The Australian Holidays Getaway Project

A National Collaboration

Laura
Lizard Island
Longreach
Mackay
Magnetic Island
Main Beach
During the early years in which Southport was the urban centre of recreational activity at the Gold Coast, visitors were ferried across the Broadwater to surf at the main beach. The area was defined by narrow coastal dune between the sea and the mouth of the Nerang River. Narrowneck formed the southern boundary and to the north a spit of sand terminated in a break or bar between the Broadwater and the sea.

A natural basin for boats existed at the mouth of the river. The area became more popular following the construction of the Jubilee Bridge in 1926 when land was taken up and holiday houses were constructed. Some guest houses were also constructed but little or no permanent population was located in the area. Some evidence remains of the areas early popularity as a surfing beach in the beachfront planting and the kiosk and shelter shed from 1934.

The construction of the new bridge and the deviation of highway to the west of Main Beach in the late 1960s was preceded in the 1950s by early reclamation of the Nerang River to the west of the earlier subdivision and the area centred on Tedder Avenue dates only from that time. A different subdivision pattern in that portion of Main Beach is the result. Similarly the land to the north of the early subdivision - the sand spit that formed one bank of the bar - was only recently developed. Until the 1870s and 80s the only activity in this area was limited to facilities associated with the Southport Yacht Club and other maritime activities.

Its use is still limited although Gold Coast resort accommodation and theme parks now occupy the land. Revegetation of the spit followed the construction of the Gold Coast seaway and gives particular character to this area and acts to link the more intensively developed area to the south with the open areas of the Broadwater and Southern Moreton Bay. Main Beach proper has developed as a high rise area only relatively recently and is focused on Tedder Avenue.

It has a sense of more permanent residential neighbourhood than other parts of the high rise coastal strip. The restaurants and coffee shops service this use. Most of the apartment buildings along the foreshore are more modest in scale. The isthmus at Narrowneck acts as a natural barrier to the more intensively developed area to the south. The geographic location of Main Beach can be seen on this Gold Coast locality map. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Maleny
Manly
Maroochydore
Maryborough
Mermaid Beach
The area from Peerless Avenue to Chairlift Avenue at Miami appears to have been subdivided in two phases - the first ending at Seashell Avenue and characterised by small allotments and the more southerly portion of a different street pattern consisting of larger allotments. Shown in the street directory of 1955 they appear to date from that time or before.

Some early housing, low set and clad in asbestos cement survived within in the area although subsequent development has taken place in the 1960s and another wave presently is reshaping the character of that part of the area along Albertross and Hedges Avenue.

In some of the first generation development evidence of landform including dunal grass and vegetation is still apparent but not sufficient quantity to contribute to the character of the area. More importantly the residential nature of the area with narrow streets and simple planting has not yet taken on the overlay of the 1970s which characterises other areas. Low lying and largely devoid of natural features or landmarks there is little to identify it clearly as an area of special or unique character in these terms.

The Little Nobby's Headland at the southern extremity forms a natural boundary and the recently constructed residential apartments there set a new standard for this area. The experience of this area from along the highway is ordinary with mixed development from various periods. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Miami Beach
Several areas along the coastal strip have outstanding character. That area from Little Nobby (or North Nobby) to South Nobby is one. Locked away because of these headlands the area is small and not generally subject to through traffic. Overshadowed and enclosed on both its northern and southern boundaries by headlands Miami has a characteristic neighbourhood scale that is unusual at the Gold Coast.

The area is marked, from the highway, by the Miami High School and the well known sign identifying that institution fixed to the escarpment of an early quarry at the base of Little Nobby Headland. From the top of the headlands, you can experience wonderful long views, north to Surfers Paradise and South to Coolangatta. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Miles
Mission Beach
Mitchelton
Montville
Mooloolaba
Moranbah
Driving through the night towards Moranbah was another experience as kangaroos jumped beside us, we of course had to be extremely careful not to hit one of these truly beautiful and graceful creatures. It was quite amazing watching their silhouettes in the night. The Moranbah region itself was captivating - a small town where the people were extremely friendly. The facilities of the town are excellent, and my stay there was thoroughly enjoyable.

I encountered many exciting experiences which made my time in northern Queensland invaluable. The bright green frogs, the cane toads, the lizards, kangaroos, pademelon, the dry , arid but beautifully coloured countryside, the amazing sunsets. I experienced what I truly imagined the Australian Outback to be like. Having travelled through Europe, Eastern Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East, I can honestly say that no other landscape in the World is comparable to the region of Northern Queensland that I have recently visited. Susanne Harford

Morningside
Mt Garnet
Mt Glorious
Mt Gravatt
Mt Isa
Mt Mee
Mt Surprise
Mt Tamborine
Mudgeeraba
Mudgeeraba is the very remnant of those townships that characterise the rural hinterland of the Gold Coast. Subdivision was conventional and buildings were traditional rural or rural commercial. Mudgeeraba was, like Nerang, an early centre, which rose to some prominence with the coming of the railway.

Left behind in the more recent boom period Mudgeeraba contains important evidence of its earlier form and building. Contained on an 'island' within the flood plain its character remains one of a nineteenth century village despite the recent encroachment of housing estates to nearby land. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Nambour
Nerang
Nerang, like Mudgeeraba, is the very remnant of those townships that characterise the rural hinterland of the Gold Coast. Together with Advancetown and Tallebudgera its settlement was brought together with the construction of the Gold Coast railway in the later years of the 19th century. It was not until this century that the coastal lands became dominant. Subdivision was conventional and buildings were traditional rural or rural commercial.

Nerang has focused very much on the river crossing and the head of navigation. Land was first sold in 1871 and coach and river transplant to the settlement became more regular. Sugar and maize were grown by farmers along the upper reaches of the river. The arrival of the railway in 1887 gave added impetus to the town. Recent years have seen the early Nerang flourish as an administrative centre for the growing Gold Coast.

The construction of the 'new' Pacific Highway on the old railway reserve has helped to focus development in the town in a manner which has extended and indeed largely swamped the early township. Its character is however still dependent upon the river and the early subdivision and commercial centre survives. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Noosa Heads
Normanton
Oxenford
Palm Beach
The area between Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek is one with little in the way of natural features to enclose it or to set it apart from other places at the Gold Coast. Certainly subdivided by the mid 1950s the subdivision is unusual in the way in which it straddles both sides of the highway. Streets are named from first to twenty-eighth starting at the southern end of the area and each second one terminates at the highway.

Between the beach and the highway in the southern part of the area the narrow Jefferson Lane links across streets. In this lane are some of the earliest and most basic of Gold Coast beach "shacks". There is some suggestion that these in fact predate the subdivision and other remnants of an earlier settlement. Other housing and development in the area is ordinary.

Recent extensions of the Palm Beach area to the west have created new subdivisions with different characteristics including a small section of canal development. The area is bounded to the north by the Tallebudgera Creek and the national recreation camp and to the south by tower developments at the mouth of Currumbin Creek. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Pittsworth
Port Douglas
Proserpine
Ravenswood
This was one of the original gold rush towns of the far North, and it is still giving up its' bounty today. This mixture of old world and modern mining makes an interesting place to visit. Approximately an hour, along the Flinders Highway, turning off the highway at Mingela, where refreshments and a yarn with the locals can be enjoyed. A further half hour along a bitumen road where dingoes, emus, camels, wild pigs, giant eagles and Kangaroos are often seen, brings you to this delightful town.

Caravan and camping facilities are available at the local showgrounds, along with a swim at the local pool. Accommodation can be arranged through the two remaining Hotels of what had originally over 40 Hotels in its Heyday. Come see the courthouse and museum, even the cemetery has a tale or two. Melissa Partington

Redcliffe
Redland Bay
Richmond
Rockhampton
'Rocky' is an 8 hour drive north of Brisbane, situated on the Tropic of Capricorn. If you spend any time in the area, a trip to see Marto and Gene at Ferns Hideaway at Byfield is a must. Sights in and around Rocky include: the cast bulls guarding each entrance to town (the town is known as the beef capital of Australia), the Botanic gardens and Kershaw gardens, Mt. Archer, Yeppoon and Keppel islands (40 mins. one way), Mt. Morgan which is an old mining town where you can go on a tour of the closed mine (40 mins. drive), Bruce Diamond's river cruises, the Queenslander architecture of 'old' Rockhampton, a thriving theatre community (drop in at The Pilbeam for what's on), and a dreamtime aboriginal centre featuring crafts, history, displays and culture. It's a bit hot there from Nov-Feb. Leigh Kluck

Rolleston
Roma
Springbrook
Springbrook is a village / rural area set 700 metres above and 40 km. from the Gold Coast. The area is surrounded by National Parks & State Forest. The population is currently around 600 with 45 children attending the local State School. The population due to the isolated nature of the area are very community conscious and support the local clubs & organizations well (there were at last count 17 clubs & organizations on the mountain).

The local rural fire brigade/SES has 60 active members and 40 supporting members. Springbrook by comparison with the Gold Coast has been in a self-inflicted 'time warp' and this picturesque area is treasured by the residents. Garry Maguire

St George
Stanthorpe
Stradbroke Island North
Sunshine Coast
Just a one hour drive from Brisbane's northern suburbs, the fabulous Sunshine Coast has been a perennial favourite for generations of Australians. The region has excellent beaches on a par with the Gold Coast but is a lot less built up and tends to be a favoured destination for family holidays. The magnificent golden beaches combined with quiet bays and inlets, family entertainment and a wonderful scenic hinterland all combine to make the Sunshine Coast one of Queensland's more popular holiday destinations. Being an established holiday destination, there is no shortage of Sunshine Coast Accommodation choices. John Adams

Surat
Surfers Paradise
To many people, the image of Surfers Paradise is synonymous with the Gold Coast. The early subdivision of Elston became the centre of development activity within the coastal strip from 1925 when Cavill opened the new Surfers Paradise Hotel. The area was serviced until that time by Myer's Ferry at the Nerang River but the construction of the Jubilee Bridge in that year and the new hotel set the seal on Surfers Paradise as the centre of developmental activity.

The boom of the 1950s and 60s was largely centred on this area and the first and earliest of the high rise Surfers Paradise Accommodation that now characterise the area were constructed in the decades that followed. Little remains of the early vegetation or natural features of the area and even the historical association of the beachfront development with the river is tenuous. The early subdivision pattern remains although later reclamation of the islands in the Nerang River as housing estates and the bridges to those islands has created a contrast reflected in subdivision and building form. Some early remnants survived such as Budd's Beach - a low scale open area on the river which was even in the early history of the area was a centre for boating, fishing and still water swimming.

Some minor changes have occurred in extending the road along the beachfront since the early subdivision and the esplanade is now very much a focus of activity in this part of the Gold Coast. Promenading and people watching takes place in this area where land use encourages not only residential activity but tourism with supporting shops and restaurants. The intensity of activity, centred on Cavill, Orchid and Elkhorn Avenues is reflected in the density of building development. Of all places of the Gold Coast the buildings in this area constitute a dominant and enduring image visible from many vantage points in the city from as far south as Burleigh Heads as well as from the mountain resorts of the hinterland and beyond. The geographic location of Surfers Paradise can be seen on this Gold Coast locality map. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Sweers Island.
Sweers Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria features high in the important historical locations of Australia, as it was visited by most of the early explorers, many of whom engraved their names on the "Investigator Tree". Sweers has an airstrip and a fishing resort, with a permanent population of 4. Russell White.

Tallebudgera and Currumbin Valleys
Although agricultural land still exists throughout the city in the area to the west of the Pacific Highway the Tallebudgera and Currumbin Valleys are particularly early and accessible remnants of this aspect of the Gold Coast story. Both narrow valleys which terminate at the foothills of the mountain ranges to the coast to the west have a long history of cedar getting, banana plantations and dairy farming.

Roads are narrow and winding following the creeks and crossing at low level bridges. Old farmhouses, outbuildings and fences and steep hillsides focused on the water courses characterises the area. Traffic is limited because of the narrow roads and the fact that once at the end of these valleys, the only way out is to retrace ones path.

Access to the valleys is direct and sudden and the immediate contrast between the development and glitter of the coastal strip and the rural ambience of both Currumbin and Tallebudgera valleys is dramatic.They are important icons of the characteristic "green behind the gold" that is at the heart of the Gold Coast heritage and character. Gold Coast Urban Heritage & Character Study

Taroom
Texas
The Gap
The Whitsundays
Thursday Island
Toowoomba
On the crest of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia lies the picturesque mountain city of Toowoomba. The Gateway to the Golden West thrives amidst the Darling Downs, some of the richest agricultural land in Australia, yet within easy driving distance of the state's capital, Brisbane. Toowoomba's unique geographical location ensures an enjoyable climate free of coastal humidity and it is a place where beautiful parks and gardens, rainforests and waterfalls gradually meld with the open plains of the Australian Outback.

Toowoomba has deservedly earned its reputation as Queenslands "Garden City" with 150 parks, tree-lined avenues and luxuriant gardens throughout. The arrival of spring is celebrated annually with The Carnival of Flowers; a week long festival held in the last week of September, when the city reverberates with color and the festive spirit. This now famous festival attracts visitors from afar who flock to see the Carnival Parade through the city streets, enjoy the week-long entertainment and marvel at the splendid manicured parks and gardens; the result of year-long planning and nurturing by Toowoomba Council gardeners and enthusiastic residents.

At any time of the year, Toowoomba offers visitors a unique blend of town and country experiences. The superb scenic diversity and friendly community produce a charm that can be felt as soon as you reach its boundaries. Explore this Web Site to find out what you can do and see in this wonderful mountain city of gardens! On your arrival, drop into the Toowoomba Tourist Information Centre at 86 James Street for up to the minute information on what is happening in this lovely city. Siobhaun Shapcott

Townsville
Warwick
Weipa
Winton
Woolloongabba
Wyandra

The Australian Holidays Getaway Project

A National Collaboration

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