Carrara is a
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
in the
City of Gold Coast
The City of Gold Coast is the local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and surrounding areas. With a population of 606,774 it is the second most populous local government area in Australia (City of Brisbane being the ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia.
In the , Carrara had a population of 12,060 people.
[
]
Geography
Carrara is bounded to the east by the southern bank of the Nerang River
The Nerang River is a perennial river located in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of . The river is approximately in length.
Course and features
The Nerang Rive ...
and to the west mostly by the Pacific Motorway.
Carrara is built on the Guragunbah Plain () which was officially named in 2000, having previously been unofficially known as the Merrimac-Carrara Flood Plain.
It is the home of Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium (known commercially as Metricon Stadium) is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.
The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, serving as the home ground of the ...
(also known as Metricon Stadium
Carrara Stadium (known commercially as Metricon Stadium) is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.
The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, serving as the home ground of the ...
), the purpose-built cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
and Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
ground where the Gold Coast Suns
The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara.
The club has been playing in the AFL since th ...
began playing matches in 2011.
History
The name ''Carrara'' comes from the Aboriginal word ''Karara'' meaning ''long flat''.
Carrara was first used by the Manchester Cotton Company as a cotton plantation that began in the early 1860s.
Carrara Provisional School opened in February 1902 in premises lent by farmer Francis Parr until a permanent building could be constructed on land donated by farmer William Lees. Tenders were called for the building in October 1902 with the tender being awarded in February 1903 to carpenters John Lather & Sons of Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
. On 1 January 1909 it became Carrara State School. It closed circa 1925. In 1929 the school building was relocated to Guanaba
Guanaba is a semi-rural locality in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Guanaba had a population of 793 people.
Geography
The locality consists of small acreages focused around the equestrian community.
The eastern boundary ...
. In 1932, due to the growing population in the area, there was unsuccessful local lobbying to re-open the school by constructing a new building to operate as a provisional school on the existing site. The approximate location of the school was near the intersection of Nerang Broadbeach Road and Carrara Road () near to the ferry which crossed the Nerang River.
In 1958, Keith Williams established the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens on the south bank of the Nerang River in Carrara. It quickly became a popular tourist attraction featuring shows of water skiing and speed boat driving. It also hosted Australian Water Ski championships. In 1971 the attraction relocated to a larger site on the Southport Spit as renamed Ski Land, and then was renamed Sea World in 1972 with the addition of dolphin shows and other attractions. The ski shows continued at Sea World until July 2009 with an estimated 30,000 performances over 40 years.
In 1966, Keith Williams developed the Surfers Paradise International Raceway
Surfers Paradise International Raceway was a motor racing complex at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The long circuit was designed and built by Keith Williams, a motor racing enthusiast who also designed and built the Adelaide Internationa ...
() opposite the ski gardens. It had a road racing circuit and a straight dragstrip
A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile (1320 feet, 402 m) is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile (201&n ...
. It closed in August 1987 and was demolished in 2003 to create the Emerald Lakes canal development.
In 1968, Neville Parker purchased land on the river adjacent to the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens where he developed the Carrara Water Ski School, teaching people how to water ski.
Emmanuel College opened on 24 January 1983.
St Michael's College opened its Carrara campus on 4 February 1985, but, as at 2021, this school is within the boundaries of neighbouring Merrimac.
In 1987, Japanese Daikyo Group worked on the $50 million Palm Meadows 18-hole golf course and country club.
In 2009, the Australian International Islamic College opened its Gold Coast campus at Carrara.
Josiah College opened in April 2018 to provide specialist education for children with autism spectrum
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
disorders.
Demographics
In the , Carrara recorded a population of 11,569 people, 51.2% female and 48.8% male. The median age of the Carrara population was 38 years, 1 year above the national median of 37. 66% of people living in Carrara were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 9.5%, England 5.1%, South Africa 1.3%, Japan 0.9%, Scotland 0.8%. 85% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 1.3% Japanese, 0.8% Mandarin, 0.6% German, 0.5% French, 0.5% Italian.
In the , Carrara had a population of 12,060 people.
Education
Emmanuel College is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at Birmingham Road (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1,580 students with 128 teachers (112 full-time equivalent) and 94 non-teaching staff (65 full-time equivalent). The school describes itself as "unapologetically Christian", but is not affiliated with any specific denomination or church.
Josiah College is a private special primary and secondary (2-12) school for boys and girls on the autism spectrum
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
. It is at 1 Emerald Lakes Drive (). It is operated by Emmanuel College.
The Australian International Islamic College has a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) campus at 19 Chisholm Road (). The school has its main campus at Durack in Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
.
There are no government schools in Carrara. The nearest government primary schools are Nerang State School in neighbouring Nerang
Nerang is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Nerang had a population of 16,864 people.
Geography
The Nerang River flows through the locality from south to east, passing through the town. The river ult ...
to the north, Ashmore State School in neighbouring Ashmore
Ashmore is a village and civil parish in the North Dorset district of Dorset, England, southwest of Salisbury.
The village is centred on a circular pond and has a church and several stone cottages and farms, many with thatched roofs. It is ...
to the north-east, Merrimac State School in neighbouring Merrimac to the south, Worongary State School in neighbouring Worongary
Worongary is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Worongary had a population of 5,613 people.
Geography
Most of the eastern boundary of Worongary follows the Pacific Motorway.
There is a large area of production ...
to the west, and William Duncan State School
William Duncan State School (WDSS) is a state school located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, th ...
in neighbouring Highland Park to the north-west. The nearest government secondary schools are Nerang State High School
Nerang State High School (NSHS) is a state high school located on the Gold Coast of Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_ty ...
in neighouring Nerang to the north, Benowa State High School
Benowa State High School (BSHS) is an independent, co-educational school, founded in 1980, located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and hosts exchange students from Asia, Ameri ...
in neighbouring Benowa
Benowa is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Benowa had a population of 8,741 people.
Geography
Benowa is located west of Surfers Paradise.
There are 3 distinct areas to Benowa. Established Benowa located on ...
to the east, and Merrimac State High School
Merrimac State High School is a public high school in Mermaid Waters, Queensland which opened in 1979.
Students
Years
In 2015, Anna Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh (born 14 July 1960) is a lobbyist and former Australian politician who served a ...
in neighbouring Merrimac to the south.
Facilities
The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service
The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service is a helicopter surf lifesaving service that operates in Australia.
Founded in 1973 by Surf Life Saving Australia, a not-for-profit organisation, the service has carried out more than 80,000 flig ...
has a heliport at 282-294 Nerang Broadbeach Road ().
Carrara SES
SES, S.E.S., Ses and similar variants can refere to:
Business and economics
* Socioeconomic status
* Scottish Economic Society, a learned society in Scotland
* SES, callsign of the TV station SES/RTS (Mount Gambier, South Australia)
* SES S.A., ...
Facility is at 120 Eastlake Street () within the Gold Coast City Council Depot.
Carrara Health Centre is at 45 Chisholm Road and is part of Robina Hospital
Robina Hospital is a large public hospital servicing the southern suburbs of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Located in the Robina CBD, it is a teaching hospital for Bond University and Griffith University.
Location
The Robina Hospita ...
().
Amenities
Boonooroo Park Shopping Centre is at 2 Coelia Court ().
Carrara Water Ski School teaches water skiing
Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffic ...
on the Nerang River at 556 Nerang Broadbeach Road ().
There is a boat ramp on Carrara Road providing access to the Nerang River (). It is managed by the Gold Coast City Council.
Churches
Reach Out for Christ is a church at 288 Gooding Drive ().
Liberti Carrara is a Baptist church at 1/20 Indy Court ().
Golf courses
Carrara has a number of golf courses, including:
* Carrara Gardens Day and Night Golf Course, a 10-hole course at 221 Nerang Broadbeach Road ()
* Emerald Lakes Golf Course, an 18-hole course at 3 Alabaster Drive ()
* Palm Meadows Golf Course, an 18-hold course on Palm Meadows Drive ()
Parks
There are a number of parks in the suburb, including:
* Alan Nielsen Park ()
* Alan Nielsen Recreational Park ()
* Alison Place ()
* Amelia Park ()
* Ancona Street Reserve ()
* Birmingham Sports Fields ()
* Bluestone Park ()
* Boonooroo Park (central) ()
* Boonooroo Park (east) ()
* Boonooroo Park (west) ()
* Bradstone Reserve ()
* Carrara Railway Parklands ()
* Carrara Sports Complex ()
* Depot Drain Reserve ()
* Emerald Lake Wetlands ()
* Foxhill Reserve ()
* Gem Stone Park ()
* Glennon Park ()
* Glennon Park Linkage ()
* Goolagong Park ()
* Industrial Reserve ()
* Jade Stone Park ()
* Jancoon Court Reserve ()
* John Francis Drive Park ()
* Kath & John Hamilton Park ()
* Keith Williams Park ()
* Len Parr Park ()
* Lions Park ()
* Madigan Park ()
* May John Reserve ()
* Meadow View Drive Reserve ()
* Mullingar Park ()
* Nielsens Road Reserve ()
* Paddington Drive Reserve ()
* Palm Meadows Baseball Facility ()
* Pappas Way Reserve ()
* Pappas Way West Reserve ()
* Pidd Family Park ()
* Solomon Court Reserve ()
* Spall Street Park ()
* Spencer Road Big Reserve ()
* Spencer Road Reserve ()
* Stoner Family Park ()
* Tralee Park ()
* Witt Avenue Reserves ()
Events
Operating every weekend, the Carrara Markets
Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence. Its mott ...
are a variety of local stores and attractions for people living within the region. An Entertainment Precinct is expected to be built opposite the Sports Precinct and will include a showgrounds area that will see the area host the Gold Coast Show, as well as musical festivals such as Big Day Out
The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
.
The Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium (known commercially as Metricon Stadium) is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.
The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, serving as the home ground of the ...
hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...
opening
Opening may refer to:
* Al-Fatiha, "The Opening", the first chapter of the Qur'an
* The Opening (album), live album by Mal Waldron
* Backgammon opening
* Chess opening
* A title sequence or opening credits
* , a term from contract bridge
* , ...
and closing
Closing may refer to:
Business and law
* Closing (law), a closing argument, a summation
* Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction
* Closing (sales), the process of making a sale
* Closure (business), Closing a ...
ceremonies, as well as a variety of musical related tours and events. These include, but are not limited to, KISS
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
' Farewell Tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
in 2001, the final edition of the Queen + Adam Lambert's Rhapsody Tour within the continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
and an edition of Foo Fighters' Wasting Light Tour in 2011.
Sport and recreation
The Carrara Sports Precinct consists of a number of sports facilities located on Nerang−Broadbeach Road, including Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium (known commercially as Metricon Stadium) is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.
The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, serving as the home ground of the ...
and Carrara Indoor Stadium
Carrara Indoor Stadium is a multi-purpose arena located at Carrara on Queensland's Gold Coast and can accommodate 1,600 fans, with additional seating provided if required which can push total capacity for events such as basketball up to 2,962. T ...
. Carrara Stadium is home to the Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
club, Gold Coast Suns
The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara.
The club has been playing in the AFL since th ...
, competing in the AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
and the AFL Women's
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
. The outdoor facility also serves as a secondary ground for the T20 cricket
Twenty20 (T20) is a shortened game format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two teams have a single inning ...
sides, the Brisbane Heat
The Brisbane Heat are an Australian men's professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that competes in the Big Bash League. The Heat wears a teal uniform and are based in Brisbane in the Australian state Queensland. Their home ground is the Br ...
and women's team
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardle ...
, both competing within the Big Bash
The Big Bash League (known as the KFC Big Bash League for sponsorship reasons, often abbreviated to BBL or Big Bash) is an Australian professional club Twenty20 cricket league, which was established in 2011 by Cricket Australia. The Big Bash L ...
and the Women's Big Bash respectively. The indoor stadium previously hosted the now defunct Gold Coast Rollers Gold Coast Rollers may refer to:
* Gold Coast Rollers (NBL), former National Basketball League team
*Gold Coast Rollers (NBL1 North)
Gold Coast Rollers is a NBL1 North club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The club fields a team in both the Me ...
, where they competed in the National Basketball League.
Carrara is also home to the soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
team Magic United, as well as the Palm Meadows and Emerald Lakes golf courses.
The Carrara Sports Precinct was the main stadium of the 2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...
, hosting sports including Athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...
, Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
, Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...
throughout the duration of the tournament.
See also
* 2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...
* Gold Coast, Queensland
The Gold Coast is a coastal city in the state of Queensland, Australia, approximately south-southeast of the centre of the state capital Brisbane. With a population over 600,000, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, the nati ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{Localities in Gold Coast
Suburbs of the Gold Coast, Queensland
Carrara, Queensland