Location

Gold Coast City is located in south-east Queensland, about 78 kilometres south of the Brisbane CBD. Gold Coast City is bounded by Logan City, Redland City and Moreton Bay in the north, the Coral Sea in the east, the New South Wales border in the south and the Scenic Rim Regional Council area in the west.

Included Areas

Gold Coast City includes the suburbs and localities of Advancetown, Alberton, Arundel, Ashmore, Austinville, Benowa, Biggera Waters, Bilinga, Bonogin, Broadbeach, Broadbeach Waters, Bundall, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Carrara, Cedar Creek (part), Clagiraba, Clear Island Waters, Coolangatta, Coombabah, Coomera, Currumbin, Currumbin Valley, Currumbin Waters, Elanora, Gaven, Gilberton, Gilston, Guanaba, Helensvale, Highland Park, Hollywell, Hope Island, Jacobs Well, Kingsholme, Labrador, Lower Beechmont, Luscombe, Main Beach, Maudsland, Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Waters, Merrimac, Miami, Molendinar, Mount Nathan, Mudgeeraba, Natural Bridge, Nerang, Neranwood, Norwell, Numinbah Valley, Ormeau, Ormeau Hills, Oxenford, Pacific Pines, Palm Beach, Paradise Point, Parkwood, Pimpama, Reedy Creek, Robina, Runaway Bay, South Stradbroke, Southport, Southern Moreton Bay Islands, Springbrook, Stapylton, Steiglitz, Surfers Paradise, Tallai, Tallebudgera, Tallebudgera Valley, Tugun, Upper Coomera, Varsity Lakes, Willow Vale, Wongawallan, Woongoolba, Worongary and Yatala.

Land Use

Gold Coast City covers an area of more than 1400 square kilometres with commercial and urban development, more than 55 kilometres of beaches, more than 270 kilometres of navigable waterways and world heritage forest. Some 77,250 hectares remain a natural environment that is home to more than 1300 animal and 1700 plant species.

Name Origin

In 1958, the South Coast Town Council adopted the Gold Coast Town Council title, and the promotional value of the name was recognised the following year when the Queensland Government proclaimed the local authority as the City of the Gold Coast.

Indigenous Meaning

The area we know today as Gold Coast City covers part of the traditional country of the Yugambeh people, whose descendents are among our city's residents. Their legacy is the Aboriginal names - such as Tallebudgera and Coombabah - for some of our city's suburbs.

Settlement

European settlement brought the first industry to the area. Timber-getters came in search of red cedar which was shipped to Sydney for furniture, but many remained to farm the fertile land. The region's future as a fashionable holiday destination was foreshadowed in the late 1880s when Queensland Governor, Anthony Musgrave, built a seaside home in Southport. The future of the region was sealed when a new road, linking Brisbane to Southport, was completed in 1925.