Beerwah, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beerwah Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Beerwah fruit and vegetable display, RNA Exhibition, Brisbane, August 1984
Beerwah Location in Queensland
Population	7,734 (2021 census)
• Density	133.12/km2 (344.8/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4519
Area	58.1 km2 (22.4 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	25.9 km (16 mi) SW of Caloundra CBD 72.2 km (45 mi) N of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	Sunshine Coast Region
County	Canning
Parish	Bribie
State electorate(s)	Caloundra Glass House
Federal Division(s)	Fisher
Localities around Beerwah: Peachester Mount Mellum Landsborough Bells Creek Peachester Beerwah Coochin Creek Glass House Mountains Glass House Mountains Coochin Creek

Beerwah is a town in Queensland, Australia. It's located in the beautiful Sunshine Coast Region, which is an area of land that isn't directly on the coast. In 2021, about 7,734 people lived here.

Beerwah is famous for being home to Australia Zoo, a huge wildlife park that attracts visitors from all over the world. The town also has good transport links. You can catch a train from Beerwah railway station to Brisbane and other places to the north. Important roads like Steve Irwin Way also pass through Beerwah.

Where is Beerwah?

Beerwah is located north of the amazing Glass House Mountains. It's about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Brisbane, a major city in Queensland. Just south of Beerwah, you'll find Landsborough.

The main road running through Beerwah is called Steve Irwin Way. This road used to be known as the Glasshouse Mountain Tourist Route. You can get to it from the Bruce Highway, which is a big highway that now goes around the town.

A Look Back in Time

The name Beerwah comes from the Kabi language. The word birrawaman means sky climbing up.

The Beerwah Post Office first opened in August 1907. Before that, there was a smaller "receiving office" from 1891.

Early Schools in Beerwah

The first building and pupils of the Coochin Creek Provisional School (later Beerwah State School), 1888

The Coochin Creek Provisional School welcomed its first students on 27 November 1888. It started with 19 students and grew to 43 by the end of that year. The school was located on the main road to Peachester. In 1909, it became Coochin Creek State School. Later, around November 1928, its name changed to Beerwah State School.

Community Buildings and Churches

In 1914, local Anglican residents decided to build a church in Beerwah. A kind person named Mr Mawhinney donated land near the railway station. The community worked together, donating materials and labour, so the church could be built without any debt. St James' Anglican Church officially opened in March 1916.

Later, in 1991, the Mary MacKillop Catholic Centre was opened.

Beerwah State High School opened its doors on 1 January 1992, providing education for older students.

The Beerwah Library, a great place for books and learning, opened in 2000.

Glasshouse Country Christian College also started in 2000 with just 16 students. It was founded by the Glasshouse Country Baptist Church.

The Glasshouse Country Uniting Church opened its building in Beerwah in December 2000. This church was created when several smaller churches in the area joined together.

Who Lives in Beerwah?

In 2016, Beerwah had a population of 6,769 people. Slightly more than half were female (52%) and 48% were male. The average age was 39 years old.

About 2.8% of the people living in Beerwah were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Most residents (77.2%) were born in Australia. The next most common places of birth were England (5.1%) and New Zealand (4.8%).

Most people (90.8%) spoke only English at home. When it came to religion, the most common answers were No Religion (32.8%), Anglican (17.2%), and Catholic (14.4%).

Important Places in Beerwah

Beerwah has several places that are important to its history. These are called heritage-listed sites:

• 53 Beerwah Parade: The Beerwah Hotel
• 2719 Old Gympie Road: The original Coochin Homestead site
• Roys Road and Mawsons Road (Beerburrum State Forest): Beerburrum Scientific Area No 1
• Roys Road, about 1 kilometre east of Mawsons Road: The old Beerwah Forest Station and Arboretum
• Simpson Street: Beerwah railway station

Getting Around Beerwah

Beerwah is a growing town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Many people use public transport to get to work. About 0.6% of residents use public transport for their daily commute. This makes Beerwah one of the top places on the Sunshine Coast for public transport use.

A new bypass road was built south of the town in 2009. This included a bridge over the railway line and new traffic lights. However, the old railway crossing was closed. This caused some local residents to worry that it would split the town in two. To help, new signs were put up to guide people to the town centre.

Learning in Beerwah

Beerwah has several schools for different age groups:

• Beerwah State School: This is a government primary school for students from Early Childhood to Year 6. It also has a special education program. In 2018, it had 367 students.
• Glasshouse Christian College: This is a private school that teaches students from Prep (the year before Year 1) all the way to Year 12. In 2018, it had 1074 students.
• Beerwah State High School: This is a government secondary school for students in Years 7 to 12. It also offers a special education program. In 2018, there were 895 students at the high school.

What Can You Do in Beerwah?

Beerwah has many useful places and activities for its residents:

• Library: The Sunshine Coast Regional Council runs a public library at 25 Peachester Road. It's a great place to find books and learn.
• Shopping: You'll find national supermarkets and many specialty shops in Beerwah.
• Community Groups: The Beerwah branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 39 Simpson Street.
• Churches: Anglican church services are held at the Mary MacKillop Catholic Centre. The Glasshouse Country Uniting Church (also known as Beewah Uniting Church) is located at 29 Twin Peaks Drive.
• Parks: Beerwah has many parks where you can play and relax. Some of them include:
  • Beerwah Sports Ground
  • CWA Park
  • Emma Place Park
  • Jubilee Park
  • Kindy Park
  • Monica Smith Park
  • Settlement Park
  • Turner Park
  • Twin Peaks Park

Fun Things to See and Do

Beerwah is one of the biggest towns in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It's surrounded by the amazing Glasshouse Mountains National Park, which has 13 volcanic peaks.

Main Attractions

The Big Mower

• Australia Zoo: This famous zoo is in Beerwah. It was started by Bob Irwin and became world-famous thanks to his son, Steve Irwin. It's a huge tourist attraction that many people visit every day.

• Glass House mountain range: These stunning mountains are very close to Beerwah. The tallest mountain is Mount Beerwah, which is 555 metres (1,821 feet) high. The path to the top of Mount Beerwah has been closed since 2008 because of erosion, which makes it unsafe.

• The Big Mower: This is one of Australia's big things, which are large roadside attractions. You can find it in Beerwah!

Beerwah Railway Station, Queensland, June 2012

Famous People from Beerwah

Some well-known people have lived in Beerwah:

• Lawrence Daws: A talented painter and printmaker.
• The Irwin family: This includes Bob Irwin, Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, Bindi Irwin, and Robert Irwin. They are famous environmentalists and run Australia Zoo.