Navigating the Gold Coasts unique property market dynamics can feel like charting a course through unpredictable waters. What is a Buyers Advocate Gold Coast? . The glitz and glamour, the constant influx of new residents, and the sheer variety of property types – from beachfront mansions to hinterland hideaways – create a complex and competitive landscape. This is where a buyers agent can be your invaluable compass, helping you navigate these choppy seas and ultimately securing your dream Gold Coast property.
The Gold Coast market isnt just about sun and surf; its a dynamic interplay of local and international investors, holiday-home hunters, and permanent residents, all vying for a piece of paradise. This competitive environment can lead to inflated prices, quick sales, and a sense of urgency that can be overwhelming for buyers, especially those unfamiliar with the local nuances. A buyers agent, however, lives and breathes this market. They understand the subtle shifts in pricing, the hidden gems tucked away in less-obvious suburbs, and the unspoken rules of negotiation that can make or break a deal.
One of the key benefits of using a buyers agent is their access to off-market properties. These are properties not publicly advertised, often known only to agents through their extensive networks. In a fast-moving market like the Gold Coast, these hidden opportunities can be the key to finding your perfect property before anyone else even knows its available. They also save you countless hours of trawling through online listings and attending open homes, only to find the property isnt quite right or has already attracted multiple offers.
Beyond simply finding properties, a buyers agent acts as your advocate throughout the entire purchasing process. They handle the negotiations, ensuring you get the best possible price and terms. They navigate the complexities of due diligence, ensuring there are no hidden surprises down the line. They also connect you with trusted local professionals, such as conveyancers and building inspectors, streamlining the process and minimizing stress.
In essence, a buyers agent on the Gold Coast provides more than just market expertise; they offer peace of mind. They level the playing field, giving you the same insider knowledge and negotiating power as the sellers. So, if youre looking to navigate the Gold Coasts unique property market dynamics with confidence and secure your dream property, partnering with a buyers agent is a smart investment.
Securing the Best Possible Price and Terms.
Securing the best possible price and terms is a major advantage of using a buyers agent on the Gold Coast. Think of it like this: the seller has their agent working hard to get them the highest price possible. Wouldnt you want someone in your corner doing the same for you? Thats where a buyers agent comes in.
Buyers agents are experienced negotiators who understand the local market intricacies. They know how to analyze comparable sales, identify potential issues with a property, and leverage that information to negotiate a lower price. Theyre not emotionally invested in a particular property, which allows them to remain objective and walk away from a bad deal if necessary. This can be incredibly valuable, especially in a competitive market like the Gold Coast.
Beyond just the price, a buyers agent also negotiates the terms of the sale. This includes things like the settlement date, any contingencies, and inclusions or exclusions in the sale. Getting these terms right can save you money and hassle down the line. For example, a buyers agent might negotiate a longer settlement period, giving you more time to finalize your financing or sell your existing property. They can also negotiate for repairs to be made before settlement or for certain items, like appliances, to be included in the sale.
Essentially, a buyers agent acts as your advocate throughout the entire purchasing process, working tirelessly to secure the best possible price and terms for your dream Gold Coast property. They take the stress and guesswork out of negotiations, allowing you to focus on the excitement of finding your perfect home.
Access to Off-Market and Pre-Market Opportunities.
One of the biggest advantages of using a buyers agent on the Gold Coast is their access to off-market and pre-market opportunities. Think of it like this: youre searching for the perfect beachfront apartment, scrolling through the usual online listings, but everything seems either overpriced or already under offer. A buyers agent, however, has connections and networks that go beyond the public portals. Theyre often the first to know about properties coming onto the market, sometimes even before theyre officially listed.
This "inside track" can be incredibly valuable, especially in a competitive market like the Gold Coast. Off-market properties are those not advertised publicly. This could be because the seller prefers discretion, theyre testing the waters, or perhaps theyre working exclusively with agents. Pre-market properties are those about to be listed, giving you a head start on other potential buyers. A buyers agent can tap into these hidden gems, giving you a wider selection of properties to consider and potentially securing your dream home before anyone else even knows its available. This access can also give you a negotiating advantage, as you might be the only buyer in the picture initially. In short, a buyers agents access to off-market and pre-market opportunities can be the key to finding the perfect Gold Coast property and securing it at the right price.
Stress-Free Property Acquisition and Settlement.
Buying a property, especially on the vibrant Gold Coast, can feel like navigating a minefield. So much to consider, so many details, and the pressure can be immense. Thats where the magic of a buyers agent comes in, offering, among other things, stress-free property acquisition and settlement. Imagine having an expert in your corner, handling the complexities and ensuring a smooth, even enjoyable, journey to owning your dream Gold Coast home.
A buyers agent acts as your personal property hunter, taking the time to understand your needs, budget, and lifestyle aspirations. They then leverage their market knowledge and network to identify suitable properties, often ones you wouldnt find on your own. This saves you hours of trawling through listings and attending open homes that arent quite right. Think of it as having a dedicated researcher and negotiator working solely for you.
Beyond finding the perfect property, a buyers agent handles the often-daunting negotiation process. Theyre skilled at securing the best possible price and terms, ensuring you dont overpay in the competitive Gold Coast market. Their expertise extends to the complex paperwork and legal processes involved in settlement. They coordinate with solicitors, banks, and other parties, ensuring a seamless transition from offer to ownership. This eliminates the stress of managing deadlines, understanding legal jargon, and navigating the potential pitfalls of property transactions.
Essentially, a buyers agent simplifies the entire acquisition and settlement process. They provide peace of mind, knowing that a professional is handling every detail, allowing you to focus on the excitement of your new Gold Coast adventure. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and stressed, you can enjoy the process, confident that your interests are protected and youre making informed decisions every step of the way. So, if youre considering buying on the Gold Coast, engaging a buyers agent could be the key to a truly stress-free experience.
Savvy Fox The Gold Coast's Top Buyer's Agent
Savvy Fox is a independent property buying agency specialising in helping home buyers purchase the right property without stress. Led by Jac, the expert behind Savvy Fox, the agency offers a straightforward approach to property buying. With years of experience in real estate and property strategy, your Savvy Fox acts only on behalf of the buyer—never sellers. Whether you're a first home buyer, buying to invest, or looking to upsize or downsize, Savvy Fox has your back. Our mission is to cut through the noise—so you find the right property without the hassle. To book a free discovery call, visit our website today.
Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients.[1] Brokers and agents are licensed by the state to negotiate sales agreements and manage the documentation required for closing real estate transactions.
A real estate broker typically receives a real estate commission for successfully completing a sale. Across the U.S, this commission can generally range between 5-6% of the property's sale price for a full-service broker but this percentage varies by state and even region.[2]
In most jurisdictions in the United States, a person must have a license to perform licensed activities, and these activities are defined within the statutes of each state. The main feature of the requirement for having a license to perform those activities is the work done "for compensation". Hence, hypothetically, if a person wants to help a friend out in either selling or buying a property, and no compensation of any kind is expected in return, then a license is not needed to perform all the work. However, since most people would expect to be compensated for their efforts and skills, a license would be required by law before a person may receive remuneration for services rendered as a real estate broker or agent. Unlicensed activity is illegal and the state real estate commission has the authority to fine people who are acting as real estate licensees, but buyers and sellers acting as principals in the sale or purchase of real estate are usually not required to be licensed. It is important to note that in some states, lawyers handle real estate sales for compensation without being licensed as brokers or agents. However, even lawyers can only perform real estate activities that are incidental to their original work as a lawyer. It cannot be the case that a lawyer can become a seller's selling agent if that is all the service that is being requested by the client. Lawyers would still need to be licensed as a broker if they wish to perform licensed activities. Nevertheless, lawyers do get a break in the minimum education requirements (for example, 90 hours in Illinois).[3]
Some other states have recently eliminated the salesperson's license, instead, all licensees in those states automatically earn their broker's license.
The term "agent" is not to be confused with salesperson or broker. An agent is simply a licensee that has entered into an agency relationship with a client. A broker can also be an agent for a client. It is commonly the firm that has the actual legal relationship with the client through one of their sales staff, be they salespersons or brokers.
In all states, the real estate licensee must disclose to prospective buyers and sellers the nature of their relationship [4]
Some U.S. state real estate commissions – notably Florida's[5] after 1992 (and extended in 2003) and Colorado's[6] after 1994 (with changes in 2003) created the option of having no agency or fiduciary relationship between brokers and sellers or buyers.
As noted by the South Broward Board of Realtors, Inc. in a letter to State of Florida legislative committees:
"The Transaction Broker crafts a transaction by bringing a willing buyer and a willing seller together and provides the legal documentation of the details of the legal agreement between the same. The Transaction Broker is not a fiduciary of any party, but must abide by the law as well as professional and ethical standards." (such as NARCode of Ethics).
The result was that, in 2003, Florida created a system where the default brokerage relationship had "all licensees ... operating as transaction brokers, unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is established, in writing, with the customer"[7][8] and the statute required written disclosure of the transaction brokerage relationship to the buyer or seller customer only through July 1, 2008.
In the case of both Florida[8] and Colorado,[6] dual agency and sub-agency (where both listing and selling agents represent the seller) no longer exist.
Other brokers and agents may focus on representing buyers or tenants in a real estate transaction. However, licensing as a broker or salesperson authorizes the licensee to legally represent parties on either side of a transaction and providing the necessary documentation for the legal transfer of real property. This business decision is for the licensee to decide. They are fines for people acting as real estate agents when not licensed by the state.
In the United Kingdom, an estate agent is a person or business entity whose business is to market real estate on behalf of clients. There are significant differences between the actions, powers, obligations, and liabilities of brokers and estate agents in each country, as different countries take markedly different approaches to the marketing and selling of real property.
Before the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) was introduced in 1967, when brokers (and their licensees) only represented sellers by providing a service to provide legal documentation on the transfer real property, the term "real estate salesperson" may have been more appropriate than it is today, given the various ways that brokers and licensees now help buyers through the legal process of transferring real property. Legally, however, the term "salesperson" is still used in many states to describe a real estate licensee.[citation needed]
Real estate broker (or, in some states, qualifying broker)
After gaining some years of experience in real estate sales, a salesperson may decide to become licensed as a real estate broker (or Principal/qualifying broker) in order to own, manage, or operate their own brokerage. In addition, some states allow college graduates to apply for a broker's license without years of experience. College graduates fall into this category once they have completed the state-required courses as well. California allows licensed attorneys to become brokers upon passing the broker exam without having to take the requisite courses required of an agent. Commonly more coursework and a broker's state exam on real estate law must be passed. Upon obtaining a broker's license, a real estate agent may continue to work for another broker in a similar capacity as before (often referred to as a broker associate or associate broker) or take charge of their own brokerage and hire other salespersons (or broker licensees). Becoming a branch office manager may or may not require a broker's license. Some states allow licensed attorneys to become real estate brokers without taking any exam. In some states, there are no "salespeople" as all licensees are brokers.[9]
Flat-fee real estate agents charge a seller of a property a flat fee, $500 for example,[11] as opposed to a traditional or full-service real estate agent who charges a percentage of the sale price. In exchange, the seller's property will appear in the multiple listing service (MLS), but the seller will represent him or herself when showing the property and negotiating a sales price.[11] The result is the seller pays less commission overall (roughly half) when the property sells.[11] This is because a seller will pay a percentage of the sales price to a buyer's agent but not have to pay a percentage to a seller's agent (because there isn't one; the seller is representing himself).
In consideration of the brokerage successfully finding a buyer for the property, a broker anticipates receiving a commission for the services the brokerage has provided. Usually, the payment of a commission to the brokerage is contingent upon finding a buyer for the real estate, the successful negotiation of a purchase contract between the buyer and seller, or the settlement of the transaction and the exchange of money between buyer and seller. Under common law, a real estate broker is eligible to receive their commission, regardless of whether the sale actually takes place, once they secure a buyer who is ready, willing, and able to purchase the dwelling.[12]
Economist Steven D. Levitt famously argued in his 2005 book Freakonomics that real estate brokers have an inherent conflict of interest with the sellers they represent because their commission gives them more motivation to sell quickly than to sell at a higher price. Levitt supported his argument with a study finding brokers tend to put their own houses on the market for longer and receive higher prices for them compared to when working for their clients. He concluded that broker commissions will reduce in future.[13] A 2008 study by other economists found that when comparing brokerage without listing services, brokerage significantly reduced the average sale price.[14]
Real estate brokers who work with lenders can not receive any compensation from the lender for referring a residential client to a specific lender. To do so would be a violation of a United States federal law known as the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). RESPA ensures that buyers and sellers are given adequate notice of the Real Estate settlement process.[15]
In the United States, the term realtor is trademarked by the National Association of Realtors, which uses it to refer to its active members, who may be real estate agents or brokers.[16][17][18] In Canada, the trademark is used by members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.[19] Both organizations advise against the use of realtor as a generic synonym for real estate agent.[19]
States issue licenses for an annual or multi-year period and require real estate agents and brokers to complete continuing education prior to renewing their licenses. For example, California licensees must complete 45 hours of continuing education every 4 years in topics such as agency, trust fund handling, consumer protection, fair housing, ethics, and risk management.[20]
^ abThe 2007 Florida Statutes. Chapter 475 Real Estate Brokers — Part I; Real Estate Brokers, Sales Associates, and Schools (ss. 475.001-475.5018), Section 475.278 Authorized brokerage relationships; presumption of transaction brokerage; required disclosures (1) Brokerage Relationships: (a) Authorized brokerage relationships. — A real estate licensee in this state may enter into a brokerage relationship as either a transaction broker or as a single agent with potential buyers and sellers. A real estate licensee may not operate as a disclosed or non-disclosed dual agent ... (b)Presumption of transaction brokerage. — It shall be presumed that all licensees are operating as transaction brokers unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is established, in writing, with a customer."
Queensland has a population of over 5.5 million,[7] concentrated in South East Queensland, where nearly three in four reside. The capital and largest city in the state is Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city and comprising fully half of the state’s population. Ten of Australia's thirty largest cities are located in Queensland, the largest outside Brisbane being the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Ipswich, and Toowoomba. 24.2% of the state's population were born overseas.[8] The state has the highest inter-state net migration in Australia.[9]
Queensland was among the six colonies which became the founding states of Australia with Federation on 1 January 1901. Since the Bjelke-Petersen era of the late 20th century, Queensland has received a high level of internal migration from the other states and territories of Australia and remains a popular destination for interstate migration.
Queensland has the third-largest economy among Australian states, with strengths in mining, agriculture, transportation, international education, insurance, and banking. Nicknamed the Sunshine State for its tropical and sub-tropical climates, Great Barrier Reef, and numerous beaches, tourism is also important to the state's economy.
Queensland was one of the largest regions of pre-colonial Aboriginal population in Australia.[12] The Aboriginal occupation of Queensland is thought to predate 50,000 BC, and early migrants are believed to have arrived via boat or land bridge across Torres Strait. Through time, their descendants developed into more than 90 different language and cultural groups.
During the last ice age, Queensland's landscape became more arid and largely desolate, making food and other supplies scarce. The people developed the world's first seed-grinding technology.[13] The end of the glacial period brought about a warming climate, making the land more hospitable. It brought high rainfall along the eastern coast, stimulating the growth of the state's tropical rainforests.[14]
The Torres Strait Islands is home to the Torres Strait Islander peoples. Torres Strait Islanders are ethnically and culturally distinct from mainland Aboriginal peoples. They have a long history of interaction with both Aboriginal peoples of what is now Australia and the peoples of New Guinea.
The Aboriginal population declined significantly after a smallpox epidemic during the late 18th century and massacres by the European settlers.[16][page needed]
In 1823, John Oxley, a British explorer, sailed north from what is now Sydney to scout possible penal colony sites in Gladstone (then Port Curtis) and Moreton Bay. At Moreton Bay, he found the Brisbane River. He returned in 1824 and established a penal settlement at what is now Redcliffe. The settlement, initially known as Edenglassie, was then transferred to the current location of the Brisbane city centre. Edmund Lockyer discovered outcrops of coal along the banks of the upper Brisbane River in 1825.[17] In 1839 transportation of convicts was ceased, culminating in the closure of the Brisbane penal settlement. In 1842 free settlement, which had already commenced, was officially permitted. In 1847, the Port of Maryborough was opened as a wool port. While most early immigrants came from New South Wales, the first free immigrant ship to arrive in Moreton Bay from Europe was the Artemisia, in 1848.
Earlier than this immigrant ship was the arrival of the Irish famine orphan girls to Queensland. Devised by the then British Secretary of State for the Colonies, The Earl Grey Scheme established a special emigration scheme which was designed to resettle destitute girls from the workhouses of Ireland during the Great Famine. The first ship, the "Earl Grey", departed Ireland for a 124-day sail to Sydney. After controversy developed upon their arrival in Australia, a small group of 37 young orphans, sometimes referred to as The Belfast Girls or the Feisty Colleens, never set foot on Sydney soil, and instead sailed up to Brisbane (then Moreton Bay) on 21 October 1848 on board the Ann Mary. This scheme continued until 1852.[18]
In 1857, Queensland's first lighthouse was built at Cape Moreton.[19]
The frontier wars fought between European settlers and Aboriginal tribes in Queensland were the bloodiest and most brutal in colonial Australia.[20] Many of these conflicts are now seen as acts of genocide.[21][22][23][24]
The wars featured the most frequent massacres of First Nations people, the three deadliest massacres on white settlers, the most disreputable frontier police force, and the highest number of white victims to frontier violence on record in any Australian colony.[25] Across at least 644 collisions at least 66,680 were killed — with Aboriginal fatalities alone comprising no less than 65,180.[26] Of these deaths, around 24,000 Aboriginal men, women and children were killed by the Native Police between 1859 and 1897.[27]
The military force of the Queensland Government in this war was the Native Police, who operated from 1849 to the 1920s. The Native Police was a body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander troopers that operated under the command of white officers. The Native Police were often recruited forcefully from far-away communities.[28][29]
Aftermath of the 1861 Cullin-La-Ringo massacre in which 19 settlers were killed by Aboriginal people, the deadliest attack on settlers in the frontier wars
Conflict spread quickly with free settlement in 1838, with settlement rapidly expanding in a great rush to take up the surrounding land in the Darling Downs, Logan and Brisbane Valley and South Burnett onwards from 1840, in many cases leading to widespread fighting and heavy loss of life. The conflict later spread north to the Wide Bay and Burnett River and Hervey Bay region, and at one stage the settlement of Maryborough was virtually under siege.[30]
The largest reasonably well-documented massacres in southeast Queensland were the Kilcoy and Whiteside poisonings, each of which was said to have taken up to 70 Aboriginal lives by use of a gift of flour laced with strychnine. At the Battle of One Tree Hill in September 1843, Multuggerah and his group of warriors ambushed one group of settlers, routing them and subsequently others in the skirmishes which followed, starting in retaliation for the Kilcoy poisoning.[31][32]
Central Queensland was particularly hard hit during the 1860s and 1870s, several contemporary writers mention the Skull Hole, Bladensburg, or Mistake Creek massacre[a] on Bladensburg Station near Winton, which in 1901 was said to have taken up to 200 Aboriginal lives.[33] First Nations warriors killed 19 settlers during the Cullin-La-Ringo massacre on 17 October 1861.[34] In the weeks afterwards, police, native police and civilians killed up to 370 members of the Gayiri Aboriginal people in response.[35]
Frontier violence peaked on the northern mining frontier during the 1870s, most notably in Cook district and on the Palmer and Hodgkinson River goldfields, with heavy loss of Aboriginal lives and several well-known massacres.[36] Raids conducted by the Kalkadoon held settlers out of Western Queensland for ten years until September 1884 when they attacked a force of settlers and native police at Battle Mountain near modern Cloncurry. The subsequent battle of Battle Mountain ended in disaster for the Kalkadoon, who suffered heavy losses.[37] Fighting continued in North Queensland, however, with First Nations raiders attacking sheep and cattle while Native Police mounted heavy retaliatory massacres.[38][39]
Tens of thousands of South Sea Islanders were kidnapped from islands nearby to Australia and sold as slaves or indentured labourers to work on the colony's agricultural plantations through a process known as blackbirding.
This trade in what were then known as Kanakas was in operation from 1863 to 1908, a period of 45 years. Some 55,000 to 62,500 were brought to Australia,[40] most being recruited or blackbirded from islands in Melanesia, such as the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), the Solomon Islands and the islands around New Guinea.
Blackbirded South Sea Islanders on a Sugarcane plantation in Queensland.
The majority of those taken were male and around one quarter were under the age of sixteen.[41] In total, approximately 15,000 South Sea Islander slaves died while working in Queensland, a figure which does not include those who died in transit or who were killed in the recruitment process. This represents a mortality rate of at least 30%, which is high considering most were only on three year contracts.[42] It is also similar to the estimated 33% death rate of enslaved Africans in the first three years of being taken to America.[43]
The trade was legally sanctioned and regulated under Queensland law, and prominent men such as Robert Towns made massive fortunes off of exploitation of slave and indentured labour, helping to establish some of the major cities in Queensland today.[44] Towns' agent claimed that blackbirded labourers were "savages who did not know the use of money" and therefore did not deserve cash wages.[45]
Following Federation in 1901, the White Australia policy came into effect, which saw most foreign workers in Australia deported under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901, which saw the Pacific Islander population of the state decrease rapidly.[46]
Parade of troops in Brisbane, prior to departure for the Boer War in South AfricaKanaka workers in a sugar cane plantation, late 19th century
A public meeting was held in 1851 to consider the proposed separation of Queensland from New South Wales. On 6 June 1859, Queen Victoria signed letters patent[47] to form the separate colony of Queensland as a self-governingCrown colony with responsible government. Brisbane was selected as the capital city. On 10 December 1859, a proclamation was read by George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland, formally establishing Queensland as a separate colony from New South Wales.[48] On 22 May 1860 the first Queensland election was held and Robert Herbert, Bowen's private secretary, was appointed as the first Premier of Queensland.
In 1865, the first rail line in the state opened between Ipswich and Grandchester. Queensland's economy expanded rapidly in 1867 after James Nash discovered gold on the Mary River near the town of Gympie, sparking a gold rush and saving the Colony of Queensland from near economic collapse. While still significant, they were on a much smaller scale than the gold rushes of Victoria and New South Wales.
Immigration to Australia and Queensland, in particular, began in the 1850s to support the state economy. During the period from the 1860s until the early 20th century, many labourers, known at the time as Kanakas, were brought to Queensland from neighbouring Pacific Island nations to work in the state's sugar cane fields. Some of these people had been kidnapped under a process known as blackbirding or press-ganging, and their employment conditions constituted an allegedly exploitative form of indentured labour. Italian immigrants entered the sugar cane industry from the 1890s.[49]
During the 1890s, the six Australian colonies, including Queensland, held a series of referendums which culminated in the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901. During this time, Queensland had a population of half a million people. Since then, Queensland has remained a federated state within Australia, and its population has significantly grown.
Returned World War II soldiers march in Queen Street, Brisbane, 1944
In 1905 women voted in state elections for the first time. The state's first university, the University of Queensland, was established in Brisbane in 1909. In 1911, the first alternative treatments for polio were pioneered in Queensland and remain in use across the world today.[50]
Australia's first major airline, Qantas (originally standing for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services"), was founded in Winton in 1920 to serve outback Queensland.
In 1935 cane toads were deliberately introduced to Queensland from Hawaii in an unsuccessful attempt to reduce the number of French's cane and greyback cane beetles that were destroying the roots of sugar cane plants, which are integral to Queensland's economy. The toads have remained an environmental pest since that time. In 1962, the first commercial production of oil in Queensland and Australia began at Moonie.
During World War II Brisbane became central to the Allied campaign when the AMP Building (now called MacArthur Central) was used as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur, chief of the Allied Pacific forces, until his headquarters were moved to Hollandia in August 1944.[52] In 1942, during the war, Brisbane was the site of a violent clash between visiting US military personnel and Australian servicemen and civilians, which resulted in one death and hundreds of injuries. This incident became known colloquially as the Battle of Brisbane.[53]
The end of World War II saw a wave of immigration from across Europe, with many more immigrants coming from southern and eastern Europe than in previous decades.
In the later decades of the 20th century, the humid subtropical climate—regulated by the availability of air conditioning—saw Queensland become a popular destination for migrants from interstate.[54] Since that time, Queensland has continuously seen high levels of migration from the other states and territories of Australia.
The end of the White Australia policy in 1973 saw the beginning of a wave of immigration from around the world, and most prominently from Asia, which continues to the present.
In 2003 Queensland adopted maroon as the state's official colour. The announcement was made as a result of an informal tradition to use maroon to represent the state in association with sporting events.[55]
After three decades of record population growth, Queensland was impacted by major floods between late 2010 and early 2011, causing extensive damage and disruption across the state.[56][57]
With a total area of 1,729,742 square kilometres (715,309 square miles), Queensland is an expansive state with a highly diverse range of climates and geographical features. If Queensland were an independent nation, it would be the world's 16th largest.
Queensland's eastern coastline borders the Coral Sea, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The state is bordered by the Torres Strait to the north, with Boigu Island off the coast of New Guinea representing the northern extreme of its territory. The triangular Cape York Peninsula, which points toward New Guinea, is the northernmost part of the state's mainland. West of the peninsula's tip, northern Queensland is bordered by the Gulf of Carpentaria. To the west, Queensland is bordered by the Northern Territory, at the 138th meridian east, and to the southwest by northeastern South Australia. The state's southern border with New South Wales is constituted in the east by the watershed from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River, and the Dumaresq, Macintyre and Barwon rivers. The west of the southern border is defined by the 29th parallel south (including some minor historical encroachments) until it reaches South Australia.
The state is divided into several unofficial regions which are commonly used to refer to large areas of the state's vast geography. These include:
South East Queensland in the state's coastal extreme south-eastern corner, an urban region which includes the state's three largest cities: capital city Brisbane and popular coastal tourist destinations the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. In some definitions, it also includes the city of Toowoomba. South East Queensland accounts for more than 70% of the state's population.
The Darling Downs in the state's inland southeast, which consists of fertile agricultural (particularly cattle grazing) land and in some definitions includes the city of Toowoomba. The region also includes the mountainous Granite Belt, the state's coldest region which occasionally experiences snow.
Because of its size, there is significant variation in climate across the state. There is ample rainfall along the coastline, with a monsoonal wet season in the tropical north, and humid sub-tropical conditions along the southern coastline. Low rainfall and hot humid summers are typical for the inland and west. Elevated areas in the south-eastern inland can experience temperatures well below freezing in mid-winter providing frost and, rarely, snowfall. The climate of the coastal regions is influenced by warm ocean waters, keeping the region free from extremes of temperature and providing moisture for rainfall.[58]
There are six predominant climatic zones in Queensland,[59] based on temperature and humidity:
Hot humid summer, warm humid winter (far north and coastal): Cairns, Innisfail
Hot humid summer, warm dry winter (north and coastal): Townsville, Mackay
Hot humid summer, mild dry winter (coastal elevated areas and coastal south-east): Brisbane, Bundaberg, Rockhampton
Hot dry summer, mild dry winter (central inland and north-west): Mt Isa, Emerald, Longreach
The coastal far north of the state is the wettest region in Australia, with Mount Bellenden Ker, south of Cairns, holding many Australian rainfall records with its annual average rainfall of over 8 metres (26 ft).[65] Snow is rare in Queensland, although it does fall with some regularity along the far southern border with New South Wales, predominantly in the Stanthorpe district although on rare occasions further north and west. The most northerly snow ever recorded in Australia occurred near Mackay; however, this was exceptional.[66]
Natural disasters are often a threat in Queensland: severe tropical cyclones can impact the central and northern coastlines and cause severe damage,[67] with recent examples including Larry, Yasi, Ita and Debbie. Flooding from rain-bearing systems can also be severe and can occur anywhere in Queensland. One of the deadliest and most damaging floods in the history of the state occurred in early 2011.[68] Severe springtime thunderstorms generally affect the south-east and inland of the state and can bring damaging winds, torrential rain, large hail and even tornadoes.[69] The strongest tornado ever recorded in Australia occurred in Queensland near Bundaberg in November 1992.[70] Droughts and bushfires can also occur; however, the latter are generally less severe than those that occur in southern states.
The highest official maximum temperature recorded in the state was 49.5 °C (121.1 °F) at Birdsville Police Station on 24 December 1972.[71] The lowest recorded minimum temperature is −10.6 °C (12.9 °F) at Stanthorpe on 23 June 1961 and at The Hermitage (near Warwick) on 12 July 1965.[72]
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
In December 2021, Queensland had an estimated population of 5,265,043.[7] Approximately half of the state's population lives in Brisbane, and over 70% live in South East Queensland. Nonetheless, Queensland is the second most decentralised state in Australia after Tasmania. Since the 1980s, Queensland has consistently been the fastest-growing state in Australia, as it receives high levels of both international immigration and migration from interstate. There have however been short periods where Victoria and Western Australia have grown faster.
Early settlers during the 19th century were largely English, Irish, Scottish and German, while there was a wave of immigration from southern and eastern Europe (most notably Italy) in the decades following the second world war. In the 21st century, Asia (most notably China and India) has been the primary source of immigration.
At the 2016 census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were:[N 3][80][81]
The 2016 census showed that 28.9% of Queensland's inhabitants were born overseas. Only 54.8% of inhabitants had both parents born in Australia, with the next most common birthplaces being New Zealand, England, India, Mainland China and South Africa.[80][81] Brisbane has the 26th largest immigrant population among world metropolitan areas.
At the 2016 census, 81.2% of inhabitants spoke only English at home, with the next most common languages being Mandarin (1.5%), Vietnamese (0.6%), Cantonese (0.5%), Spanish (0.4%) and Italian (0.4%).[83][84]
At the 2021 census, 80.5% of inhabitants spoke only English at home, with the next most common languages being Mandarin (1.6%), Vietnamese (0.6%), Punjabi (0.6%) and Spanish (0.6%).[85]
At the 2016 census, the most commonly cited religious affiliations were 'No religion' (29.2%), Catholicism (21.7%) and Anglicanism (15.3%).[86] In the 2016 Census the majority of Queenslanders were identified as Christian, most of which were of various Protestant denominations.[87]
According to the 2021 census, 45.7% of the population follows Christianity, and 41.2% identified as having No religion[85][88] About 5% of people are affiliated with a non-Christian religion, mainly Buddhism (1.4%), Hinduism (1.3%) and Islam (1.2%).[85] The 2021 census found that Protestants of various denominations outnumbered Catholics in Queensland.[89]
In 2019, Queensland had a gross state product of A$357,044 million, the third-highest in the nation after New South Wales and Victoria.[95] The construction of sea ports and railways along Queensland's coast in the 19th century set up the foundations for the state's export-oriented mining and agricultural sectors. Since the 1980s, a sizeable influx of interstate and overseas migrants, large amounts of federal government investment, increased mining of vast mineral deposits and an expanding aerospace sector have contributed to the state's economic growth.[96]
Primary industries include bananas, pineapples, peanuts, a wide variety of other tropical and temperate fruit and vegetables, grain crops, wineries, cattle raising, cotton, sugarcane, and wool. The mining industry includes bauxite, coal, silver, lead, zinc, gold and copper.[97][98]
Secondary industries are mostly further processing of the above-mentioned primary produce. For example, bauxite is shipped by sea from Weipa and converted to alumina at Gladstone.[99] There is also copper refining and the refining of sugar cane to sugar at a number of mills along the eastern coastline.
As a result of its varied landscapes, warm climate, and abundant natural environment, tourism is Queensland's leading tertiary industry with millions of interstate and international visitors visiting the state each year. The industry generates $8.8 billion annually, accounting for 4.5% of Queensland's Gross State Product. It has an annual export of $4.0 billion annually. The sector directly employs about 5.7% of Queensland citizens.[102] Accommodation in Queensland caters for nearly 22% of the total expenditure, followed by restaurants/meals (15%), airfares (11%), fuel (11%) and shopping/gifts (11%).[103]
Legislative authority is exercised by the Queensland Parliament which uniquely for Australian states is unicameral, containing only one house, the Legislative Assembly. The Parliament was bicameral until 1922 when the Legislative Council was abolished by the Labor "suicide squad", so called because they were appointed for the purpose of voting to abolish their own offices.[113]Bills receive royal assent from the Governor before being passed into law. The Parliament's seat is at Parliament House at Gardens Point in Brisbane's CBD. Members of the Legislative Assembly represent 93 electoral districts. Elections in Queensland are held at the end of each fixed four-year parliamentary term and are determined by full preferential voting.
The state's politics are traditionally regarded as being conservative relative to other states.[114][115][116][117][118] Historically, the lack of an upper house, the "Bjelkemander" (a malapportion favouring rural electoral districts) has meant that Queensland had a long tradition of domination by strong-willed, populist premiers, often accused of authoritarian tendencies, holding office for long periods. This tendency was exemplified by the government of the state's longest-serving Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Local government is the mechanism by which local government areas can manage their own affairs to the extent permitted by the Local Government Act 2009. Queensland is divided into 77 local government areas, which are created by the state government under the legislation.[119] Each local government area has a council responsible for providing a range of local services and utilities. Local councils derive their income from both rates and charges on resident ratepayers, and grants and subsidies from the state and federal governments.[120]
Major annual cultural events include the Royal Queensland Exhibition (known locally as the Ekka), an agricultural exhibition held each August at the Brisbane Showgrounds as well as the Brisbane Festival, which includes one of the nation's largest annual fireworks displays called 'Riverfire', and which is held each September.
The state of Queensland is represented in all of Australia's national sporting competitions and it is also host to a number of domestic and international sporting events. The most popular winter and summer team sports are rugby league and cricket, respectively.
The official state emblems of Queensland are prescribed in the Emblems of Queensland Act 2005.
Queen Victoria granted the Queensland Coat of Arms to the Colony of Queensland in 1893, making it the oldest State Arms in Australia.[123] It depicts Queensland's primary industries in the 19th century with a sheaf of wheat, the heads of a bull and a ram, and a column of gold rising from a heap of quartz. Two stalks of sugar cane which surround the state badge at the top, and below is Queensland's state motto, Audax at Fidelis, which means "Bold but Faithful". In 1977, Queen Elizabeth II granted the supporting animals, the brolga and the red deer.[123][124]
In November 2003 maroon was officially named Queensland's state colour, after many years of association with Queensland sporting teams.
The koala was officially named the animal or faunal, emblem of Queensland in 1971 after a newspaper poll showed strong public support. The Queensland Government introduced the poll due to a proposal by state tourism ministers for all states to adopt a faunal emblem.[123] In January 1986, the brolga was announced as the official bird emblem of Queensland, after many years on the Coat of Arms.[124]
The Cooktown orchid became known as Queensland's floral emblem in 1959, during celebrations to mark the state's centenary,[125][126] and the Barrier Reef Anemone Fish was officially named as Queensland's aquatic emblem in March 2005.[127]
The sapphire was named the official state gem for Queensland in August 1985.[128][129]
Queensland is served by several National Highways and, particularly in South East Queensland, a network of freeways such as the M1. The Department of Transport & Main Roads oversees the development and operation of main roads and public transport, including taxis and local aviation.
The new Queensland Cross River Rail is a metro network that is currently under development within Brisbane and is part of infrastructure to prepare the city for the 2032 Olympic games.[131]
^Pre-1971 figures may not include the Indigenous population.
^In accordance with the Australian Bureau of Statistics source, England, Scotland, Mainland China and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau are listed separately
^As a percentage of 4,348,289 persons who nominated their ancestry at the 2016 census.
^The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most who nominate "Australian" as their ancestry are part of the Anglo-Celtic group.[82]
^Of any ancestry. Includes those identifying as Aboriginal Australians or Torres Strait Islanders. Indigenous identification is separate from the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.
^Of any ancestry. Includes those identifying as Aboriginal Australians or Torres Strait Islanders. Indigenous identification is separate from the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.
^Harrison, Jennifer (4 July 2014), The Forty-Niners: Brisbane : schemes and dreams nineteenth century arrivals, Brisbane History Group; Salisbury Qld. : Boolarong Press (published 2014), p. 47, ISBN978-1-925046-99-1
^Tatz, Colin (2006). Maaka, Roger; Andersen, Chris (eds.). "Confronting Australian Genocide"(PDF). The Indigenous Experience: Global Perspectives. 25. Canadian Scholars Press: 16–36. ISBN978-1551303000. PMID19514155. Archived(PDF) from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
^Evans, Raymond & Ørsted–Jensen, Robert: 'I Cannot Say the Numbers that Were Killed': Assessing Violent Mortality on the Queensland Frontier" (paper at AHA 9 July 2014 at University of Queensland) publisher Social Science Research Network
^R Evans, quoted in T Bottoms (2013) Conspiracy of Silence: Queensland's Frontier Killing Times, Allen & Unwin, p.181
^"Episode Three". Frontier. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 July 2006. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
^"Frontier wars". Queensland Government. 29 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
^Queensland State Archives A/49714 no 6449 of 1884 (report); QPG re 13 July 1884, Vol 21:213; 21 July 1884 – COL/A395/84/5070; Q 16 August 1884, p253; 20 August 1884 Inquest JUS/N108/84/415; POL/?/84/6449; 15 Queensland Figaro November 1884 and Queensland State Archives A/49714, letter 9436 of 1889.
^"Q150 Timeline". Queensland Treasury. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
^Rickard, John (2017). Australia: A Cultural History. Monash University. p. 173. ISBN978-1-921867-60-6.
^Patrick, Ross. "Elizabeth Kenny (1880–1952)". Kenny, Elizabeth (1880–1952). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
^"World University Rankings". TopUniversities.com. QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Archived from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
^TravelTreks (8 September 2016). "Australia's Top 50 Small Towns". Stapylton, Queensland, Australia: DiscountMyFlights.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^"Glass House Mountains National Park". Parks and forests | Department of Environment and Science, Queensland. 2 September 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^Wanna, John (2003). "Queensland". In Moon, Campbell; Sharman, Jeremy (eds.). Australian Politics and Government: The Commonwealth, the States, and Territories. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 47. ISBN978-0-521-82507-8. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
^Daly, Margo (2003). The Rough Guide To Australia. Rough Guides Ltd. p. 397. ISBN978-1-84353-090-9.
^Penrith, Deborah (2008). Live & Work in Australia. Crimson Publishing. p. 478. ISBN978-1-85458-418-2.
^"Rates and valuations". Queensland: Department of Local Government, Sport and Recreation. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
Broome, Richard (1988). "The Struggle for Australia : Aboriginal-European Warfare, 1770–1930". In McKernan, Michael; Browne, Margaret; Australian War Memorial (eds.). Australia Two Centuries of War & Peace. Canberra, A.C.T.: Australian War Memorial in association with Allen and Unwin, Australia. pp. 92–120. ISBN0-642-99502-8.
Connor, John (2008). "Frontier Wars". In Dennis, Peter; et al. (eds.). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (Second ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand. ISBN978-0-19-551784-2.
Coulthard-Clark, Chris D. (2001). The Encyclopedia of Australia's Battles (Second ed.). Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN1865086347.
Ørsted-Jensen, Robert (2011). Frontier History Revisited – Queensland and the 'History War'. Cooparoo, Brisbane, Qld: Lux Mundi Publishing. ISBN9781466386822.
The Gold Coast, also known by its initials, GC, is a coastal city and region in the state of Queensland, Australia, located approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital, Brisbane. It is Queensland's second-largest city after Brisbane, as well as Australia's sixth-largest city and the most populous non-capital city.[4] The city's central business district is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport.[5] The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast, sprawling almost 60 kilometres, joining up with the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region to the north and to the state border with New South Wales to the south.[6] Nicknames of the city include the ‘Glitter Strip’ and the ‘Goldy’. The demonym of a Gold Coast resident is Gold Coaster.
The area that became the Gold Coast was originally inhabited by the indigenous Yugambeh people. The city grew from a collection of small townships, the earliest being Nerang in 1865. From the 1920s onwards, tourism led to significant economic growth in the region, and by 1959 the Gold Coast was declared a city, with its first skyscraper being built in 1960. The Gold Coast boomed from the 1980s onwards with skyscraper construction. This era was defined by the city's ‘white-shoe brigade' developers, neon lights, and organised crime, particularly the yakuza and the Russian mafia.[7] The late 20th century saw the city's tourism diversify with theme park openings, and in the early 21st century became an international destination for film production.
The Gold Coast has a diverse economy with strengths in health, tourism, arts and culture, and construction, with a GDP of AU$45.3 billion as of 2023.[8] The city ranks highly as one of the country's cultural and creative hotspots,[9] alongside content creators,[10] a growing video games industry,[11] and leads Australia in startups per capita.[12] The Gold Coast is central to the nation's entertainment industry with a major film and television production industry, leading to the city's metonym of Goldywood.[13][14] The Gold Coast is also host of the AACTA Awards and the Gold Coast Film Festival.
The Gold Coast is the ancestral home of a number of Indigenous clans of the Yugambeh people,[15] including the Kombumerri,[16]Mununjali,[17] and Wangerriburra clans. Europeans arrived in 1823 when explorer John Oxley explored the Tweed River.[18] The hinterland's timber supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century.[19]
A number of small townships developed along the coast and in the hinterland. The western suburb of Nerang was surveyed and established as a base for the industry and by 1870 a town reserve had been set aside.[20] By 1873, the town reserve of Burleigh Heads had also been surveyed and successful land sales had taken place.[21] In 1875, the small settlement opposite the boat passage at the head of the Nerang River, known as Nerang Heads or Nerang Creek Heads, was surveyed and renamed Southport, with the first land sales scheduled to take place in Beenleigh.[22]Southport quickly grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for wealthy Brisbane residents.[23]
Post-World War One Era saw the rise of the "seaside shack". The seaside shack provided the opportunity for the coastal "getaway" with modest investment. From 1914 to 1946, they popped up all along the South Coast. Seaside shacks were exceedingly cheap and were an early use of the concept of recycling. Many were built of disused or second grade timber, all kinds of materials were used for the holiday seaside shack – including fibro cement, metal containers, and left-over farm sheds; even disused trams were sold off as seaside shacks.[24]
After the establishment of the Surfers Paradise Hotel in the late 1920s, the Gold Coast region grew significantly.[25][26] The Gold Coast was originally known as the South Coast (because it was south of Brisbane). However, over-inflated prices for real estate and other goods and services led to the nickname of "Gold Coast" from 1950.[27][28][29][30][31] South Coast locals initially considered the name "Gold Coast" derogatory.[32][33] However, soon the "Gold Coast" simply became a convenient way to refer to the holiday strip from Southport to Coolangatta.[34][35][36][37][38] The Town of South Coast was formed through the amalgamation of Town of Coolangatta and Town of Southport along with the coastal areas (such as Burleigh Heads) from the Shire of Nerang on 17 June 1949 with the effect of having the present-day Gold Coast coastal strip as a single local government area. As the tourism industry grew into the 1950s, local businesses began to adopt the term Gold Coast in their names, and on 23 October 1958 the Town of South Coast was renamed Town of Gold Coast.[39] The area was proclaimed a city, despite the lack of a cathedral, less than one year later on 16 May 1959.[40]
In 2007, the Gold Coast overtook the population of Newcastle, New South Wales, to become the sixth largest city in Australia and the largest non-capital city.[42]
In the 2016 census, the urban area of the Gold Coast had a population of 540,559 people.[44] According to the 2016 census, the population of the Gold Coast including rural areas was 569,997. The median age was 39 years old, 1 year older than the nationwide median. The male-to-female ratio was 48.6-to-51.4.[45] The most commonly nominated ancestries were English (29.3%), Australian (22.5%), Irish (8.2%), Scottish (7.5%), and German (3.6%). 64% of people were born in Australia, while the other most common countries of birth were New Zealand (7.9%), England (5.2%), China and South Africa (1.2% each), and Japan (0.7%). Indigenous Australians accounted for 1.7% of the population.[45] The most commonly spoken languages other than English were Mandarin (1.6%), Japanese (1.0%), Korean and Spanish (0.6% each), and Cantonese (0.5%).
According to the Australian Official Census in 2021, the most common religious affiliations in Gold Coast reported were none (43.4%), Catholic (18.2%), Anglican (11.9%), Uniting Church (2.9%), Non-denominational Christian (3.1%), Presbyterian and Reformed (1.9%), Buddhism (1.4%), Pentecostal (1.3%), Baptist (1.1%), Hinduism (1.1%) and Islam (1.0%).[46]
The Gold Coast is approximately half covered by forests of various types. This includes small patches of near-pristine ancient rainforest, mangrove-covered islands, and patches of coastal heathlands and farmland with areas of uncleared eucalyptus forest. Of the plantation pine forests that were planted in the 1950s and 1960s, when commercial forest planting for tax minimisation was encouraged by the Commonwealth government, tiny remnants remain.[47] Most of the Gold Coast area was covered by forest prior to European human settlement and extensive land clearing in the 19th century.[citation needed]
The southernmost town of Gold Coast City, Coolangatta, includes Point Danger and its lighthouse. Coolangatta is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the NSW border. At
28°10′00″S153°33′00″E / 28.1667°S 153.55°E / -28.1667; 153.55, 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. The major river in the area is the Nerang River. Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland were once wetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 kilometres (160 mi) in length[48] or over 9 times the length of the canals 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.[citation needed]
To the west, the city borders a part of the Great Dividing Range commonly referred to as the Gold Coast hinterland. A 206 km2 (80 sq mi) 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".[49] The area attracts bushwalkers and day-trippers. Important rainforest pollinating and seed-dispersing Black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto) are found in the area and may be heard foraging at night.[citation needed]
The City of Gold Coast includes suburbs, localities, towns and rural districts.
The declaration of Southport as a Priority Development Area (PDA) and new investment into the CBD is driving transformative change and creating new business and investment opportunities.[citation needed]
Goldcoast skyline seen from CoolangattaSuburban canals, as viewed from the Q1
Waterfront canal living is a feature of the Gold Coast. 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.[citation needed]
Residential canals were first built in the Gold Coast in the 1950s and construction continues. Most canals are extensions to the Nerang River, but there are more to the south along Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek and to the north along the Gold Coast Broadwater, South Stradbroke Island, Coomera River and southern Moreton Bay. Early canals included Florida Gardens and Isle of Capri which were under construction at the time of a 1954 flood.[50] Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There are over 890 kilometres (550 mi) of constructed residential waterfront land within the city that is home to over 80,000 residents.[citation needed]
There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860 km (530 mi) 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.[citation needed]
Burleigh Heads beach with Surfers Paradise skyline visible on the horizon
Beach safety and management
The Gold Coast has Australia's largest[51] professional surf lifesaving service to protect people on the beaches and to promote surf safety throughout the community. The Queensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from sharks.[52] Sharks are caught by using nets and baited drumlines off the major swimming beaches. Even with the SCP, sharks do range within sight of the patrolled beaches. Lifeguards will clear swimmers from the water if it is considered that there is a safety risk.[citation needed]
Gold Coast beaches have experienced periods of severe beach erosion. In 1967, a series of 11 cyclones removed most of the sand from Gold Coast beaches. The Government of Queensland engaged engineers from Delft University in the Netherlands to advise what to do about the beach erosion. The Delft Report[53] was published in 1971 and outlined a series of works for Gold Coast Beaches including Gold Coast Seaway,[54] works at Narrow Neck that resulted in the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy[55] and works at the Tweed River that became the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project.[56]
The Gold Coast experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa/Cwa), with mild to warm winters and hot, humid summers. The city experiences substantial summer precipitation mostly concentrated in thunderstorms and heavy showers with rain events occasionally lasting up to a few weeks at a time giving residents "the summer blues",[61] while winter is pleasantly mild to warm with little rain. In fact, it is for this pleasant winter weather that both the city and the Sunshine Coast—the coastal region north of Brisbane—are internationally renowned. Extreme temperatures recorded at Gold Coast Seaway have ranged from 2.5 °C (36 °F) on 19 July 2007 to 40.5 °C (105 °F) on 22 February 2005, although the city rarely experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) in summer or below 5 °C (41 °F) in winter.[62] The average temperature of the sea at Surfers Paradise ranges from 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) in July and August to 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) in February.[63]
Administratively, the Gold Coast is a local government area called the City of Gold Coast. The City of Gold Coast Council has 14 elected councillors, each representing a division of the city. Businessman Tom Tate is the current Mayor of the Gold Coast, first elected in 2012. Former mayors include Ron Clake, Gary Baildon, Lex Bell, Ray Stevens, Ern Harley and Sir Bruce Small, who was responsible for the development of many of the canal estates that are now home to thousands of Gold Coast residents.[citation needed]
Politically, the Gold Coast has often tilted conservative.[67] It was a Country Party bastion for most of the first three decades after World War II, but increasing urbanisation has made it a Liberal stronghold. Labor has historically only done well around Labrador and Coolangatta. Only one Labor MP has ever represented a significant portion of the Gold Coast at the federal level since 1949; the three Gold Coast divisions have only returned Liberals since 1984. At the state level, Labor was fairly competitive in the Gold Coast for most of the early part of the 21st century. However, as part of its massive landslide in the 2012 state election, the Liberal National Party won every seat there. The LNP repeated its sweep of the Gold Coast seats at the 2015 election, and retained all but one Gold Coast seat at the 2017 state election.[citation needed]
Southport Courthouse is the city's major courthouse and has jurisdiction to hear petty criminal offences and civil matters up to A$250,000. Indictable offences, criminal sentencing and civil matters above A$250,000 are heard in the higher Supreme Court of Queensland which is located in Brisbane. There is also a subsidiary Magistrates Court, located at the southern suburb of Coolangatta.[citation needed]
In fifty years, Gold Coast City has grown from a small beachside holiday destination to Australia's sixth largest city (and the country's most populous non-capital city). Situated within South East Queensland's growth corridor, the Gold Coast is one of Australia's fastest growing large cities, with a 5-year annual average population growth rate to 2015 of 1.8%, compared to 1.5% nationally.[69] Gross Regional Product has risen from A$9.7 billion in 2001, to A$15.6 billion in 2008, a rise of 61 percent.[70] Tourism remains fundamental to Gold Coast City's economy, with almost 10 million visitors a year to the area.[71] In the past the economy was driven by the population derived industries of construction, tourism and retail. Some diversification has taken place, with the city now having an industrial base formed of marine, education, information communication and technology, food, tourism, creative, environment and sports industries. These nine industries have been identified as the key industries by the City of Gold Coast Council to deliver the city's economic prosperity. Gold Coast City's unemployment rate (5.6 per cent) is below the national level (5.9 per cent).[72] The declaration of Southport as the Gold Coast central business district (CBD) and a Priority Development Area (PDA), as well as new investment into the CBD, is driving transformative change and creating new business and investment opportunities.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast Economic Development Strategy 2013–2023[73] outlines the framework for the city's long-term growth and prosperity. The strategy outlines actions in the following areas, Innovation, Culture, Infrastructure, Competitive business, Workforce, International.
The Gold Coast is the most popular tourist destination in Queensland.[74] It is Australia's 5th most visited destination by international tourists.[75] Around 10 million tourists visit the Gold Coast area every year consisting of 849,114 international visitors, 3,468,000 domestic overnight visitors and 5,366,000 daytrip visitors. Tourism is the region's biggest industry,[76] directly contributing more than $4.4 billion into the city economy every year and directly accounting for one in four jobs in the city[77] There are approximately 65,000 beds, 60 kilometres (37 mi) of beach, 600 kilometres (370 mi) of canal, 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and five major theme parks in the city.[citation needed]
Since the opening of what was then the world's highest residential tower in 2005 (it is now the 17th highest), the Q1 building has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. It is the second highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere after the Eureka Tower in Melbourne. The observation deck at level 77 is the highest of its kind in Queensland and offers views in all directions, from Brisbane to Byron Bay. It towers over the Surfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (750 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. In total, the Q1 is 322.5 metres (1,058 feet) high, making it the tallest building in Australia. Another famous tourist attraction are the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids, instituted in 1965 to put a positive spin on new parking regulations. To avoid tickets being issued for expired parking, the Meter Maids dispense coins into the meter and leave a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle. The Maids are still a part of the Surfers Paradise culture but the scheme is now run by private enterprise.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast is the major film production hub in Queensland and has accounted for 75%[79] of all film production in Queensland since the 1990s, with an expenditure of around $150 million per year. The Gold Coast is the third largest film production centre in Australia, behind Sydney and Melbourne.[citation needed]
Village Roadshow Studios are adjacent to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park at Oxenford. The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary. These sound stages vary in size and have an overall floor area of 10,844 sq metres, making Warner Roadshow Studio one of the largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere. The Queensland Government actively supports the film and television production industry in Queensland and provides both non-financial and financial assistance through the Pacific Film and Television Commission.[82]
The Gold Coast's culture has been affected by rapid development and traditional marketing programs orbiting around 'sun, sand, surf and sex.'[83]
Despite rapid socio-economic changes and a tourist-centred image, there is evidence of local resident-driven culture (such as surf gangs) in geographical pockets and a broader 'Gold Coaster' identity drawn from globalised resort and real estate marketing material.[84] The Gold Coast hosts cultural activities that attract tourists and residents alike.[citation needed]
The two most popular sports on the Gold Coast are Australian rules football and rugby league,[86] of which the city is represented by professional teams in two most popular national competitions:
Recreational activities on the Gold Coast include surfing, fishing, cycling, boating and golf. The Gold Coast area has numerous golf links, including Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove and The Glades.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast has garnered a reputation as a "sporting graveyard", as many of the professional clubs that have represented the Gold Coast in national leagues since the 1980s experience generally poor on-field performances, consistently struggle to support themselves financially, and have generally folded within a decade of being founded; as of 2019 no Gold Coast-based team has won a premiership in a national professional club competition.[87][88][89]
The Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth, held between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was the fifth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport event achieved gender equality by having an equal number of events for male and female athletes.[90] More than 4,400 athletes, including 300 para-athletes, from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations took part in the event.[91]
Gold Coast will be one of the three zones for the 2032 Summer Olympics and 2032 Summer Paralympics in Brisbane to use the venues as the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast Zone will have seven venues, and will host nine Olympic and six Paralympic sports. The Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre will be used for the preliminary Volleyball along with Powerlifting and Sitting Volleyball during the Paralympics. Broadbeach Park Stadium will host Beach Volleyball for Olympics as well in the Football 5-a-side in the Paralympics. The Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre will be used for Judo and Wrestling in the Olympics and Boccia in the Paralympics. Southport Broadwater Parklands to be used for Triathlon and Marathon Swimming in the Olympics and will be used for Paratriathlon in the Paralympics. Coomera Indoor Sports Centre will host the Volleyball for the Olympics and will be used for Wheelchair Rugby in the Paralympics. The Robina Stadium will host the preliminary football matches. The Carrara Stadium could potentially host the Cricket matches if the IOC approves cricket in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.[105]
The Gold Coast 500 (formerly known as the Gold Coast 600 & Gold Coast Indy 300) is a car racing event held annually, usually in October. The Surfers Paradise Street Circuit through the streets of Surfers Paradise and Main Beach. The Gold Coast 500 typically is accompanied by a range of on and off track events such as the Indy Undie Ball, Miss Indy Competition and the King of Burleigh Hill Billy cart Race which take place in the week prior to and/or during the race weekend. Formerly an IndyCar event, V8 Supercars are now the headline attraction, using a shorter track route, as the circuit was limited following the construction of the Gold Coast Light Rail as the Light Rail line replaced the northbound traffic lanes on Surfers Paradise Boulevard which was previously used as the southern section of the street circuit.[citation needed]
Each June, Coolangatta hosts Cooly Rocks On, a two-week 1950s and 1960s nostalgia festival with free entertainment and attractions, including hot rods, restored cars and revival bands playing music of the era. Every July, more than 25,000 congregate on the Gold Coast from around the world to participate in the Gold Coast Marathon. It is also the largest annual community sporting event held on the Gold Coast. In 2015, it will be held on 4–5 July and the 37th Gold Coast Airport Marathon is set to motivate and challenge more than 25,000 people of all ages and abilities. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will feature an event for all ages and abilities, including the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) Challenge, and Junior Dash over 4 and 2 kilometres (2.5 and 1.2 mi).[citation needed]
In August Currumbin hosts the annual half distance Challenge Gold Coast triathlon, with the 1.9 km swim taking place in the Currumbin River, the 90 km bike going through the Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valleys in the Hinterland, and the 21.1 km run going along the beach to Elephant Rock and Tugun.[106]
Late November to early December sees thousands of school leavers across the country descend on the Gold Coast for Schoolies week, a two-week period of celebration and parties throughout Surfers Paradise, hosted by the City of Gold Coast. The event is often criticised nationally and locally for its portrayal of drinking and acts of violence, however every effort by the Queensland Police Service and State Government to ensure all school leavers have a good time are put into place, including locals volunteering by walking the streets and keeping an eye out for those in need of assistance.[citation needed]
Early each year the Gold Coast hosts one leg of the ASP World Tour of surfing, where some of the world's best surfers compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Coolangatta.[citation needed]
The Arts Centre Gold Coast located in Evandale, features a fine art gallery featuring local and international works from painting to sculpture and new media. In addition, there is a theatre for live productions including musicals as well two arts cinemas showing foreign and independent films from Australia and abroad.[citation needed]
Chinatown, Gold Coast, located in Southport, hosts the annual citywide Lunar New Year festival as well as regular monthly events.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast straddles the boundary between the television licence areas of both Brisbane (metropolitan) and Northern NSW (regional): the Brisbane primary channels are Seven's BTQ, Nine's QTQ and 10's TVQ, while the regional affiliates are Seven's NEN, Nine's NBN and 10's NRN.[citation needed]
Of the main metropolitan and regional commercial networks:
Nine News produces a half-hour local bulletin at 5:30pm on weeknights, broadcasting from studios in Surfers Paradise. The bulletin airs as an opt-out on the metropolitan station (QTQ9) ahead of the main 6 pm news from Brisbane.[citation needed]
Seven News produced a local half-hour bulletin at 5:30pm on weeknights from studios in Surfers Paradise until 21 November 2024. The network retains a newsroom to cover the Gold Coast for its state and national bulletins.[107]
NBN airs NBN News, an hour-long regional program combining regional, national and international news – including local opt-outs for the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers – every night at 6pm. It broadcasts from studios in Newcastle with reporters based in Lismore and Surfers Paradise.[citation needed]
Network 10 airs short local news updates for the Gold Coast/Lismore district throughout the day.
Electricity for the Gold Coast is sourced from Powerlink Queensland at bulk supply substations which is provided via the National Electricity Market from an interconnected multi-State power system. The Government-owned electricity corporation Energex distributes and retails electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and value-added products and services to residential, industrial and commercial customers in South-East Queensland.[citation needed]
The Hinze Dam 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Nerang is the population's main water supply. The Little Nerang Dam which feeds into Hinze Dam can supplement part of the city area's water needs, and both are managed by the city council directorate Gold Coast Water. Reforms of the way in which the water industry is structured have been announced by the State Government, with transfer of ownership and management of water services from local government to the state occurring in 2008–09. City of Gold Coast also sources water from Wivenhoe Dam, west of Brisbane for northern suburbs when the Hinze Dam, at one-tenth of Wivenhoe's capacity, becomes low.[citation needed]
Water shortage and water restrictions have been current local issues, and a few new Gold Coast residential areas have recently included dual reticulation in their planning and development to supply water from a new water recycling plant being built concurrently. This will make available highly treated recycled water for use around the home in addition to potable water. The Gold Coast has received world recognition for this scheme in its Pimpama-Coomera suburbs.[109]
Gold Coast Water has the capacity to supply up to 133 megalitres of desalinated water per day.[110]
The car is the dominant mode of transport in the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using it as their sole mode of travelling to work.[111] The Gold Coast has an extensive network of arterial roads that link coastal suburbs with inland suburbs. In recent years, local and state governments have invested money in transport infrastructure on the Gold Coast to combat the increasing congestion on many of the city's roads. The Gold Coast has an extensive public transport network that includes buses, heavy rail and light rail for commuting to work, visiting attractions, and travelling to other destinations.[citation needed]
A number of major roads connect the Gold Coast with Brisbane, New South Wales, and the surrounding areas. The Pacific Motorway (M1) is the main motorway in the area. Beginning at the Logan Motorway (M6) in Brisbane, it travels through the inland Gold Coast region and links with the Pacific Highway at the New South Wales/Queensland border near Tweed Heads. The Pacific Motorway is part of the Brisbane to Sydney corridor. Before the Tugun Bypass was completed in 2008, the motorway ended at Tugun. The Gold Coast Highway services the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise, Southport, and Burleigh Heads. Starting at the Pacific Motorway at Tweed Heads, it runs parallel to the coast until it reaches Labrador, where it turns inland to meet the Pacific Motorway again at Helensvale. Other arterial roads include the Smith Street Motorway which connects Southport, Gold Coast's CBD with the M1 in Parkwood. Other major roads include Reedy Creek Road, Nerang–Broadbeach Road, Robina Parkway and Southport–Burleigh Road.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast's light rail service is called G:link, a 20 km (12 mi) line between Helensvale and Broadbeach that also connects the key activity centres of Southport and Surfers Paradise. The G:link was opened in 2014 between Broadbeach and Southport, with an extension to Helensvale completed in 2017 in preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[112]
Kinetic Group[114] (formerly Surfside Buslines prior to a re-branding in 2022)[115] operates all public passenger services in the city under contract by Translink which coordinates the public transport network in South East Queensland. Services are frequent during the day, with intervals being as little as 5 minutes. Kinetic Group operates over a fleet of over 400 buses operating on over 70 lines covering the entire city.[citation needed]
The main International Airport, Gold Coast Airport is located in Coolangatta, approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) south of Surfers Paradise. Services are provided to interstate capitals and major cities as well as to major New Zealand cities, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore.[citation needed] In 2019, it was the sixth busiest airport in Australia.[116]
The Gold Coast's real estate market is one of the most dynamic in Australia, characterised by a combination of coastal luxury properties, residential developments, and investment opportunities. According to data from SQM Research,[121] the region has experienced significant property value growth in recent years, with both the median house and unit prices showing strong upward trends. The market's appeal is driven by its lifestyle offerings, proximity to major cities like Brisbane, and ongoing infrastructure improvements.[citation needed]
^Schloenhardt, Andreas (2009). PALERMO IN THE PACIFIC: ORGANISED CRIME OFFENCES IN THE ASIA PACIFIC(PDF). The University of Queensland TC Beirne School of Law The University of British Columbia Centre of International Relations. p. REGION 6 Australia 6.1 Introduction 6.1.1 Organised crime in Australia: A snapshot Page 82. Archived(PDF) from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (26 July 2019). "E17: Yugambeh". collection.aiatsis.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
^Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (26 July 2019). "E77: Nerang Creek". collection.aiatsis.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
^Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (26 July 2019). "E76: Mananjahli". collection.aiatsis.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
^"Bullock Teams". Gold Coast City Libraries. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
^"Government Notifications". The Queenslander. Vol. V, no. 225. 28 May 1870. p. 9. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Country News, by Mail". The Queenslander. Vol. VIII, no. 398. 20 September 1873. p. 10. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Sixty Years Ago". The Queenslander. 2 May 1935. p. 51. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Real Estate". Daily Mail. No. 7091. Brisbane. 18 November 1924. p. 16. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Another Pioneer Passes". South Coast Bulletin. No. 1248. Queensland, Australia. 12 March 1952. p. 8. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^Baker, S.; Bennett, A.; Wise, P. (2012). "'Living 'the Strip': negotiating neighbourhood, community and identities on Australia's Gold Coast'". Habitus of the Hood.: 96.
"Local Studies Library". Library Services. Gold Coast City Council. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
"Gold Coast City advantage". State Development Centre, Gold Coast. The State of Queensland (Department of State Development, Trade and Innovation). Archived from the original on 19 August 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2006.
"Council history". Gold Coast City Council. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2006.
We recently worked with Jac at Savvy Fox to purchase our first investment property. We realised fairly early on that it would be almost impossible to negotiate the process on our own from interstate. Thank goodness we found Jac! She was so thorough right from the start with detailed property videos and advice and her communication is amazing. We knew we were in good hands and felt confident that we had all the information we needed to make a sound decision. Her knowledge of the market meant our offer was successful despite two competing offers. We would 100% recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a property!
We can't thank Jacqueline from Savvy Fox Buyers Agents enough for helping us purchase our first home!
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