Mermaid Beach is a coastal suburb 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 , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , Mermaid Beach had a population of 6,533. Nobby Beach is a neighbourhood in the south of the suburb ().

Geography

Real estate map of Gem of the Pacific Estate, North Burleigh, ca

The suburb is bounded to the west by the artificial canals of adjacent

Mermaid Waters Mermaid Waters is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mermaid Waters had a population of 12,045 people. Geography Mermaid Waters is primarily a residential suburb, featuring many homes built along artificial c ...

and to the east by the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

. To the north is the suburb of

Broadbeach Broadbeach is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Broadbeach had a population of 5,514 people. Geography Development in the area today mostly incorporates low rise structures, consisting of single bedroom hous ...

, to the south

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. The

Gold Coast Highway Gold Coast Highway links the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast in south eastern Queensland such as Miami, Mermaid Beach, Tugun, Bilinga to the Tweed Heads suburb of Tweed Heads West in New South Wales. At in length, the highway runs jus ...

passes through Mermaid Beach. The

Gold Coast Oceanway The Gold Coast Oceanway is a foreshoreway for use by pedestrians and cyclists along the Gold Coast, Queensland, connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to the Gold Coast Seaway. The network includes ...

(a pedestrian path) travels along Hedges Avenue.

History

Real estate map of Ocean View Estate, Southport, ca

Mermaid Beach receives its name from the cutter HMS ''Mermaid''. Explorer John Oxley sailed aboard the ''Mermaid'' in 1823 when he discovered the nearby

Tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

rivers. Mermaid Beach was used during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

by US servicemen, and was named Los Angeles Beach as well as Miami Beach to the south. Circa 1924, 70 allotments were advertised as "Mermaid Beach Estate" located at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach to be auctioned by R. G. Oates Estates. The estate map has 3 estates for sale at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach. The estates were divided in two by the "New Coastal Road" running through the Gold Coast. St James' Anglican Church was dedicated on 11 November 1977 by Assistant Bishop Ralph Wicks. Its closure on 15 August 1993 was approved by Assistant Bishop Ron Williams. At the 2011 Census, Mermaid Beach had a population of 5,722.

Education

There are no schools in Mermaid Beach but there are primary schools in neighbouring

and

and a secondary school in Mermaid Waters.

Amenities

The Mermaid Beach branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

meets at QCWA Hall at 43 Ventura Road (). Other community groups include: * Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Club * Nobby Beach Surf Life Saving Club

References

External links

* {{Localities in Gold Coast Suburbs of the Gold Coast, Queensland Beaches of Queensland Queensland in World War II