Timeline of Gold Coast, Queensland

The following is a timeline of history of the city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

19th Century

• 1846
  • The schooner Coolangatta is wrecked on the coast close to the later town.
• 1865
  • The township of Nerang was surveyed by Martin Lavelle in June.
• 1874
  • The town of Southport is founded.
• 1883
  • The town of Coolangatta is founded.
• 1889
  • The South Coast railway reaches Southport.

20th Century

• 1919
  • The 1918 flu pandemic closes the QLD-NSW border.
• 1922
  • Southport War Memorial built.
• 1925
  • Opening of the Jubilee bridge, connecting Elston to Southport.
• 1933
  • The town of Elston is officially renamed Surfers Paradise.
• 1934
  • Broadbeach is surveyed.
• 1949
  • Town of South Coast created through the amalgamation of Coolangatta and Southport.
  • 10 March: 1949 Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crash in Bilinga.
• 1954
  • An unnamed cyclone hits, leading to at least 26 deaths and extensive flooding.[1]
• 1958
  • Town of South Coast renamed to Town of Gold Coast.
• 1959
  • Town of Gold Coast renamed City of Gold Coast.[2]
• 1960
  • Kinkabool (building) constructed in Surfers Paradise.[3]
• 1962
  • Lido Arcade in Surfers Paradise opens.[2]
  • Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach opens.
• 1963
  • Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper in publication.[4]
• 1964
  • Southport-Brisbane South Coast railway line closes.[2]
• 1966
  • The Sands (building) and Paradise Towers constructed in Surfers Paradise.[3]
  • Gold Coast Bridge rebuilt.[2]
• 1967
  • Garfield Towers built in Surfers Paradise.[3]
  • Bruce Small elected mayor.[2]
• 1971
  • Sea World park opens in Southport.
  • Point Danger Light built.
  • Population: 75,862.[5]
• 1973
  • Robert Neumann elected mayor.[2]
• 1974
  • Currumbin Estuary Bridge opens.[2]
  • Surfers Paradise floods.
• 1979
  • Gold Coast Marathon begins.
• 1981
  • Dreamworld amusement park in business in Coomera.[2]
  • Population: 177,264.[5]
• 1984
  • The Coolangatta Gold ironman race begins.
  • Cade's County Waterpark in business in Oxenford.
  • Coolangatta Centenary commemorations
• 1986
  • Gold Coast City Art Gallery opens.
• 1987
  • Carrara Stadium opens.
  • Gold Coast College of Advanced Education established.
• 1988
  • Bond University opens in Robina.[2]
• 1989
  • Gold Coast College of Advanced Education is merged with Griffith University under the Dawkins Revolution of tertiary education.
• 1990
  • Gold Coast and Albert Genealogical Society active.[6]
  • Australia Fair Shopping Centre in business in Southport.
• 1991
  • Movie World amusement part in business in Oxenford.[2]
  • Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach shuts its doors.
  • Population: 301,559.[5]
• 1995
  • Shire of Albert becomes part of Gold Coast City.[2]
  • Ray Stevens becomes mayor.
• 1996
  • Moroccan (building) constructed in Surfers Paradise.[3]
• 1997
  • Gary Baildon becomes mayor.
• 1999
  • Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame opens.[7]

21st Century

• 2000
  • Palazzo Versace Australia hotel in business.
  • Towers of Chevron Renaissance and Pacific Motorway[2] built.
• 2004
  • Ron Clarke becomes mayor.[2]
  • Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre opens in Broadbeach.[2]
• 2005
  • Q1 (building) constructed.[2]
• 2006
  • The Wave (building) constructed.
• 2007
  • Gold Coast Titans rugby club formed.
  • Circle on Cavill and Southport Central built.
• 2008
  • November: 2008 Queensland storms.
  • Robina Stadium opens.
• 2009
  • Gold Coast Football Club formed.
• 2010
  • The Oracle constructed.
• 2011
  • Australian Sevens rugby contest relocates to Gold Coast.
  • Population: 557,822 (urban agglomeration).[8]
• 2012
  • Soul (building) constructed.
  • Tom Tate becomes mayor.[9]
• 2013
  • City Plan drafted.[10]
  • Gold Coast University Hospital built by Griffith University.
• 2014
  • The G:link light rail is built.
• 2018
  • 4-15 April: 2018 Commonwealth Games hosted by the city.

See also

• History of Gold Coast, Queensland
• List of mayors of Gold Coast

References

1. Damien Larkins (18 February 2014). "The Great Gold Coast Cyclone - February 1954". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
2. Gold Coast Bulletin 2009.
3. City Council 1997.
4. "Gold Coast (Qld.) - Newspapers". Catalogue. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
5. Hajdu 1993.
6. "About Us". Gold Coast Family History Society. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
7. Ian McDougall, ed. (3 November 2013), "Golden day for elite sports people", Southport Star, Queensland – via State Library of Queensland "Ask a Librarian"
8. "Population of Capital Cities and Cities of 100,000 or More Inhabitants". Demographic Yearbook 2012. United Nations Statistics Division. 2013.
9. "Tom Tate new Gold Coast mayor". Brisbane Times. 28 April 2012.
10. "City Plan 2015". Council of the City of Gold Coast. Retrieved 30 May 2014.

Bibliography

• P. Mullins (1984), P. Williams (ed.), "Hedonism and real estate - resort tourism and Gold Coast development", Urban Studies Yearbook, Sydney, 2
• P. Mullins (1990), "Tourist Cities as New Cities: Australia's Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast", Australian Planner, 28
• Joseph Hajdu (1993). "The Gold Coast, Australia: Spatial Model of Its Development and the Impact of the Cycle of Foreign Investment in Property during the Late 1980s". Erdkunde. 47. JSTOR 25646442.
• Margo Daly; et al. (1997), "Southeast Queensland: Gold Coast", Australia (3rd ed.), Rough Guides, p. 330+, OL 24375556M
• "Tall Buildings Brochure". Gold Coast Heritage: Publications. Gold Coast City Council. 1997.
• "50 Years: a Timeline", Gold Coast Bulletin (Paradise ed.), Australia, 16 May 2009 – via LexisNexis Academic (subscription required)

External links

• "Local Studies Library, Southport Branch Library". Libraries. Gold Coast City Council.
• "Community museums and local history". Gold Coast Heritage. Gold Coast City Council.