Varsity Lakes 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 , Varsity Lakes had a population of 15,026 people.
[
The suburb was originally known as ''Stephens'', but in 2002, ]Stephens
Stephens is a surname. It is a patronymic and is recorded in England from 1086.
Notable people with the surname include:
*Alexander H. Stephens (1812–1883), Vice President of the Confederate States of America
*Alison Stephens (1970–2010), Brit ...
, Andrews and a section of Robina were amalgamated to form the new suburb of Varsity Lakes.
Geography
The suburb is bounded to the west by the Pacific Motorway, to the south by Reedy Creek Road, and to the east by Mattocks Road and Bermuda Street.
The Gold Coast railway line
The Gold Coast railway line is an interurban railway line operated by Queensland Rail in Queensland, Australia, connecting Brisbane with the Gold Coast. The line currently includes stops at 17 stations. In 2021, a journey from Central statio ...
enters the suburb from the north-west ( Robina) and runs immediately parallel and east of the motorway where the line terminates at Varsity Lakes railway station
Varsity Lakes railway station is located on the Gold Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the Gold Coast suburb of Varsity Lakes.
History
Varsity Lakes station opened on 13 December 2009 as the terminal station of the Gold Coast li ...
().
History
In 1873, former Mayor of Brisbane
This is a list of the Mayors and Lord Mayors of the City of Brisbane, a local government area of Queensland, Australia. The current Lord Mayor of Brisbane is Adrian Schrinner.
Mayors of the Brisbane Municipal Council (1859–1903)
The Town ...
Thomas Blacket Stephens
Thomas Blacket Stephens (5 January 1819 – 26 August 1877) was a wealthy Brisbane businessman and newspaper proprietor who also served as an alderman and mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council,Brisbane City Council Archives a Member of the Legis ...
[ — availabl]
online
purchased 6980 acres of swampy Gold Coast hinterland and began to drain the swamp to develop dairying naming his first dairy ''Hill View''. His son William Stephens continued the drainage work and established the dairy ''Merrimac''.
In 1981 a southern section of the estate was officially named ''Stephens'' in 1981 in honour of Thomas Blacket Stephens.
In 1999 the area between Stephens and Robina was purchased by Delfin Lend Lease
Delfin, formerly the Development Finance Company Ltd (DFC) was a business carrying out residential developments. It was acquired by Lendlease in 2001.
History
Delfin was established as the Development Finance Company by John Marks in 1953. DFC ...
and a real estate development known as Varsity Lakes began. Man-made lakes named Lake Orr and Lake Azzura were created and residential development followed.
In 2002 the suburbs of Stephens, Andrews and a portion of Robina to create a new suburb named Varsity Lakes after the development.
In the , Varsity Lakes recorded a population of 14,366 people, 52.2% female and 47.8% male. The median age of the Varsity Lakes population was 32 years, 5 years below the national median of 37. 61.1% of people living in Varsity Lakes were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 8.1%, England 4.8%, China 1.8%, South Africa 1.7%, Malaysia 1%. 76.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 2.3% Mandarin, 1.7% Cantonese, 1.1% Japanese, 1% Korean, 0.9% Arabic. The top responses for religious groups in Varsity Lakes by size were ; Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
- 23.4%, Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
- 16%, Uniting Church
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union ...
- 4.3%, Non-denominational Christian
Nondenominational Christianity (or non-denominational Christianity) consists of churches which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligning with a specific Christian d ...
- 3.9%, Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
- 3.1% and Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
- 2.3%. Remaining religions make up for less than two percent individually while "no religion" comprised 24.8%.
In the , Varsity Lakes had a population of 15,026 people.
Between 2016 and 2017, Varsity Lakes saw an 11 per cent increase in median property sale price.
Arcadia College was a private secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 1 Bellevue Drive (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 188 students with 20 teachers (19 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent). In January 2021, the school relocated to 12 Centreline Place, Robina.
Education
Varsity College is a government primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 3,269 students with 243 teachers (223 full-time equivalent) and 107 non-teaching staff (80 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
program. The school has two sites:
* the primary school campus at 1 Bridgewater Drive ()
* the secondary school campus at 198 Varsity Parade ()
The suburb is also served by two other primary schools: Caningeraba State School in neighbouring Burleigh Waters to the east and Robina State School in neighbouring Robina to the north-west. It is also served by Miami State High School
Miami State High School is a school in Miami, Queensland established as South Coast District State High School in 1963.
History
Originally named South Coast District State High School, Miami High was officially opened in April 1963. It s ...
in neighbouring Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
to the north-east.
Religion
Varsity Lakes offers several churches for Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
. These churches include:
* Elevation Church
* Glow Church
* Hope Church Australia
* Metro Church
Retail
![Lake Orr and houses 3 in Varsity Lakes, Queensland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Lake_Orr_and_houses_3_in_Varsity_Lakes%2C_Queensland.jpg)
Market Square
Market Square offers a range of retail to the Varsity Lakes community. Major chains such as Subway, Night Owl and IGA are all located in Market Square. Market Square also offers banks, beauty salons, bottle shops, chemists, dental care, gyms, real estates, restaurants and taverns.
Christine Corner
Christine Corner is another retail area located in Varsity Lakes which includes a second Subway, a second Night Owl, bakeries, beauty salons, betting agencies, bottle shops, medical centres, newsagents, petrol stations, restaurants, taverns and vets.
Sporting Facilities
Majority of sporting facilities in Varsity Lakes are present in both the primary and secondary school campuses. Frascott Park also offers grass ovals and a basketball ring. Public facilities include:
* Basketball Courts
* Grass Ovals
* Tennis Courts
Sports House
The Varsity Lakes Sports House is a precinct for water sports
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...
opened in 2012 and was created by Delphin Lend Lease, Gold Coast City Council and Varsity Lakes Community Limited. The centre is based on Lake Orr and has a heavy emphasis on Rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
but also caters for Canoeing
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
, Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
, Sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
and Dragon Boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China, different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...
ing.
Skate Park
In 2008, the Varsity Lakes Skate Park (officially known as Janette Green Park) underwent a $1 million revamp. On 17 March 2009 skating legend Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documen ...
visited the skate park and commented "We just go wherever the skate parks are and you've got a great skate park here."
Central Park
Central Park offers undercover gym facilities, a grass oval with 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 ...
posts and basketball courts. In December 2017, an undercover outdoor gym was opened at Central Park which includes a basketball court fitted with lights allowing for nighttime use.
Community Centre
The Varsity Lakes Community Centre regularly hosts sporting group activities; including aerobics, fitness, walking and table tennis.
Public transport
Varsity Lakes is serviced by two forms of public transport. Surfside Buslines
Surfside Buslines was an Australian bus operator on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It operated 56 services under contract to the Government of Queensland under the TransLink banner. It also operates nine services in the adjoining Tweed Valley of ...
operate a number of services though the suburb that connect Varsity Lakes to Robina, 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 house ...
and Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads is a town in New South Wales. It is located on the Tweed River in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia, in Tweed Shire, next to the border with Queensland and adjacent to its "twin town" of Coolangatta, which is a suburb of the ...
. Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining approximately 6,600 kilometres of track and relate ...
operates a City Train line that runs from Central Railway Station, 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 ...
though to the Gold Coast, terminating at Varsity Lakes Railway Station
Varsity Lakes railway station is located on the Gold Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the Gold Coast suburb of Varsity Lakes.
History
Varsity Lakes station opened on 13 December 2009 as the terminal station of the Gold Coast li ...
. Trains depart the station every half-hour and operate until late, seven days a week. Both Queensland Rail and Surfside Buslines are under contract by Translink Translink (or TransLink) may refer to:
* TransLink (British Columbia), the public transport operator in Vancouver, Canada
* Translink (Northern Ireland)
Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), a ...
who operate an integrated ticketing system throughout South East Queensland
South East Queensland (SEQ) is a bio-geographical, metropolitan, political and administrative region of the state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million people out of the state's population of 5.1 million. T ...
.
References
External links
University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Varsity Lakes
Varsity Lakes
{{Localities in Gold Coast
Suburbs of the Gold Coast, Queensland