Bilinga
suburb
CityGold Coast
Stateqld
Coordinates28.1613°S 153.5086°E
Zoom12
Pop1883
Postcode4225
Area2.6
Time zoneAEST
Utc+10:00
Dist 12.8
Dir 1WNW
Location 1Coolangatta
Dist 224.6
Dir 2SSE
Location 2Surfers Paradise
Dist 328.1
Dir 3SSE
Location 3Southport
Dist 498.6
Dir 4SSE
Location 4Brisbane
Elevation7
LgaCity of Gold Coast
StategovCurrumbin
FedgovMcPherson
Near-nwTugun
Near-nCoral Sea
Near-neCoral Sea
Near-wCobaki Lakes (NSW)
Near-eCoolangatta
Near-swTweed Heads West (NSW)
Near-sTweed Heads West (NSW)
Near-seTweed Heads (NSW)

Bilinga (/bəlɪngə/) is a southern coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[1] It is on the border with New South Wales. In the , Bilinga had a population of 1,883 people.[2]

Geography

Bilinga is bounded by Boyd Street to the north-west, the Coral Sea to the east, and the border with New South Wales to the west.[3]

The entire eastern coastline of the suburb is a continuous sandy surf beach, with the northern end known as Bilinga Beach (28.1547°S 153.5067°E) and the southern end known as North Kirra Beach (28.1633°S 153.5183°E).[3][4][5] Immediately inland from the beach is a narrow strip of housing (the only residential part of the suburb).[3]

Gold Coast Airport (formerly the Coolangatta Airport, 28.165°S 153.5061°E) occupies the majority of the suburb, extending across the border into Tweed Heads West in New South Wales.[3][6]

The Gold Coast Desalination Plant is in the north-west of the suburb (28.158°S 153.498°E).[3][7]

The Gold Coast campus (28.1684°S 153.5185°E) of the Southern Cross University (headquartered in Lismore, New South Wales) is in the south of the suburb.[3][8]

The Gold Coast Highway enters the suburb from the north (Tugun) and mostly separating the residential ara from the airport and other infrastructure before exiting to the south (Tweed Heads West / Tweed Heads) towards the Pacific Motorway.[3]

History

The word "Bilinga" is derived from the word "Bilinba", meaning bats. The name was adopted in 1918 as a place name for Crown lands north of Coolangatta.[9]

In February 1908, 5 land portions were advertised to be open for selection as agricultural farms and unconditional selections by the Department of Public Lands office. The map advertising the selection, surveyed by J.H.Jensen, shows the portions 84 to 88 situated between the South Coast railway line in the north and the tick fence to the south.[10]

After the land sales, a rail siding was created in 1919. It was located roughly at the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and George Street (28.1601°S 153.511°E).[11][12]

After 1919, the catalyst for an increase in development was said to be the erection of a general store, owned by businessman Percy Hanzel, near the rail siding. Furthermore, increased development could be attributed to a new coastal road, which improved access to the area for holiday makers and residents.[9]

The drowning of a man on Bilinga Beach in 1937 led to the establishment of the Bilinga Surf Lifesaving Club in 1938.[13]

In 1989, Bilinga received 50,000 cubic metres of sand as part of a beach nourishment program.[14]

During 2020 and 2021, the Queensland borders were closed to most people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Border crossing points were either closed or had a Queensland Police checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The Gold Coast Highway at Bilinga was one of the police border checkpoints.[15]

Demographics

In the , Bilinga had a population of 1,662 people.[16]

In the , Bilinga had a population of 1,804 people. The median age of the Bilinga population was 47 years, 9 years above the national median of 38. 66.8% of people were born in Australia and 78.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 27.5% and Catholic 21.5%.[17]

In the , Bilinga had a population of 1,883 people.[2]

Education

There are no schools in Bilinga. The nearest government primary school is Coolangatta State School in neighbouring Coolangatta to the south-east. The nearest government secondary school is Palm Beach Currumbin State High School in Palm Beach to the north-west.[3]

The Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross University offers a range of courses in arts, health, social science, business, education, information technology, law and tourism.[8] The university is a partner with the Gold Coast airport and other tourism-oriented businesses to offer specialised degrees and research in aviation and tourism.[18]

Community groups

Bilinga Surf Life Saving Club members patrol the beach on weekends and public holidays from September to May each year. Their clubhouse is at 257 Golden Four Drive (28.1552°S 153.5063°E) facing the beach.[19]

North Kirra Surf Life Saving Club has their clubhouse at 41 Pacific Parade on the foreshore (28.165°S 153.5209°E).[20]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  2. ^
  3. ^
  4. ^ Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  5. ^ Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Aviation Facilities". Gold Coast Airport. Archived 7 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  7. ^ "About the Gold Coast Desalination Plant". Seqwater. August 2017. Archived 7 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Our Gold Coast campus". Southern Cross University. Archived 7 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  9. ^ "Bilinga History". City of Gold Coast Council. Archived 19 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  10. ^ State Library of Queensland. 1907.
  11. ^ "Untitled" (Map). Queensland Government. 1947. Archived 5 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Moreton 40 Chain map AG2 series sheet 16 south". Queensland Government. 1929. Archived 24 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  13. ^ Mangin, J. F. "Volume 1". History of Bilinga. Bilinga Surf Lifesaving Club. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  14. ^ Graham, Bruce (2004). The Green Coast: The Natural Environment of the Tweed-Moreton Bioregion. Tweed Heads, New South Wales. p. 113. ISBN 0-9751817-0-X. Archived 15 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Crossing Qld-NSW border? Here's everything you need to know". Australia: ABC News. 2021-07-25. Archived 24 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  16. ^
  17. ^
  18. ^ "2020 - New courses take flight at Southern Cross University". Southern Cross University. Archived 7 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  19. ^ "Bilinga SLSC – small friendly family club". Archived 7 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  20. ^ "North Kirra Surf Life Saving Club". Archived 28 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  • Gresty, J.A., The Numinbah Valley: Its Geography, History and Aboriginal Associations
  • Watson, F.E Vocabularies of Four Representative Tribes of South East Queensland
  • Kerr, John. Destination South Brisbane, p. 45