Burleigh Heads, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Burleigh Heads Gold Coast, Queensland
A beach in Burleigh Heads with high rise developments further in the background
Burleigh Heads Location in Queensland
Population	10,077 (2016 census)
• Density	988/km2 (2,560/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4220
Area	10.2 km2 (3.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	13.4 km (8 mi) S of Surfers Paradise 18.8 km (12 mi) S of Southport 87.9 km (55 mi) SSE of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Gold Coast City
State electorate(s)	Burleigh
Federal Division(s)	McPherson
Suburbs around Burleigh Heads: Varsity Lakes Burleigh Waters Miami Reedy Creek Burleigh Heads Coral Sea Tallebudgera Valley Tallebudgera Palm Beach Elanora

Burleigh Heads is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Burleigh Heads had a population of 10,077 people.

History

A 1940s postcard of Burleigh Heads

Indigenous Australians inhabited the area of Burleigh Heads for thousands of years prior to European settlement. The Indigenous tribe were known as the Kombumerri people, who had named the area 'Jellurgal'.

In 1840, James Warner was commissioned to survey the coastline near Moreton Bay. Warner named the headlands near Tallebudgera Creek, 'Burly Head' because of its massive appearance. Decades later the name was adapted to the more genteel spelling of 'Burleigh Heads' and was declared a town reserve by the Queensland Government in 1871.

By 1873, the township had been surveyed, a number of the allotments sold and a track created connecting Burleigh Heads to Nerang. References to its magnificent beach were starting to appear and reports in newspapers suggested that Burleigh Heads' natural beauty had the potential to eclipse all other seaside locations in the region. However, despite the eventual sale of all the allotments in the township, by 1885, there was only one accommodation house run by Fredrick Fowler and very few, if any, privately owned houses. Further subdivisions and land sales took place in Burleigh during 1914, 1915, 1930, 1929 and 1947.

On 11 November 1879, the Queensland Government created 74 division of local government which saw Burleigh Heads zoned into the Nerang Division. On 9 December 1948, as part of a major reorganisation of local government in South East Queensland an Order in Council replaced ten former local government areas between the City of Brisbane and the New South Wales border with four new local government areas.

View of Burleigh Heads c.1940

Burleigh Heads beach, 2008

Burleigh Heads Beach with the Gold Coast skyline in the distance, 2003

The northern section appears to have been subdivided by the mid 1950s, but was the site of extensive sand mining in the following decades. The broad beachfront park is a legacy of that activity.

Burleigh township itself is much older and was the site of early development including restaurants and guest houses to support the increasing interest in bathing that took place in the last years of the 19th century and the first of the 20th century. It has been the centre of beach activities and a camping site for many years. The commercial centre of James and Conner Streets was established by the 1930s and began to boom during the postwar period.

Heritage listings

Burleigh Heads has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the David Fleay Wildlife Park and the West Burleigh Store, both located on Tallebudgera Creek Road.

Demographics

In the 2011 Census the population of Burleigh Heads is 9,188, 52.2% female and 47.8% male. The median/average age of the Burleigh Heads population is 40 years of age, 3 years above the Australian average. 69.3% of people living in Burleigh Heads were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 6.8%, England 4.6%, Brazil 0.9%, Scotland 0.8%, South Africa 0.6%. 85.2% of people speak English as their first language 0.8% Portuguese, 0.5% Italian, 0.4% German, 0.4% Japanese, 0.3% French.

Geology

The area of Burleigh Head was formed between 20 and 23 million years ago from molten lava due to numerous eruptions of Mount Warning. Flowing lava reached the shore in the area to form Burleigh headland and Point Danger. Geological processes that shaped the region resulted in a variety of different rock types, influencing the landscape, vegetation types and the animals they sustained. Queensland University geologists and students began coming to the area to collect specimens in the 1920s.

Ecology

Burleigh Headland is part of a wildlife corridor connecting coastal forests south to the Queensland New South Wales border ranges. Burleigh Ridge Park Reserve has a diverse habitat due to its geology. Conservation of the area has preserved many local plants that indigenous people would have used over 200 years ago. There are Eucalypt forest species favoured by Koalas. Other native wildlife include flying foxes, gliders and over 60 bird species.

Transport

Gold Coast Highway travels along the eastern side of the suburb passing through the heart of suburb. Gold Coast highway connects Burleigh Heads with all the coastal suburbs on the Gold Coast. West Burleigh Road (State Route 80) eventually becomes Reedy Creek Road after an intersection in front of Stocklands Burleigh Heads, connects the heart of the suburb with the Pacific Motorway and Varsity Lakes railway station.

A Translink bus along the Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Burleigh Heads is serviced by Translink services, a subsidiary of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, who operate an integrated ticketing system throughout South East Queensland. Burleigh Heads Bus stop is the main bus stop in the suburb, located on the Gold Coast Highway. A bus service connects Burleigh Heads with the Gold Coast Airport, Tweed Heads, Robina and Broadbeach.

Consultation is in process to extend the existing G:link tram to Burleigh Beach from Broadbeach commencing in 2020.

Burleigh beach

The north-east facing beach is protected by the point to the south and offers one of the best swimming, body boarding and surfing beaches on the Gold Coast. A mature stand of Norfolk Island Pines — originally planted by the Justins family and reputably some of the earliest planted at the coast — and more recent plantings together totalling some 450 Norfolk Pines; form a backdrop and are home to native birds.

Events

Burleigh Heads State School is home to The Village Markets. A bi-monthly event that promotes local emerging designers and artists.

Sport and recreation

Surfing

• Stubbies Surf Classic Burleigh Heads 1977 -1988
• The Quiksilver Pro is often contested at Burleigh Heads when the surf is not contestable at Kirra or Snapper Rocks.
• The Breaka Burleigh Pro Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Classic and many other amateur and junior events are also contested each year.
• Professional/World tour Surfers Peter Harris and Jay Thompson

Others

Landmarks

• The David Fleay Wildlife Park
• Aboriginal Bora Ring
• Burleigh Head National Park

Education

Burleigh Heads State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at Lower Gold Coast Highway (28°05′12″S 153°26′57″E / 28.0868°S 153.4493°E / -28.0868; 153.4493 (Burleigh Heads State School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 531 students with 47 teachers (38 full-time equivalent) and 44 non-teaching staff (29 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

There is no secondary schools are Burleigh Heads. The nearest government secondary schools Miami State High School in neighbouring Miami to the north or Elanora State High School in Elanora.

Primary and secondary Catholic education is available at Marymount College in neighbouring Burleigh Waters.

Images for kids

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  Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek from south of the headland