Southport

Southport is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Southport is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Southport had a population of 31,908 people. It contains the Gold Coast central business district.

Originally known as Nerang Creek Heads, it was named Southport because it was the southernmost port of the colony of Queensland.A settlement was first surveyed in 1874 and the name Southport decided the following year.Southport was once the site of timber mills. A port was established to ship logs to Brisbane. Cutting timber opened up the area for settlement. Early rural industries included sugar growing and livestock grazing.

Southport Provisional School opened on 17 February 1880. On 1 July 1882 it became Southport State School.

In 1879 the first Congregational services were held in Southport in the home of J. C. Lather conducted by the Reverend J. Whiting who ministered in the Logan and Albert River districts. Land was purchased in Queen Street and a Congregational church was opened there on 9 October 1880. It was used for monthly Congregational services but was also available for use by other denominations. The first minister, Reverend A.R. Bailey was appointed in 1883. A manse was built in Bauer Street. J.B. Evans was the minister from late 1885, being replaced by J. G. Cribb in 1887. In 1888 a new Congregational Church was erected in White Street costing £530 and based on the designs prepared for the Milton Congregational Church in Brisbane. In 1899, themanse was relocated to behind the White Street church.

In 1883, the first Southport Pier was built to allow steamships to bring cargo and passengers to Southport. In the 1880s, Southport became the chosen site for the holiday residence of the Queensland Governor Sir Anthony Musgrave and his wife Lady Musgrave. Known as the Summer Place and still situated on the present day site of The Southport School, the choice of Southport as the preferred holiday destination for one of the most prominent couples in Queensland established the township as Queensland's pre-eminent seaside resort. Following the death of the governor in 1888, the Summer Place continued to be a holiday home for visitors to the area.In 1889 the South Coast railway from Beenleigh to Southport opened. The line was closed in 1964. After the arrival of the rail and prior to the construction of vehicular or pedestrian bridges across the Nerang River, a ferry service run by Johan Meyer ferried passengers to Main Beach, Queensland and a horse and buggy service linked the area to Surfers Paradise.

In April 1900 the Roman Catholic Church purchased a parcel of land for a convent on Marine Parade opposite the pier (27.9655°S 153.4151°E? / -27.9655; 153.4151? (Star of the Sea Convent)). The Star of the Sea College opened as day school on 21 January 1901. Operated by the Sisters of Mercy, there were about 60 students enrolled on the opening day. In 1934, the school commenced offering secondary school education. The school closed at the end of 1990 with the girls transferring to Aquinas Catholic College (previously a boys-only school). The site was sold with buildings being demolished in 2016. The demolition unearthed a time capsule placed in March 1988 as part of the Australian bicentenary celebrations.The Southport School opened in 1901.

Guardian Angels' School opened on 1 January 1901.By 1901 (Federation) Southport was well established as a tourist seaside spot with numerous accommodation options and a permanent population of 1,230. Tourism continued to expand in the first half of the 20th century with Southport maintaining its role as a seaside resort and a popular destination for day trippers and excursionists travelling from Brisbane.St Hilda's School opened in 1912.A concrete jetty was built in 1914 to replace the earlier structure. In 1927, the Pier Theatre which included a cafe and indoor golf course was built on the jetty.A fire destroyed the structure in 1932 but it was rebuilt and open to the public for nearly forty years.In 1915 163 allotments of "Pacific Ocean Estate" were advertised to be auctioned on 5 April 1915 (Easter Monday) by Newman and Dawber auctioneers. A map advertising the auction states the Estate was 2 miles from Southport Railway station, and near Southport High School.The construction of the Jubilee Bridge in 1925 between Southport and Main Beach replaced the ferry service and facilitated further growth.

On 25 April 1922 (ANZAC Day) Southport War Memorial located at the foot of Nerang Street was dedicated by the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Albert, John Appel, in the presence of many Southport people. In 2010, renovation of the parklands required the relocation of the memorial; it was re-dedicated on 11 November 2010.By the 1950s, Southport was the central entertainment location of the Gold Coast. It was also the administrative centre, with a central business district.

Southport State High School opened on 24 January 1955. Prior to its opening, a secondary department had operated at Southport State School.Circa 1958 All Saints' Anglican Church opened in the Chirn Park neighbourhood. Its closure on 2 November 1997 was approved by Assistant Bishop Williams. The church building was relocated to become the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd in Mudgeeraba.Gold Coast Opportunity School opened in 1962. It was replaced by the Southport Special School which opened on 1 January 1970. On 1 January 2003 it was The Kumbari Avenue School. On 19 September 2008 the name reverted to Southport Special School.Musgrave Hill State School opened on 29 January 1963.Aquinas Catholic College opened on 25 January 1964.Keebra Park State High School opened on 30 January 1973.Keebra Park Special School opened on 24 January 1983. It closed on 13 December 1991.

Bellevue Park State School opened on 24 January 1983. It is now within the neighbouring suburb of Ashmore.

Queensland Academy for Health Sciences opened on 1 January 2008.In 2013 the business area of Southport was declared a priority development area, officially creating the Gold Coast central business district.

In the 2016 census, Southport had a population of 31,908 people.

Southport experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with humid, wet summers and warm winters.