Bilinga () is a southern coastal
suburb 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 , Bilinga had a population of 1,804 people.
It is on the border with
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
Geography
Bilinga is bounded by Boyd Street to the north-west, the
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fren ...
to the east, and the border with
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
to the west.
The entire eastern coastline of the suburb is a continuous sandy surf beach, with the northern end known as Bilinga Beach () and the southern end known as North Kirra Beach ().
Immediately inland from the beach is a narrow strip of housing (the only residential part of the suburb).
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport (formerly known as Coolangatta Airport) is an international Australian airport located at the southern end of the Gold Coast and approximately south of centre of Brisbane, within South East Queensland agglomeration. Th ...
(formerly the Coolangatta Airport, ) occupies the majority of the suburb, extending across the border into
Tweed Heads West in New South Wales.
The
Gold Coast Desalination Plant is in the north-west of the suburb ().
The Gold Coast campus () of the
Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University (SCU) is an Australian public university, with campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, and at Coolangatta, the most southern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland.
It is ranked in the t ...
(headquartered in
Lismore,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
) is in the south of the suburb.
The
Gold Coast Highway enters the suburb from the north (
Tugun) and mostly separating the residential ara from the airport and other infrastructure before exiting to the south (Tweed Heads West /
Tweed Heads) towards the
Pacific Motorway.
History
The word "Bilinga" is derived from the word "Bilinba", meaning bats. The name was adopted in 1918 as a place name for Crown lands north of
Coolangatta
Coolangatta is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is the Gold Coast's southernmost suburb and it borders New South Wales. In the , Coolangatta had a population of 5,948 people.
Geography
Coolangatta and i ...
.
In February 1908, 5 land portions were advertised to be
open for selection as agricultural farms and unconditional selections by the Department of Public Lands office. The map advertising the selection, surveyed by J.H.Jensen, shows the portions 84 to 88 situated between the
South Coast railway line in the north and the tick fence to the south.
After the land sales, a rail siding was created in 1919. It was located roughly an the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and George Street ().
After 1919, the catalyst for an increase in development was said to be the erection of a general store, owned by businessman Percy Hanzel, near the rail siding. Furthermore, increased development could be attributed to a new coastal road, which improved access to the area for holiday makers and residents.
The drowning of a man on Bilinga Beach in 1937 led to the establishment of the Bilinga Surf Lifesaving Club in 1938.
In 1989, Bilinga received 50,000 cubic metres of sand as part of a beach nourishment program.
At the , Bilinga had a population of 1,662.
In the , Bilinga had a population of 1,804 people. The median age of the Bilinga population was 47 years, 9 years above the national median of 38. 66.8% of people were born in Australia and 78.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 27.5% and Catholic 21.5%.
During 2020 and 2021, the Queensland borders were closed to most people due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
. Border crossing points were either closed or had a
Queensland Police
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto ...
checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The
Gold Coast Highway at Bilinga was one of the police border checkpoints.
Education
There are no schools in Bilinga. The nearest primary school is Coolangatta State School in neighbouring
Coolangatta
Coolangatta is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is the Gold Coast's southernmost suburb and it borders New South Wales. In the , Coolangatta had a population of 5,948 people.
Geography
Coolangatta and i ...
to the south-east. The nearest secondary school is
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School in
Palm Beach to the north-west.
The Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross University offers a range of courses in arts, health, social science, business, education, information technology, law and tourism.
The university is a partner with the Gold Coast airport and other tourism-oriented businesses to offer specialised degrees and research in aviation and tourism.
Community groups
Bilinga Surf Life Saving Club members patrol the beach on weekends and public holidays from September to May each year. Their clubhouse is at 257 Golden Four Drive () facing the beach.
North Kirra Surf Life Saving Club has their clubhouse at 41 Pacific Parade on the foreshore ().
Notable people
Notable people from Bilinga include:
*
Gregory Shambrook (born 1953), a rugby union player, represented Australia
See also
*
Suburbs of the Gold Coast
There are eighty-one suburbs in the City of Gold Coast, a local government area in Queensland, Australia. The local government area has been amended several times since its creation in 1948, most dramatically by its amalgamation in 1994 with th ...
References
* Gresty, J.A., The Numinbah Valley: Its Geography, History and Aboriginal Associations
* Watson, F.E Vocabularies of Four Representative Tribes of South East Queensland
* Kerr, John. Destination South Brisbane, p. 45
External links
*
Bilinga Surf Life Saving Club
{{Localities in Gold Coast
Suburbs of the Gold Coast, Queensland
Coastline of Queensland