Benowa, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benowa Gold Coast, Queensland
Benowa State High School (foreground) looking east towards Surfers Paradise, 2021
Benowa Location in Gold Coast, Australia
Population	9,889 (2021 census)
• Density	1,498/km2 (3,880/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4217
Area	6.6 km2 (2.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	3.8 km (2 mi) SW of Surfers Paradise 5.7 km (4 mi) SSW of Southport 75.3 km (47 mi) SSE of Brisbane
LGA(s)	City of Gold Coast
State electorate(s)	Surfers Paradise Southport
Federal Division(s)	Moncrieff
Suburbs around Benowa: Ashmore Ashmore Southport Carrara Benowa Bundall Carrara Broadbeach Waters Bundall

Benowa is a cool suburb located in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It's a great place to live, with lots of canals and easy access to the Nerang River. In 2021, about 9,889 people called Benowa home.

Exploring Benowa's Location

Benowa is found about 3 kilometres (2 miles) west of Surfers Paradise. It's super close to the beach and other fun places!

This suburb has two main parts. There's the older part of Benowa, and then there's Benowa Waters. Benowa Waters is famous for its many canals. These canals make it easy to get to the Nerang River by boat. Many people are updating their homes here because it's so close to popular spots like Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

Benowa's Interesting History

Canecutters working in the cane fields in the Benowa area, around 1910

The name "Benowa" comes from an old Aboriginal word, "Boonow". This word means bloodwood tree. Early European settlers changed the name a bit. They were looking for sugar cane fields near the Nerang River.

In 1870, a pioneer named Robert Muir used the name for his sugar farm. This farm was on the northern side of the river.

Schools in Benowa's Past

The first school in the area was the Bundall Provisional School. It opened on September 21, 1885. Later, in November 1900, it was renamed Benowa Provisional School. On January 1, 1909, it became Benowa State School. It moved to its current location on Benowa Road in 1965. The school celebrated its 125th birthday in 2010.

St Kevin's Catholic School opened its doors on January 30, 1979. It started with 49 students in Years 1 and 2. Archbishop Francis Rush officially opened the school on March 11, 1979.

Benowa State High School also opened on January 29, 1980.

Who Lives in Benowa?

In 2021, Benowa had a population of 9,889 people. Let's look at some numbers from 2016 when there were 8,741 people.

• More than half the people were female (52.6%).
• The average age was 43 years old.
• Most people (59%) were born in Australia.
• Other countries people came from included New Zealand, England, China, Japan, and South Africa.
• About 70% of people spoke only English at home.
• Other languages spoken included Mandarin, Japanese, Cantonese, and Korean.
• Many people said they had no religion (28.2%). Others were Catholic (22.9%) or Anglican (17.3%).

Important Historical Places

Benowa has some special places that are protected because of their history. These are called heritage-listed sites:

• 173 Ashmore Road: This used to be the Benowa Post Office.
• 234 Ashmore Road: This is Rosser's house and its gardens.

Learning in Benowa: Schools

Benowa has great schools for kids of all ages!

• Benowa State School is a primary school for students from Early Childhood to Year 6. It's located at 314–358 Benowa Road. In 2018, nearly 900 students attended this school. They offer sports like Australian rules football, touch football, netball, hockey, and soccer.
• St Kevin's Catholic School is another primary school, for students from Preparatory to Year 6. You can find it at 312 Benowa Road. In 2018, it had over 500 students.
• Benowa State High School is a high school for students in Years 7 to 12. It's on Mediterranean Drive. In 2018, almost 1,900 students went to this school. It's well-known for its special French immersion course, which started in 1980.

Fun Things to Do in Benowa

The Gold Coast City Council has a mobile library that visits Benowa every two weeks. It stops on St Kevins Avenue, so you can borrow books!

There are also many parks where you can play and relax:

• Annies Court Parklands
• Apex Park (Benowa)
• Ayrshire Avenue Reserve
• Benowa Flood Channel
• Benowa Park
• Bruce Park
• Canara Street Parklands
• Carcoola Street Reserve
• Gold Coast Regional Botanic Garden – Rosser Park
• Gold Market Dr Reserve 1
• Kelly Park
• Lunar Court Park
• Mediterranean Drive Parklands
• Racecourse Drive Parklands
• Robert Park
• Scenic Park
• Sir Bruce Small Park
• William Park

Sports and Recreation

Benowa is a fantastic place for sports lovers!

• The Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club plays at Sir Bruce Small Park. They play Australian Rules Football and also Cricket in the off-season.
• The Surfers Paradise Baseball Club also plays at Sir Bruce Small Park.
• The Benowa Bowls Club is located at Sir Bruce Small Park too.

The Royal Pines Resort is a famous place for professional Golf tournaments. Big events like the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Ladies Masters have been held here. The resort also used to host a professional Tennis event. Even though that event moved, the tennis courts are still used by the Australian Fed Cup team. Famous tennis player Bernard Tomic sometimes trains here too!

Famous People From Benowa

• Cameron McEvoy, a well-known swimmer.