Balgal Beach is a coastal

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

and a beach in the

City of Townsville The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas. To the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The town of Balgal is within the locality. In the , Balgal Beach had a population of 998 people.

Geography

Balgal Beach is north of

Townsville The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...

, Australia, and south of

Ingham, Queensland Ingham is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Hinchinbrook, Queensland, Australia. It is named after William Bairstow Ingham and is the administrative centre for the Shire of Hinchinbrook. In the , th ...

. The locality is bounded to the north-east and east by the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...

and to the north-west and west by Rollingstone Creek, which flows into the Coral Sea at the northernmost point of the locality, where the town of Balgal is located (). The coastal strip features a long sandy beach, also known as Balgal Beach. The North Coast railway line forms part of the south-western boundary of the locality. Although the

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Natio ...

does not enter the locality, it is adjacent to the south-west boundary of the locality where it has its junction with Balgal Beach Drive (the major thoroughfare in the locality extending to the town of Balgal).

History

Balgal Beach was originally part of the Armidale pastoral lease, settled in 1883 by John Lambert before later changing name to

Rollingstone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known ...

. The area of coastline to the north of Rollingstone was named Balgal Beach in 1947, when the first dwellings were constructed. The name "Balgal" was derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "stone." The land in this area was predominantly used for farming and grazing, and remained rural until the mid-1980s when the allocation of 500 rural/residential blocks at the Mystic Sands Estate saw the population increase nearly twofold. Mystic Sands Golf Resort opened in 1993.

Demographics

In the , Balgal Beach had a population of 743 people, a 30.3% increase since the 1996 census. In the , Balgal Beach has a populaition of 849 people. In the , Balgal Beach had a population of 966 people. In the , Balgal Beach had a population of 998 people.

Education

There are no schools in Balgal Beach. The nearest government primary school is Rollingstone State School in neighbouring

to the west. The nearest government secondary school is Northern Beaches State High School in Deeragun to the south-east.

Amenities

Located a few kilometres north of the suburb of

, Balgal Beach today is a popular destination for recreational activities such as boating, fishing and swimming. Facilities at Balgal Beach include a patrolled stinger enclosure from November to May, a general store/cafe, holiday units and designated camping areas. Balgal Beach Units is located at 284 Ocean Parade, Balgal Beach. Established for over 40 years as a well loved holiday destination. Offering self contained units and a pool. Mystic Sands Golf Resort is at 139 Mystic Ave (). It offers a 9-hole golf course with 18 tees, lawn bowls, swimming pool, tennis courts, an RV camp, restaurant and bar. There is a boat ramp and pontoon at the northern end of the Esplanade on the south bank of the mouth of Rollingstone Creek (). It is managed by the Townsville City Council. It provides access to Palm Island and

Orpheus Island National Park Orpheus Island National Park is a national park on Orpheus Island, in North Queensland, Australia. The Aboriginal (possibly Nyawaygi) name for this island is Goolboddi Island. It is one of the Palm Islands group, northwest of Brisbane, as is ...

References

External links

* {{Suburbs of Townsville Suburbs of Townsville