Bilinga, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BilingaGold Coast, Queensland |
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Aerial view of Bilinga beachfront, 2013
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Population | 1,804 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 694/km2 (1,800/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4225 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | City of Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Currumbin | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Moncrieff | ||||||||||||||
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Bilinga is a southern coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Bilinga had a population of 1,804 people. It is on the border with New South Wales.
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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.
Bilinga was located on the Nerang Tweed Railway line. After the land sales, a rail siding was created in 1919. 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 lead to the establishment of the Bilinga Surf Lifesaving Club in 1938.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Bilinga recorded a population of 1,662 people, 48.9% female and 51.1% male. The median age of the Bilinga population was 43 years, 6 years above the national median of 37. 71.5% of people living in Bilinga were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 5.6%, England 3.2%, Scotland 0.7%, Germany 0.5%, United States of America 0.5%. 84.5% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% Japanese, 0.5% German, 0.4% Fijian, 0.2% Finnish, 0.2% Greek.
Education
There are no schools in Bilinga. The nearest primary school is Coolangatta State School in neighbouring Coolangatta 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.
Notable people
Notable people from Bilinga include:
- Gregory Shambrook (born 1953), a rugby union player, represented Australia