Palm Beach, Queensland

Geography

Palm Beach is bounded to the north by Tallebudgera Creek, to the east by the Coral Sea, to the south by Currumbin Creek, and to the west by the Pacific Motorway.

Palm Beach has thrice been voted the cleanest beach in Queensland.{{cite web |access-date = 3 February 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110308062744/https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_standard.aspx?pid=2782 |archive-date = 8 March 2011

Recent extensions of the Palm Beach area to the west have created new subdivisions with different characteristics including a small section of canal development. The area is bounded to the north by the Tallebudgera Creek and the national recreation camp and to the south by tower developments at the mouth of Currumbin Creek. The creek mouths of Tallebudgera and Currumbin have been stabilised with training walls built during the 1970s. Both of the Creek entrances are dredged on an annual basis. There are nearshore bait reefs along Palm Beach and offshore there are fishing reefs that are some of the most productive of the Gold Coast.

History

Palm Beach Baptist Church opened on Saturday 8 December 1928. It was the first church opened in Palm Beach. It was on Ninth Avenue. In 1969 the original building was demolished and replaced with a brick building. In 2000 the Palm Beach site was sold and the congregation built the Reedy Creek Baptist Church at 10 Gemvale Road, Reedy Creek.

Palm Beach Surf Club was established in 1930.

Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School opened on 24 January 1972.

Palm Beach State School opened on 4 February 1974.

The Palm Beach Library opened in 1998 and had a major refurbishment in 2011. The library closed down in early 2021 and was replaced with a library kiosk.

Palm Beach was judged Queensland's Cleanest Beach in 1999 and again in 2000 and 2011 by the Keep Australia Beautiful Council.

Demographics

In the , Palm Beach had a population of 14,654 people.

In the , Palm Beach had a population of 16,349 people.

Heritage listings

Palm Beach has a heritage site:

• former Currumbin Creek Railway Bridge on the South Coast railway line, Currumbin Creek ()

Education

Palm Beach State School is a government primary (Preparatory to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 13-19 Nineteenth Avenue (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 511 students with 37 teachers (33 full-time equivalent) and 21 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

Students in southern Palm Beach can attend Currumbin State School in Currumbin.

Palm Beach Currumbin State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Thrower Drive (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 2457 students with 179 teachers (173 full-time equivalent) and 87 non-teaching staff (70 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

Students in western Palm Beach can attend Elanora State High School in Elanora.

Tallebudgera Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre is an Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre at 1525 Gold Coast Highway ().

Amenities

The Gold Coast City Council operate a small library kiosk on Eleventh Avenue. In the same building is the office of Division 13 Councillor, Cr Josh Martin (as at 2024).

Palm Beach Surf Club at 117 Jefferson Lane provides surf lifesaving services and clubhouse dining facilities. Established in 1930, there has never been a fatality in its flagged beach zones.

Our Lady of the Way Church Catholic Church is at 14 Eleventh Avenue (). It is part of the Burleigh Heads Catholic Parish within the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Transport

Main article: Transport on the Gold Coast, Queensland

Roads

The Gold Coast Highway goes through the eastern section of the suburb going past the main shopping centre and restaurants (eighth ave to fourth ave), with the Pacific Motorway on the western side. Palm Beach Ave connects the Gold Coast Highway to the Motorway and the neighbouring suburb of Elanora. 19th Avenue also continues into Elanora past Palm Beach state school, 19th ave shopping centre, and into Guineas Creek Rd.

Public Transport

Palm Beach is serviced by multiple Translink services, a subsidiary of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, who operate the Go card ticketing system throughout South East Queensland.

The nearest bus interchange is at The Pines, Elanora. Three high frequency lines run through Palm beach Via the Gold Coast Highway, 765 ( Robina Town Centre to The Pines, Elanora), 700 (Broadbeach South to Tweed Heads, New South Wales), and 777 (Gold Coast Airport to Broadbeach South).

There are plans for the Gold Coast light rail to be extended from Burleigh Heads to Tugun via the Gold Coast Highway. As of November 2023, the preliminary business case for Light Rail Stage 4 has been completed, and under review. Stage 3 of the light rail (Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads) is currently under construction and expected to be operating by 2025. Stage 4 (Burleigh Heads to Tugun) Is expected to be fast tracked, and start construction as soon as stage 3 is completed.

Sports and recreation

Neptune Royal Life Saving Club was the first female only club in Australia and still provides patrol services for people swimming in Tallebudgera Creek estuary. It remains the only club on the Gold Coast not affiliated with Surf Life Saving.

Palm Beach is also patrolled by the Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club at 7th Avenue and Pacific Surf Life Saving Club near 19th Avenue.

Local sporting clubs include:

Clubs/Associations

References

References

1. {{cite QPN. 46077. Palm Beach. suburb in City of Gold Coast
2. {{Queensland Globe
3. "Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks dredging".
4. "Queensland Baptist churches by date of erection/opening".
5. "1928 Palm Beach".
6. (10 December 1928). "NEW BAPTIST CHURCH.". [[The Brisbane Courier]].
7. "History".
8. Blake, Thom. "Reedy Creek Baptist Church".
9. "Welcome to Palm Beach SLSC".
10. "Palm Beach and Tallebudgera".
11. "Queensland schools past and present". [[Queensland Family History Society]].
12. (November 2017). "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17". [[State Library of Queensland]].
13. {{Census 2016 AUS
14. {{Census 2021 AUS
15. (5 June 2018). "Currumbin Creek Railway Bridge (former)".
16. (9 July 2018). "State and non-state school details". [[Queensland Government]].
17. "Palm Beach State School".
18. "ACARA School Profile 2017".
19. "Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School".
20. "Palm Beach-Currumbin SHS - Special Education Program".
21. "Tallebudgera Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre".
22. "Palm Beach library kiosk".
23. "Churches".
24. "19th Avenue {{!}} Shopping Centre".
25. "Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 (Department of Transport and Main Roads)".
26. "GCLR3 {{!}} GoldlinQ {{!}} Community Analytics".
27. "Plans on track for light rail to the Gold Coast Airport".
28. "Our Club".
29. "Home".