Gold Coast, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gold CoastQueensland |
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Q1 and the Gold Coast skyline
Isle of Capri Canals
Light Rail on Surfers Paradise Boulevard
Chevron Renaissance
Roxy Theatre at Warner Bros. Movie World
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Population | 640,778 (2021) (6th) | ||||||||
• Density | 972/km2 (2,520/sq mi) | ||||||||
Established | 1865 | ||||||||
Area | 414.3 km2 (160.0 sq mi) | ||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||
Location | 66 km (41 mi) SSE of Brisbane | ||||||||
LGA(s) | City of Gold Coast | ||||||||
State electorate(s) |
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Federal Division(s) | |||||||||
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The Gold Coast, also known as GC, is a lively coastal city in Queensland, Australia. It's about 66 kilometers (41 miles) south of Brisbane, the state capital. The Gold Coast is Queensland's second-largest city and Australia's sixth-largest overall. It's also the biggest city in Australia that isn't a state capital.
The city's main area is in Southport. The Gold Coast stretches along the coast for almost 60 kilometers (37 miles), connecting with Brisbane in the north and the New South Wales border in the south. People who live here are called Gold Coasters.
The Gold Coast area was originally home to the Yugambeh people. The city started as small towns, with Nerang being one of the first in 1865. Tourism helped the region grow a lot from the 1920s. By 1959, the Gold Coast was officially a city, and its first skyscraper was built in 1960. The city grew rapidly with many tall buildings appearing from the 1980s.
Today, the Gold Coast has a strong economy, especially in health, tourism, arts, culture, and construction. It's known as a creative hub with a growing video games industry and many new startup businesses. The city is also a major center for film and television production, earning it the nickname "Goldywood." It hosts important events like the AACTA Awards and the Gold Coast Film Festival.
The Gold Coast is a popular place for tourists because of its sunny, subtropical weather. It's famous for its surfing beaches like Surfers Paradise, its impressive skyline of tall buildings, fun theme parks, exciting nightlife, and beautiful rainforest hinterland.
Contents
History of the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is the traditional land of several Indigenous groups, including the Kombumerri, Mununjali, and Wangerriburra clans of the Yugambeh people. Europeans first arrived in 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach. In the mid-1800s, people were drawn to the area for its supply of red cedar trees.
Small towns began to appear along the coast and inland. Nerang was surveyed in 1865 and became a base for the timber industry. By 1873, Burleigh Heads was also surveyed. In 1875, a small settlement at the mouth of the Nerang River was surveyed and renamed Southport. Southport quickly became a popular holiday spot for wealthy people from Brisbane.
After World War One, many simple "seaside shacks" were built along the South Coast. These cheap holiday homes were often made from recycled materials like old timber, fibro cement, or even disused trams.
The Gold Coast region grew significantly after the Surfers Paradise Hotel opened in the late 1920s. The area was first called the South Coast because it was south of Brisbane. However, due to high prices for land and services, people started calling it the "Gold Coast" in 1950. At first, locals didn't like the name, but it soon became a common way to refer to the holiday strip from Southport to Coolangatta.
On June 17, 1949, the towns of Coolangatta and Southport, along with coastal parts of the Shire of Nerang, joined to form the Town of South Coast. As tourism grew in the 1950s, local businesses began using "Gold Coast" in their names. On October 23, 1958, the Town of South Coast was officially renamed the Town of Gold Coast. Less than a year later, on May 16, 1959, it was declared a city.
The area experienced a huge boom in the 1980s, becoming a top tourist spot. In 1994, the City of Gold Coast local government area expanded, making it the second most populated local government area in Australia. In 2007, the Gold Coast became Australia's sixth-largest city. The Gold Coast Suns football club was formed in 2009. The Gold Coast also hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
People of the Gold Coast
In 2016, the Gold Coast urban area had a population of 540,559 people. Including rural areas, the total population was 569,997. The average age was 39 years old. Most people (64%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included New Zealand (7.9%), England (5.2%), China, South Africa, and Japan. About 1.7% of the population were Indigenous Australians.
The most common languages spoken other than English were Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Cantonese. In 2021, the most common religious groups were those with no religion (43.4%), Catholic (18.2%), and Anglican (11.9%).
Gold Coast Geography


About half of the Gold Coast is covered by different types of forests. This includes small areas of ancient rainforest, mangrove islands, and coastal heathlands. Before European settlement, most of the Gold Coast was covered by forests.
Gold Coast City is in the southeast corner of Queensland, south of Brisbane. The Albert River separates the Gold Coast from Logan City. The city stretches about 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the Albert River to the New South Wales border. It also extends west from the coast to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, which includes the World Heritage listed Lamington National Park.
The southernmost town, Coolangatta, is next to Tweed Heads in NSW. This area includes Point Danger and its lighthouse, which is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland. From Coolangatta, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) of holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretch north to Main Beach. The suburbs of Southport and Surfers Paradise are the main business areas.
The main river is the Nerang River. Much of the land between the coast and the hinterland used to be wetlands. These swamps have been turned into man-made waterways, which are over 260 kilometers (160 miles) long – more than nine times the length of Venice's canals! These waterways and artificial islands are now home to many upscale houses. The busy coastal strip sits on a narrow sandbar between these waterways and the sea.
To the west, the city borders the Gold Coast hinterland, part of the Great Dividing Range. A 206 square kilometer (80 square mile) section of this mountain range is protected by Lamington National Park. It's a World Heritage area known for its amazing volcanic features and many rare rainforest species. This area is popular for bushwalkers and day trips.
City Layout
The Gold Coast City includes many suburbs, towns, and rural areas. Southport has been named a Priority Development Area, meaning it's a focus for new businesses and investments.

Waterways
Living by the water with canals is a special feature of the Gold Coast. Most homes along the canals have private boat docks. The Gold Coast Seaway, between The Spit and South Stradbroke Island, lets boats go directly from The Broadwater and the city's canals to the Pacific Ocean.
Residential canals were first built in the 1950s and are still being created. Many canals are extensions of the Nerang River. There are also canals along Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek to the south, and along the Gold Coast Broadwater and Coomera River to the north. Early canals included Florida Gardens and Isle of Capri. Today, there are over 890 kilometers (550 miles) of man-made waterfront land, home to more than 80,000 people.
Beaches
The Gold Coast has 70 kilometers (43 miles) of coastline with some of the best surf spots in Australia and the world. Famous beaches include Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, and Burleigh Heads. There's almost 42 kilometers (26 miles) of continuous beachfront. Duranbah Beach, a well-known surfing beach, is just across the New South Wales border.
There are also beaches along the Gold Coast's 860 kilometers (530 miles) of tidal waterways. Popular inland beaches include Southport and Budds Beach.

Beach Safety The Gold Coast has Australia's largest professional surf lifesaving service. Lifeguards protect people on the beaches and teach about surf safety. The Queensland Shark Control Program uses nets and baited lines to help protect swimmers from sharks. Lifeguards will clear the water if there's any safety risk.
Gold Coast beaches have faced serious beach erosion in the past. After many cyclones in 1967 removed most of the sand, engineers helped create plans to protect the beaches. Today, the Gold Coast is working on new plans to manage its beaches and improve the Gold Coast Oceanway, which is a path for walking and cycling along the coast.
Climate
The Gold Coast has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has mild to warm winters and hot, humid summers. Most rain falls in summer, often during thunderstorms. Winters are pleasant with little rain. This nice winter weather is why the Gold Coast is famous worldwide.
Temperatures at the Gold Coast Seaway have ranged from 2.5°C (36.5°F) in winter to 40.5°C (104.9°F) in summer. However, it rarely gets above 35°C (95°F) in summer or below 5°C (41°F) in winter. The average sea temperature at Surfers Paradise is about 21.5°C (70.7°F) in July and August, and 27.1°C (80.8°F) in February.
Climate data for Gold Coast, Seaway (1992–2020) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 38.5 (101.3) |
40.5 (104.9) |
36.3 (97.3) |
33.3 (91.9) |
29.4 (84.9) |
27.1 (80.8) |
28.9 (84.0) |
32.4 (90.3) |
33.0 (91.4) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.5 (95.9) |
39.4 (102.9) |
40.5 (104.9) |
Mean maximum °C (°F) | 33.2 (91.8) |
32.7 (90.9) |
32.5 (90.5) |
29.7 (85.5) |
26.9 (80.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.1 (77.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
29.1 (84.4) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.8 (89.2) |
33.3 (91.9) |
33.3 (91.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.9 (84.0) |
28.7 (83.7) |
28.0 (82.4) |
26.1 (79.0) |
23.6 (74.5) |
21.4 (70.5) |
21.3 (70.3) |
22.1 (71.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
25.4 (77.7) |
26.9 (80.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
25.4 (77.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.4 (77.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.5 (76.1) |
22.2 (72.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
17.3 (63.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.0 (73.4) |
24.2 (75.6) |
21.3 (70.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
20.9 (69.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
15.4 (59.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.8 (58.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.0 (66.2) |
20.5 (68.9) |
17.3 (63.1) |
Mean minimum °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) |
19.3 (66.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
14.4 (57.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.9 (46.2) |
7.1 (44.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.0 (62.6) |
7.1 (44.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.4 (56.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.8 (38.8) |
2.5 (36.5) |
4.2 (39.6) |
7.9 (46.2) |
9.4 (48.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
2.5 (36.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 136.7 (5.38) |
183.4 (7.22) |
134.0 (5.28) |
118.7 (4.67) |
97.6 (3.84) |
113.9 (4.48) |
49.5 (1.95) |
54.8 (2.16) |
41.2 (1.62) |
87.4 (3.44) |
106.7 (4.20) |
129.0 (5.08) |
1,252.9 (49.32) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 8.8 | 10.3 | 11.0 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 8.0 | 9.3 | 92 |
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 70 | 70 | 68 | 65 | 62 | 58 | 55 | 56 | 62 | 66 | 68 | 69 | 64 |
Average ultraviolet index | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 9 |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology |
Gold Coast Economy
In just 50 years, the Gold Coast has grown from a small holiday spot to Australia's sixth-largest city. It's one of the fastest-growing big cities in Australia. The city's economy has grown a lot, with its Gross Regional Product increasing by 61% between 2001 and 2008.
Tourism is still very important to the Gold Coast's economy. Almost 10 million visitors come to the area each year. This includes international tourists, domestic visitors, and day-trippers. Tourism is the city's biggest industry, bringing in over $4.4 billion each year and creating one out of every four jobs.
The Gold Coast has about 65,000 hotel beds, 60 kilometers (37 miles) of beaches, 600 kilometers (370 miles) of canals, and 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of nature reserves. It also has 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses, and five major theme parks.
The city's economy has also become more diverse. Key industries now include marine, education, information technology, food, arts, environment, and sports. These industries are important for the city's future growth. The Gold Coast's unemployment rate is lower than the national average.
Tourism and Attractions

The Gold Coast is Queensland's most popular tourist spot and Australia's fifth most visited by international tourists. Gold Coast Airport connects the city to other parts of Australia and to international destinations like New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore. Brisbane Airport is also less than an hour away.

The city offers many places to stay, from hostels to five-star resorts. Popular attractions include surf beaches and theme parks like Dreamworld, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild Water World, Warner Bros. Movie World, WhiteWater World, Topgolf, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, and Australian Outback Spectacular.

The Q1 building is a famous landmark. When it opened in 2005, it was the world's tallest residential tower. Its observation deck on level 77 is the highest in Queensland, offering amazing views from Brisbane to Byron Bay. The Q1 is 322.5 meters (1,058 feet) tall, making it the tallest building in Australia.
Another unique attraction is the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids. Started in 1965, these women put coins into expired parking meters to help drivers avoid tickets. They also leave a special calling card. The Meter Maids are still a fun part of Surfers Paradise culture today. Chinatown, Gold Coast in Southport is also becoming a key part of the city's center.
Film Production
The Gold Coast is a major center for film production in Queensland. Since the 1990s, it has been the filming location for 75% of all films made in Queensland. It is Australia's third-largest film production center, after Sydney and Melbourne.
Many major movies have been filmed here, including Muriel's Wedding (1994), Scooby-Doo (2002), Superman Returns (2006), San Andreas (2015), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and Aquaman (2018).
Village Roadshow Studios are located next to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park. These studios have eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, and more. With over 10,844 square meters (116,720 sq ft) of floor area, they are one of the largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere. The Queensland Government supports the film industry here.
Gold Coast Culture
The Gold Coast's culture has been shaped by its fast growth and focus on "sun, sand, and surf." However, there's also a strong local identity among residents. The Gold Coast hosts many cultural activities for both tourists and locals.
Music and Arts
Music groups from this region include the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra. Famous musicians like Cody Simpson and Ricki-Lee Coulter are from the Gold Coast. Music events include the Blues on Broadbeach Festival.
Home of the Arts (HOTA) is the Gold Coast's main cultural center. It has a performance theater, two cinemas, and an underground venue. The theater has hosted performances by famous ballet companies. Musicals, plays, and other shows are regularly held here. The city also has the Gold Coast City Art Gallery. Film festivals and comedy clubs also feature international artists. A redeveloped cultural area opened before the city hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Gold Coast Sports

The two most popular sports on the Gold Coast are Australian rules football and rugby league. The city has professional teams in both national competitions:
Team name | Competition | Sport | Years |
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Gold Coast Titans | National Rugby League | Rugby league football | 2007–present |
Gold Coast Suns | Australian Football League | Australian rules football | 2011–present |
The Burleigh Bears rugby league club plays in the Queensland Cup and has won four championships.
Many people on the Gold Coast enjoy recreational activities like surfing, fishing, cycling, boating, and golf. The area has many golf links, including Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove.
Sports facilities include Carrara Stadium, Carrara Indoor Sport Centre, and the Sports Super Centre. Newer facilities like the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre and Robina Stadium also host major sports events.
Famous athletes from the Gold Coast include Olympic gold medal swimmer Grant Hackett, tennis champion Samantha Stosur, and Olympic hurdler Sally Pearson.
Commonwealth Games
The Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a big international sports event for countries in the Commonwealth. It took place from April 4 to 15, 2018. This was the fifth time Australia hosted the Games. For the first time, this event had an equal number of events for male and female athletes. More than 4,400 athletes from 71 countries competed.
Many venues across the Gold Coast were used for the Games, including Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, and Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Gold Coast will be one of three main areas for the 2032 Summer Olympics and 2032 Summer Paralympics in Brisbane. Seven venues on the Gold Coast will host nine Olympic and six Paralympic sports. For example, the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre will host preliminary volleyball, powerlifting, and sitting volleyball. Robina Stadium will host preliminary football matches.
Other Events
The Gold Coast 500 is a car racing event held every October. It takes place on the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit through the streets of Surfers Paradise and Main Beach. This event used to be for IndyCar races, but now features V8 Supercars on a shorter track.
Every June, Coolangatta hosts Cooly Rocks On, a two-week festival celebrating the 1950s and 1960s. It features free entertainment, hot rods, classic cars, and revival bands. In July, over 25,000 people from around the world come to the Gold Coast for the Gold Coast Marathon. This is the city's largest annual community sports event.
In August, Currumbin hosts the Challenge Gold Coast triathlon. This event includes a swim in the Currumbin River, a bike ride through the hinterland valleys, and a run along the beach.
From late November to early December, thousands of high school leavers come to the Gold Coast for Schoolies week. This is a two-week period of celebration and parties in Surfers Paradise. The Queensland Police Service and local volunteers work hard to make sure all school leavers have a safe and fun time.
Early each year, the Gold Coast hosts a leg of the ASP World Tour surfing competition, where some of the world's best surfers compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Coolangatta.
The Arts Centre Gold Coast in Evandale has an art gallery with local and international works. It also has a theater for live shows and two cinemas showing independent films. Chinatown, Gold Coast in Southport hosts the annual Lunar New Year festival and other monthly events.
Media in the Gold Coast
Print Media
The main local newspaper is the Gold Coast Bulletin. National surfing magazine Australia's Surfing Life is also published in Burleigh Heads. Major newspapers from Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, as well as national publications, are available for purchase on the Gold Coast.
Television
The Gold Coast receives television channels from both Brisbane (metropolitan) and Northern NSW (regional). This means you can watch channels like Seven, Nine, and 10 from Brisbane, as well as their regional partners. The ABC and SBS are also available.
Nine Gold Coast News produces a local news bulletin at 5:30pm on weekdays from its studios in Surfers Paradise. Seven News also had a local bulletin until late 2024, but still has a newsroom here. NBN airs a regional news program that includes local updates for the Gold Coast.
Radio
The Gold Coast has many commercial, ABC, and community radio stations. Local FM commercial stations include 92.5 Triple M, 90.9 Sea FM, and Hot Tomato. ABC Gold Coast is the local ABC station, and national ABC radio services are also available. You can also easily receive Brisbane and Northern NSW radio stations.
Education in the Gold Coast

Colleges and Universities
The Gold Coast is home to two major university campuses: Bond University in Robina and Griffith University in Southport. Southern Cross University also has a smaller campus near the Gold Coast Airport. TAFE Queensland has five campuses across the city.
Schools and Libraries
There are over 100 primary and secondary schools on the Gold Coast, including public and private schools. The oldest public school is Southport State High School, which opened in 1916. The Gold Coast also has several libraries.
Gold Coast Infrastructure
Utilities
Electricity Electricity for the Gold Coast comes from the National Electricity Market. Energex distributes and sells electricity, natural gas, and other services to homes and businesses in South-East Queensland.
Water Supply The Hinze Dam, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of Nerang, is the main source of water for the Gold Coast. The Little Nerang Dam also helps supply water. Both are managed by Gold Coast Water. The Gold Coast can also get water from Wivenhoe Dam near Brisbane, especially for northern suburbs when Hinze Dam levels are low.
To help with water shortages, some new residential areas on the Gold Coast have a dual water system. This provides highly treated recycled water for uses like gardening, in addition to drinking water. The Gold Coast has been recognized globally for this system in its Pimpama-Coomera suburbs. Gold Coast Water can also supply up to 133 megaliters of desalinated water per day.
Transport
Cars are the most common way to get around the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using them for work. The city has a large network of main roads connecting coastal and inland suburbs. Recently, local and state governments have invested in transport to reduce traffic. The Gold Coast also has a good public transport system with buses, heavy rail, and light rail.
Roads
Several major roads connect the Gold Coast to Brisbane, New South Wales, and nearby areas. The Pacific Motorway (M1) is the main highway. It runs through the inland Gold Coast and connects to the Pacific Highway at the NSW border. The Gold Coast Highway serves the coastal suburbs like Surfers Paradise and Southport. Other important roads include Smith Street Motorway, Reedy Creek Road, and Nerang–Broadbeach Road.
Light Rail
The Gold Coast's light rail service is called G:link. It's a 20-kilometer (12-mile) line between Helensvale and Broadbeach, connecting key areas like Southport and Surfers Paradise. The G:link opened in 2014 and was extended to Helensvale in 2017 for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Heavy Rail
Queensland Rail operates a train service from Brisbane to the Gold Coast along the Gold Coast railway line. This line passes through stations like Ormeau, Coomera, Helensvale, Nerang, and Robina, ending at Varsity Lakes. There are plans to extend the line to the Gold Coast Airport.
Buses

Kinetic Group (formerly Surfside Buslines) runs all public bus services in the city. These services are part of the Translink network, which manages public transport in South East Queensland. Buses run frequently, sometimes every 5 minutes, on over 70 lines covering the whole city.
Airports
The main international airport, Gold Coast Airport, is in Coolangatta, about 22 kilometers (14 miles) south of Surfers Paradise. It has flights to major Australian cities and international destinations like New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore. In 2019, it was Australia's sixth busiest airport. Smaller private airfields are also located in Coombabah and Norwell for flight training and private planes.
Future Projects
- Stage 3 of the G:link Light Rail system to Burleigh Heads is being built and should open in 2025. Planning for Stage 4 is also underway, aiming to open before the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
- The existing heavy rail Gold Coast line will be extended to Coolangatta.
- Upgrades are planned for the Pacific Motorway M1.
Real Estate
The Gold Coast's real estate market is very active in Australia. It offers luxury coastal homes, new residential areas, and investment chances. Property values have grown a lot recently for both houses and units. People are drawn to the market because of the lifestyle, its closeness to Brisbane, and ongoing improvements to the city's infrastructure.
Notable People
- Megan Anderson, MMA fighter
- Mackenzie Arnold, football goalkeeper for the Australia national team
- Jack Beeton, racing driver
- Harley Cameron, professional wrestler
- Aisha Dee, actress and singer
- Jack Doohan, racing driver and son of Mick Doohan
- Mick Doohan, five-time 500 cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion
- Mick Fanning, surfer
- Broc Feeney, racing driver
- Zane Goddard, racing driver
- Lochie Hughes, racing driver
- Luke Mitchell, actor and model
- Lyndon Dykes, soccer player
- Sophie Monk, television personality and singer
- Nash Morris, racing driver
- Joel Parkinson, surfer
- Margot Robbie, actress
- Aiysha Saagar, pop singer
- Amy Shark, singer-songwriter and producer
- Cody Simpson, swimmer and singer
- Jack Smith, racing driver
- Toni Storm, professional wrestler
- Anna Torv, actress
- Jessica Watson, sailor
See also
In Spanish: Gold Coast (Australia) para niños