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.
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 An unnamed cyclone hits, leading to at least 26 deaths and extensive flooding. 1956 Soviet defector Vladimir Petrov arrested in Surfers Paradise while drunk. 1958 Town of South Coast renamed to Town of Gold Coast. 1959 Town of Gold Coast renamed City of Gold Coast. Isle of Capri canal development under way. 1960 Gold Coast Hospital opened. Kinkabool (building) constructed in Surfers Paradise. 1962 Lido Arcade in Surfers Paradise opens. Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach opens. 1963 Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper in publication. 1964 Southport-Brisbane South Coast railway line closes. 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 The Sands (building) and Paradise Towers constructed in Surfers Paradise. Gold Coast Bridge rebuilt. 1967 Garfield Towers built in Surfers Paradise. Bruce Small elected mayor. 1971 Sea World park opens in Southport. Point Danger Light built. Population: 75,862. 1973 Robert Neumann elected mayor. Billabong surfwear founded. 1974 Currumbin Estuary Bridge opens. 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 1981 Dreamworld amusement park in business in Coomera. Population: 177,264. 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. 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. Australia Fair shopping centre opens in Southport. 1991 Movie World amusement park opens in Oxenford. Village Roadshow Studios begin operation. Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach shuts its doors. Population: 301,559. 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. 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. 1997 Gary Baildon becomes mayor. 1999 Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame opens.
21st Century 2000 Palazzo Versace Australia hotel in business. Towers of Chevron Renaissance and Pacific Motorway built. 2001 First series of reality TV show Big Brother shot at Dreamworld compound. 2004 Ron Clarke becomes mayor. Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre opens in Broadbeach. 2005 Q1 (building) constructed. 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). 2012 Soul (building) constructed. Tom Tate becomes mayor. 2013 City Plan drafted. 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.
See also
History of Gold Coast, Queensland List of mayors of Gold Coast List of films shot on the Gold Coast List of tallest buildings on the Gold Coast List of schools in Gold Coast, Queensland
References
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External links