Bli Bli ( ) is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Sunshine Coast Region The Sunshine Coast Region is a local government area located in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia, from which it takes its name. It was created by the amalgamation in 2008 of the City of Caloundra and the Shires o ...

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. In the , the locality of Bli Bli had a population of 10,138 people.

Geography

A few kilometres inland from the

Maroochydore Maroochydore ( ) is a coastal town in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the urban area of Maroochydore had a population of 63,673 people. The city was subdivided from the Cotton Tree reserve by Surveyor Thomas O'Conno ...

urban area, Bli Bli rises above the wetlands which were, for many years, the home of the Sunshine Coast

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

industry. Whilst this industry is all but gone, state government legislation ensures the wetlands will remain an undeveloped Green Space. The

Maroochy River The Maroochy River is a river in South East Queensland, Australia. The river rises from the eastern slopes of the Blackall Range and flows east through Eumundi before entering the sea at Cotton Tree, Maroochydore. Other populated centres in t ...

flows through the locality from north-east (

Marcoola Marcoola is a coastal town Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality and landscape of mixed-tenure in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. Geography The locality is bounded to the east by the Coral Sea and to the west by the ...

) to south-east ( Pacific Paradise/

). The Yandina-Bli Bli Road enters from the north and the Nambour–Bli Bli Road enters from the west.

History

The name ''Bli Bli'' is believed to be derived from the

Kabi Kabi or KABI may refer to: Places *Kabi Longstok, town in North Sikkim district, Sikkim, India *Kabi, Sikkim, village in North Sikkim district, Sikkim, India * Kabi River (''Kafu River''), river in Uganda People *Boris Kabi (born 1984), Ivorian fo ...

word ''bilai'' meaning ''sheoak tree'' (

Casuarina glauca ''Casuarina glauca'', commonly known as swamp she-oak, swamp buloke, swamp she-oak, marsh sheoak, grey she-oak, grey she-oak, native pine, or guman by the Gadigal people, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It ...

). Bli Bli Provisional School opened on 2 April 1901, becoming Bli Bli State School on 1 January 1909. The first Bli Bli post office opened by March 1903 (a

receiving office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

had been open from 1898) and closed in 1954. The current Bli Bli post office opened on 1 October 1987. In March 1972, Fairytale Castle was opened; it was later known as the Bli Bli Castle until it was renamed to Sunshine Castle in 2006. The

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

-style castle was built as a tourist attraction. The castle now houses a medieval museum and serves as an events venue for functions and concerts. Good Samaritan Catholic College opened in 2017.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Bli Bli had a population of 6,283 people, 50.6% female and 49.4% male. The median age of the Bli Bli population was 39 years, compared to the national median age of 37. 79.3% of people living in Bli Bli were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 5.4%, New Zealand 4.2%, Scotland 0.7%, Germany 0.7%, South Africa 0.6%. 93.2% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.5% German, 0.4% Italian, 0.2% Tagalog, 0.2% Japanese, 0.1% Dutch. In the , the locality of Bli Bli had a population of 7,801 people. In the , the locality of Bli Bli had a population of 10,138 people.

Heritage listings

Bli Bli has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 87 Willis Road: Bli Bli Public Hall *89 Willis Road: former Bli Bli Presbyterian Church

Education

Bli Bli State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at School Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 614 students with 45 teachers (35 full-time equivalent) and 29 non-teaching staff (19 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. Good Samaritan Catholic College is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

primary and secondary school (Prep to Year 12) for boys and girls at 185 Parklakes Drive (). Sunshine Coast Environmental Education Centre is an Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre at Sports Road ().

Amenities

Today Bli Bli has become a conveniently located residential community, it retains its small-town feel, yet is minutes from

Sunshine Plaza Sunshine Plaza is a large regional shopping centre located in Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia and is the largest shopping centre on the Sunshine Coast. Anchor tenants included in the centre are Coles, Woolworths, Myer, Kmart, Target, Big ...

in Maroochydore, Mudjimba Beach and 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 ...

(which forms the western boundary of the locality). Horton Park Golf Club Maroochydore was relocated to

David Low Way David Low Way is a Australian road connecting the many coastal townships of the Sunshine Coast with the two large city centres of Maroochydore in the south and Noosa Heads in the north. The route is an alternative coastal route to the Sunshin ...

in Bli Bli in May 2015. The club was renamed Maroochy River Golf Club and has 18 championship holes with a driving range. The

council operates a

mobile library A bookmobile, or mobile library, is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Boo ...

service which visits the David Low Way. Bli Bli Uniting Church is at 10-12 Lefoes Road (). It is part of the Mary Burnett Presbytery. The Bli Bli 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 the Uniting Church.

References

External links

*
Sunshine Castle, Bli Bli
{{authority control Suburbs of the Sunshine Coast Region Towns in Queensland Localities in Queensland