Timeline of Gold Coast, Queensland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of history of the city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
19th Century
- Pre 1846
- Yugambeh people inhabit the region now known as the Gold Coast.
- 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.
- 1875
- Johan Meyer buys land near Nerang River and begins developing sugar and transportation.
- 1883
- The town of Coolangatta is founded.
- 1889
- The South Coast railway reaches Southport.
- 1892
- Catholic parish of Southport established.[1]
20th Century
- 1901
- The Southport School established.
- 1902
- Pacific Cable Station opened, connecting Australia to North America by telegraph.
- 1912
- St Hilda's School established.
- 1914
- Yatala Pie Shop opens.
- 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.
- Jim Cavill opens Surfers Paradise Hotel.
- 1928
- Jazzland Dance Hall opened at Coolangatta.
- 1933
- The town of Elston is officially renamed Surfers Paradise.
- 1934
- Broadbeach is surveyed.
- 1938
- Hotel Cecil in Art Deco style opened at Southport.
- 1939
- First passenger flights from Coolangatta Airport (later Gold Coast Airport).
- 1947
- Currumbin Bird Sanctuary (later Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary) opens.
- 1949
- Town of South Coast created through the amalgamation of Coolangatta and Southport.
- 10 March: 1949 Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crash in Bilinga.
- 1954
- 1956
- Soviet defector Vladimir Petrov arrested in Surfers Paradise while drunk.[3]
- 1958
- Town of South Coast renamed to Town of Gold Coast.
- 1959
- Town of Gold Coast renamed City of Gold Coast.[4]
- Isle of Capri canal development under way.
- 1960
- Gold Coast Hospital opened.
- Kinkabool (building) constructed in Surfers Paradise.[5]
- 1962
- Lido Arcade in Surfers Paradise opens.[4]
- Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach opens.
- 1963
- Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper in publication.[6]
- 1964
- Southport-Brisbane South Coast railway line closes.[4]
- Kirra surfer Phyllis O'Donnell wins first Women's World Surfing Championship.
- 1965
- Entrepreneur Bernie Elsey organises Surfers Paradise Meter Maids to save motorists from parking fines.
- 1966
- 1967
- Garfield Towers built in Surfers Paradise.[5]
- Bruce Small elected mayor.[4]
- 1971
- Sea World park opens in Southport.
- Point Danger Light built.
- Population: 75,862.[7]
- 1973
- 1974
- Currumbin Estuary Bridge opens.[4]
- Surfers Paradise floods.
- 1976
- Death of Gladys Moncrieff at Pindara Private Hospital
- 1979
- Gold Coast Marathon begins.
- 1980
- First Schoolies week celebrated, centred on Broadbeach Hotel[citation needed]
- 1981
- Dreamworld amusement park in business in Coomera.[4]
- Population: 177,264.[7]
- 1983
- Ray Barrett stars in Goodbye Paradise as washed-up ex-policeman investigating crime.
- 1984
- The Coolangatta Gold ironman race begins.
- Cade's County Waterpark in business in Oxenford.
- Coolangatta Centenary commemorations.
- 1985
- Conrad Jupiters Casino (later The Star Gold Coast) opens.
- 1986
- Gold Coast City Art Gallery opens.
- 1987
- Carrara Stadium opens.
- Gold Coast College of Advanced Education established.
- 1988
- Bond University opens in Robina.[4]
- Gated community of Sanctuary Cove opened with performance by Frank Sinatra.
- 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.[8]
- Australia Fair shopping centre opens in Southport.
- 1991
- Movie World amusement park opens in Oxenford.[4]
- Village Roadshow Studios begin operation.
- Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach shuts its doors.
- Population: 301,559.[7]
- 1992
- Peter Goldsworthy's comedic novel Honk If You Are Jesus set in fictional Gold Coast bible college.
- 1994
- Muriel's Wedding's fictional Porpoise Spit shot in Coolangatta and other Gold Coast locations.
- Teen model Kristy Hinze appears in Vogue Australia.
- 1995
- Shire of Albert becomes part of Gold Coast City.[4]
- Ray Stevens becomes mayor.
- Yugambeh Museum, Language and Heritage Research Centre opens.
- BusTech company formed to manufacture buses.
- 1996
- Moroccan (building) constructed in Surfers Paradise.[5]
- 1997
- Gary Baildon becomes mayor.
- 1999
- Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame opens.[9]
21st Century
- 2000
- Palazzo Versace Australia hotel in business.
- Towers of Chevron Renaissance and Pacific Motorway[4] built.
- 2001
- First series of reality TV show Big Brother shot at Dreamworld compound.
- 2004
- Ron Clarke becomes mayor.[4]
- Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre opens in Broadbeach.[4]
- 2005
- Q1 (building) constructed.[4]
- 2006
- The Wave (building) constructed.
- First series of teen fantasy TV drama H2O: Just Add Water.
- WhiteWater World water park opened.
- 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).[10]
- 2012
- Soul (building) constructed.
- Tom Tate becomes mayor.[11]
- 2013
- City Plan drafted.[12]
- Gold Coast University Hospital built by Griffith University.
- 2014
- The G:link light rail is built.
- Factual TV series Gold Coast Cops follows police work.
- 2016
- Four killed in accident on Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamworld.
- 2018
- 4–15 April: 2018 Commonwealth Games hosted by the city.
- 2023
- Four killed in mid-air helicopter collision.
- 2025
- Damage from Cyclone Alfred.
- 2026
- Several members of Iranian women's national women's football team defect to Australia.
