb; it previously was called Coolangatta Airport, servicing the travelers with almost all domestic flights and some international ones in very near future. Coolangatta patrolled beaches are considered as great spots for surfing, namely Greenmount and Kirra Beaches.

KIRRA

Wonderful Kirra on the Gold Coast attracts many people from all around the world every year; it is located right at the side of the Gold Coast highway. The area has very mild temperature; it is 14 degrees at winter low and 29 in summer times. If somebody is on the Gold Coast and likes sight-seeing, Kirra Point is not a spot to be missed; they might also be able to catch professional surfers in action. Kirra beach has the best reputation amongst the surfers to the extent that they visit Kirra Point from all over the globe to surf there. The ocean at this point, generates challenging waves for skilled surfers as well as smaller ones closer to the seashore. The area has the longest past in surfing history of Queensland. The first ever surfing club and training centre that was established in Queensland is located in Kirra Point; because of that it is still one on the best hot spots for learning surfboarding, and also because of the different types of waves, from small and easy to catch ones to massive and challenging ones, experiences that a surfer can gain at Kirra Beach are endless.

BURLEIGH HEADS

Burleigh Heads is straight between Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise, presented with beautiful natural parks, picnic barbeque places, as well as stunning patrolled beaches. There are a number of walk-lines along the coast-line in the area and because the beaches are lined with gorgeous parkland, they are heaven-like walk-ways! Burleigh Heads is privileged with outstanding waves condition, because of that many professional surfers visit this spot to catch some waves. The area is the home for major international surfing tournaments such as Quiksilver Pro Surf Competition. The impressive Burleigh Heads was structured by an ancient volcano, because of that the area is sacred for aboriginals; they used to gather here, fish and feast very long time ago.

ROBINA

This suburb is one of the best planned and perfectly landscaped areas on the Gold Coat. Robina and its residential community have been growing remarkably fast for pas fifteen years. Anything that anyone might need can be found in Robina; there are six (6) primary schools, four (4) high-schools and three (3) private schools in the area, plus Bond University which is one of the best universities in Queensland. Robina Shopping Town in located in the area; you can almost find any kind of outlet in this shopping mall, including cinemas. There are numerous new developments under construction in Robina providing luxurious apartments, units and houses servicing all types of people, singles, students, families, retirees and so on. There are some amazing cafes and restaurants on the water in Robina Town Centre which are wonderful for relaxing and having a casual meal with friends and family. You can find several bikeways, playgrounds, lakes and parks as well as pubs in this area. Don’s Tavern is Bond Universities pub; Robina Tavern and Dog and Parrot pub is also located in this suburb within walking distance.

CURRUMBIM

Currumbin is in south side on the Gold Coast between Palm Beach and Tugun. Currumbin means high up or the place where high trees grow; there are spectacular walk-ways through the evergreen nature and by the deep blue ocean. This area is the best place to explore the beautiful untouched nature of the Gold Coast. Currumbin Wild Life Sanctuary is located in this area, representing one on the world’s largest collection of Australian animals with 1,400 native creatures on display, for you to get closer. You can also meet Holy, the biggest salt water crocodile on display; Holy weighs about 1,000 kilograms and is more than five (5) meters long. The Currumbin Ecovillage is another place that you do not want to miss visiting; it is only seven (7) kilometres to the Currumbin ocean shores. The Currumbin Ecovillage offers a chance to live a natural life-style within an energetic atmosphere and community.