Local aborigines referred to Queenslands south coast as kurrungula name derived from their word for endless supplies of timber, and the region was said to be a meeting place where tribes would come together (essentially on summer holidays) to fish and camp near the many creeks and estuaries between the Tweed River and Moreton Bay.Captain Cook traveled past the coast in 1770 and named Point Danger and Mount Warning but it wasnt until government surveyors chartered the region in 1840 that the area was really brought to the attention of the European settlers, who werent really interested in surf beaches but were keen to chop down as much wood as they could drag up to Brisbane to use in the Moreton Bay shipping industry.
The Cedar supply began to draw a large population of cutters in the mid 1800's. The town of Merang was used as a home base for this industry. The settlers soon began to inhabit the surrounding valleys and polains for farming cattle, sugar and cotton. The settlement reached as far as the southern end of Moreton Bay along the mouth or the Nerang River.
The Governor of Queensland, Musgrave, built his vacation home on a hill just north of Southport. At this time the coastal surroundings began to gain a reputation of being a resort town for the rich and famous. After the finish of the railway in 1889, numerous hotels and guest houses were built up and down the area's coastline.
The permanent population of the region slowly increased until 1925 when a new coastal road was built between Brisbane and Southport. That same year, Jim Cavill built the Surfers Paradise hotel 2 kms south of Southport in a place called Elston and then the real tourism boom began with the help of new automobile technology. Elston residents successfully lobbied to change their towns name to Surfers Paradise in 1933 but in 1936 The Surfers Paradise hotel burnt down. It was quickly re built with a much grander structure complete with a zoo out the back.
By the end of 1940s real estate speculators had started to call the area the Gold Coast and this was officially adopted by the council on October 23 1958. The high rise developments began in the late 1950s and continued in earnest into the 1970s and 80s as it firmly established itself as Australias most well known holiday resort and Japanese investment in the 1980s made the skyline soar. The city is now home to one of the worlds tallest residential building (Q1) and boast a population of 500,000 making it Australias sixth largest city.
The Cedar supply began to draw a large population of cutters in the mid 1800's. The town of Merang was used as a home base for this industry. The settlers soon began to inhabit the surrounding valleys and polains for farming cattle, sugar and cotton. The settlement reached as far as the southern end of Moreton Bay along the mouth or the Nerang River.
The Governor of Queensland, Musgrave, built his vacation home on a hill just north of Southport. At this time the coastal surroundings began to gain a reputation of being a resort town for the rich and famous. After the finish of the railway in 1889, numerous hotels and guest houses were built up and down the area's coastline.
The permanent population of the region slowly increased until 1925 when a new coastal road was built between Brisbane and Southport. That same year, Jim Cavill built the Surfers Paradise hotel 2 kms south of Southport in a place called Elston and then the real tourism boom began with the help of new automobile technology. Elston residents successfully lobbied to change their towns name to Surfers Paradise in 1933 but in 1936 The Surfers Paradise hotel burnt down. It was quickly re built with a much grander structure complete with a zoo out the back.
By the end of 1940s real estate speculators had started to call the area the Gold Coast and this was officially adopted by the council on October 23 1958. The high rise developments began in the late 1950s and continued in earnest into the 1970s and 80s as it firmly established itself as Australias most well known holiday resort and Japanese investment in the 1980s made the skyline soar. The city is now home to one of the worlds tallest residential building (Q1) and boast a population of 500,000 making it Australias sixth largest city.
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When planning a trip to the beaches of the Gold Coast be sure to check out all of the beautiful Surfers Paradise hotels With just a little research online you can find the perfect Surfers Paradise accommodation to fit all of your vacation needs.
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