Ferry Road is a road in
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 the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
,
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. Originally a suburban street, it is now part of
Southport – Burleigh Road
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 Iris ...
, a state controlled road (State Route 3)
Geography
Ferry Road is a continuation of High Street, Southport. It runs for about to the intersection with Slatyer Avenue and Thomas Drive, from where it continues as
Bundall Road
Bundall Road is a road from Bundall to Southport on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Originally a suburban street, it is now part of Southport–Burleigh Road, a state controlled road (State Route 3)
Bundall Road is a continuation of B ...
. There are no major intersections on this road.
History
In 1887, German immigrant Johann Meyer operated a ferry across 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 ...
. From
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 ...
, travellers would follow the Meyer's Ferry Road (now simply Ferry Road) to a spit of land that created a narrow point in the river (). The narrow spit is no longer in existence due to changes in the river and the creation of
Chevron Island
The Chevron Island is an urban island that lies in the Nerang River and is a neighbourhood within the suburb of Surfers Paradise in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
History
Chevron Island is a natural island previously known as ...
but is in the vicinity of the
Gold Coast Arts Centre
Home of the Arts (HOTA), opened as the Keith Hunt Community Entertainment and Arts Centre in 1986 and subsequently renamed The Arts Centre Gold Coast (TAC) and Gold Coast Arts Centre, is a cultural precinct situated in Surfers Paradise, City of ...
. From that point, Meyer's ferry would take the travellers across the river to Meyer's Ferry Road at Elston (as Surfers Paradise was then known) along which the travellers would walk to the surf beach. Businesses established along Meyer's Ferry Road at Elston which created the main street of Surfers Paradise now known as
Cavill Avenue
Cavill Avenue is a street and a pedestrian mall in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is in the heart of the Surfers Paradise shopping and entertainment district. It was named in honour of the man credited as the founder of ...
. Although the surf beaches of Elston were a popular destination, the lack of road access limited the extent of residential and commercial development.
It was not until 1925 that the
Jubilee Bridge was built between Southport and
Main Beach
Main Beach (originally Southport East) is a coastal town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Main Beach had a population of 3,883 people.
Geography
Historically, the Main Beach area was a narrow ...
which opened up Surfers Paradise for tourism and associated development and eliminated the need for the ferry service.
The present day Ferry Road is only southbound part of the original Ferry Road, the remainder which meandered in an easterly direction to the end of the spit and the ferry service was lost as the river was embanked and islands created.
See also
References
Roads on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Southport, Queensland
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