Lower Beechmont, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lower BeechmontQueensland |
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 Lower Beechmont
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 1,067 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 64.67/km2 (167.5/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4211 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 16.5 km2 (6.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | City of Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mudgeeraba | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wright | ||||||||||||||
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Lower Beechmont is a small community located in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It's nestled in the beautiful Gold Coast hinterland, which means it's in the hills behind the famous beaches. In 2021, about 1,067 people called Lower Beechmont home.
Contents
Exploring Lower Beechmont's Geography
Lower Beechmont sits on the northern edge of the Lamington Plateau. This area was formed by ancient lava flows from a huge shield volcano called the Tweed Volcano. A big ridge, the Beechmont Range, runs through the area. It was shaped by the Nerang and Coomera Rivers. This ridge separates the northern and southern parts of the Gold Coast hinterland.
Most houses in Lower Beechmont are built along Beechmont Road. This road follows the ridge, offering amazing views. There isn't much building on the steep mountain sides. The area is surrounded by the Canungra Military Area to the west. To the south-east, you'll find the Advancetown Lake catchment reserve. The Lower Beechmont Conservation Area is to the north.
Originally, Lower Beechmont was a farming area. But as the Gold Coast grew, it became a "dormitory town." This means many people live here and travel to work in the city. Local rules keep the housing spread out. This helps protect the beautiful bushland that forms the city's green backdrop.
The First People of Lower Beechmont
Lower Beechmont is part of the Yugambeh language region. This area stretches from the Logan River down to the Tweed River. The Yugambeh people are the traditional owners of this land. They have lived here for over 24,000 years!
It's believed that the Wanggeriburra clan lived here at least 6,500 years before Europeans arrived. The Wanggeriburra are one of many Yugambeh family groups. Their traditional lands included the Lamington Plateau, Beechmont, and nearby areas. Along with the Kombumerri clan, they often traveled across the Beechmont Range mountains. They moved between the coast and inland areas.
A Look at Lower Beechmont's History
British settlers started arriving in the Lower Beechmont area around 1860. They came looking for valuable rainforest trees like red cedar and white beech. The first people to settle permanently arrived in 1889. They started dairy farms and grew bananas.
Mr. Armitage was an early settler in the 1860s. Armitage Creek is named after him. Ernest Bellis also lived here for a long time. In the 1860s, he worked with oxen to move timber to a sawmill. Bellis Creek is named after him.
Education in Early Lower Beechmont
Lower Beechmont State School opened on October 6, 1922. The school struggled with low student numbers and closed a few times in the 1920s and 1930s. It kept operating until 1967, when it finally closed for good. The school was located near the intersection of Beechmont Road and Lower Beechmont School Road.
Local Landmarks and Development
Thomas (Tommy) Joseph Tarlington owned a large property of 640 acres in the 1930s. This property was later sold but kept the Tarlington name. A part of Beechmont Road, where it goes down from the plateau, was named Tarlington Pinches. This section of the road is still known for being narrow and tricky.
During the building of Beechmont Road in 1931, two workers, Laurie Hinde and Frankie Berg, planted a little bottle tree. They dug a hole in the rock and filled it with soil for the tree. This tree became a famous landmark for travelers for many years. It sadly died in 2014, but a new bottle tree was planted in the same spot by a local resident.
Daily mail service started in September 1947. A telephone office opened in March 1949. Even though the local council asked for it as early as 1948, electricity didn't arrive until 1961. By the late 1960s, farming in the area had greatly decreased. People started building homes in the early 1980s, and now most of the land is used for houses.
Who Lives in Lower Beechmont?
In 2016, Lower Beechmont had 1,046 people. About half were female and half were male. The average age was 42 years old, which is a bit older than the national average. Children aged 0 to 14 made up 17.4% of the population. People aged 65 and over made up 14.9%.
Most people (69%) living in Lower Beechmont were born in Australia. Other countries of birth included England (8.2%), New Zealand (6.4%), and South Africa (1.4%). Most people (91%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included German, Afrikaans, Italian, Slovak, and Japanese.
In 2021, the population of Lower Beechmont grew slightly to 1,067 people.
Places to See and Things to Do
Syd Duncan Park
Syd Duncan Park is a big, open green space. It's located on the southern side of a hill above Beechmont Road. From the park, you can see amazing views of the Numinbah Valley and Advancetown Lake. You can also see across to Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valleys.
The park is named after Mr. Syd Duncan. He used to have a dairy farm here and gave the land to the council for a community park. The community helped Mr. Duncan a lot after he lost everything in a house fire in 1950.
Syd Duncan Park has a cool nature play space built by the community. It includes a dry creek bed, wooden structures for climbing and imaginative play, and a slide built into a hill. There's also a basketball court.
Lower Beechmont Conservation Area
The Lower Beechmont Conservation Area is one of the largest protected areas managed by the Gold Coast City Council. It covers a huge 775 hectares (about 1,915 acres). This area is an important part of the wildlife corridor that connects different natural spaces. It's a key link between Mount Tamborine and Springbrook.
This land was bought using money from a special fee paid by Gold Coast residents. It helps keep the city's green backdrop beautiful. Surveys have found 257 different animal species here. Twenty of these species are considered threatened by State or Commonwealth laws.
There's a lookout at the end of Freemans Road. From here, you can see across the city and out to the ocean. On clear days, you might even see Moreton Bay and the buildings of Brisbane far away!
Community Groups in Lower Beechmont
The Beechmountain branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) meets in Lower Beechmont. During the 2019 bushfires, this group worked non-stop. They provided 6,000 meals for hundreds of firefighters.
The Lower Beechmont Rural Fire Brigade was started in 1986. Its job is to protect the local community from bushfires. It's made up of local volunteer firefighters and is part of the Rural Fire Service Queensland.
