Pimpama, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pimpama Gold Coast, Queensland
Pimpama Location in Queensland
Population	24,601 (2021 census)
• Density	594.2/km2 (1,539/sq mi)
Established	1860
Postcode(s)	4209
Area	41.4 km2 (16.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	29.5 km (18 mi) NNW of Surfers Paradise 50.9 km (32 mi) SSE of Brisbane
LGA(s)	City of Gold Coast
State electorate(s)	Coomera
Federal Division(s)	Fadden
Suburbs around Pimpama: Ormeau Hills Ormeau Norwell Jacobs Well Kingsholme Pimpama Southern Moreton Bay Islands Willow Vale Upper Coomera Coomera

Pimpama is a suburb located in the northern part of the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Its name comes from an Aboriginal language. Pimpama is home to many schools, with the first one opening way back in the 1870s.

This area started as a small farming community around the 1860s. It was once a stop for the famous Cobb and Co coach services. Pimpama was also where Queensland's very first sawmill was built. Growing a plant called arrowroot became popular here from the 1880s. By 1908, the arrowroot grown in this region supplied the whole country! More recently, Pimpama has seen a lot of new houses built. This is because there's plenty of land and it's close to the main motorway.

In the 2021 census, Pimpama had a population of 24,601 people.

Exploring Pimpama's Location

The Pimpama River, 2014

Pimpama is found right next to the Pacific Motorway. It's about 29.5 kilometres (18.3 miles) north of Surfers Paradise. Pimpama is special because it's the last rural-style town you'll see on the Pacific Motorway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. It still has a lot of open, undeveloped land. Because of new buildings, Pimpama's population has grown very quickly, increasing by 92% recently!

The Pimpama River forms the northern edge of the suburb. This river flows from the Darlington Range at Kingsholme all the way down to Moreton Bay. Another waterway, Hotham Creek, also runs through Pimpama and joins the Pimpama River in the north-east.

A Look Back at Pimpama's History

Pimpama State School in 1878

An arrowroot field in Pimpama, 1897

Pimpama in the 1800s

The land where Pimpama is today was originally home to the Yugembah Aboriginal people. Their language, Yugembah, was spoken across areas including the Gold Coast and Logan. The name Pimpama is thought to come from their language, meaning "place of soldier (mickey) birds."

In the 1850s, a large area of land, including Pimpama, was leased for farming. A small settlement started near the Pimpama River around 1860. However, people soon moved to Hotham Creek instead. In 1870, land was opened up for people to choose and buy, which helped the Pimpama township grow. Many Irish settlers came to farm here.

In the 1860s, farmers tried growing cotton and then sugar. The first sawmill in South East Queensland was built in Pimpama in 1863.

From about 1868, Pimpama was the end point for Cobb & Co coach services coming from Brisbane. This led to two hotels being built, though they are not there today.

Farmers in Pimpama also started growing arrowroot in the late 1860s. The Lahey family, who moved to Pimpama in 1870, grew arrowroot on a large scale. They even invented a new way to process it, which changed how arrowroot was made. The area's climate and water were perfect for growing arrowroot. By 1884, it was widely grown in Pimpama and nearby Coomera.

Pimpama State School first opened its doors on 15 April 1872.

Laurel Hill Farmhouse, a timber house, was built in 1883-84 for William Doherty, a successful arrowroot farmer. This house was considered one of the best in the area. William Doherty also had his own arrowroot factory.

On 24 January 1889, the old South Coast railway line opened. Pimpama had its own station, Pimpama railway station. This railway line and station closed on 30 June 1964.

Pimpama in the 1900s

By 1908, farms in Pimpama and nearby areas were growing almost all the arrowroot used in Australia. The Doherty family were among the biggest arrowroot growers. Their Willowvale arrowroot mill kept working until the mid-1930s.

The Doherty family were important members of the local community. William Doherty was involved in the Pimpama School of Arts and was a local councillor. His son Thomas later became the chairman of the Coomera Shire.

From the 1930s, many farms in Pimpama started dairy farming. More recently, these farms have been used for raising cattle.

Pimpama in the 2000s

Many new schools have opened in Pimpama in the 21st century:

• Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School opened on 23 January 2006.
• Pimpama State Secondary College opened on 1 January 2013.
• Pimpama State Primary College opened on 1 January 2015.
• King's Christian College opened a campus in Pimpama in 2015.

A Woolworths supermarket opened on 5 July 2014. The Pimpama City Shopping Centre opened in September 2018. It has big stores like Aldi and Coles, plus over 60 smaller shops.

Pimpama's Population Growth

In the 2016 census, Pimpama had a population of 9,396 people. By the 2021 census, this number had grown to 24,601. Pimpama is currently one of the fastest-growing suburbs in Australia outside of the capital cities!

Places of Historical Interest

Pimpama has several sites that are listed for their historical importance:

• The Pimpama & Ormeau War Memorial at 246 Creek Street.
• The former Pimpama Rifle Range at 193 Rifle Range Road.
• Laurel Hill Farmhouse on Ruffles Road in Willow Vale (this farmhouse was historically part of Pimpama).

Planning for Pimpama's Future

Before 2010, most people in Pimpama lived in the Canowindra estate in the north. This area, started in the 1980s, was almost like its own small suburb. The main Pimpama township was just a general store and a few homes.

However, big plans for urban development began in the early 2000s. In 1995, the City of Gold Coast Council and the Queensland Government worked together on a study called "The Coomera Charrette Planning Study." This study aimed to create a new urban area in northern Gold Coast, with a new city centre at Coomera.

The Charrette study brought together many different people. This included local residents, landowners, developers, and government officials. They worked together to create plans for the area. This process showed that the Pimpama district would soon have large areas re-zoned for new buildings. Because of this, many properties were bought by land developers.

Major construction started in Coomera first. In Pimpama, building activity had to wait for environmental studies and the construction of the Pimpama Waste Water Treatment Plant, which began in 2006. Once the first stage of this plant was finished in 2008, a lot of new housing developments began.

Ormeau railway station is the closest train station to Pimpama

Fun Things to Do in Pimpama

Pimpama has a few interesting places to visit:

• The Strawberry Farm is a working farm where you can see animals and visit a kiosk.
• The Le Mans complex has Australia's only Zorb course, where you roll down a hill inside a giant inflatable ball. It also has a go-kart track for racing.
• Gainsborough Greens is a golf course located in the suburb.

Learning in Pimpama

Pimpama has several schools for different age groups:

• Pimpama State School is a primary school (Prep-Year 6) located at 9 Hotham Creek Road North. It also has a special education program.
• Pimpama State Primary College is another primary school (Prep-Year 6) on Cunningham Drive North. It also offers a special education program.
• Ormeau State School is a government primary school (Prep-Year 6) at 29 Mirambeena Drive, located in the Canowindra estate. It includes a special education program.
• King's Christian College is a private school (Pre-Prep-Year 9) with a campus at 198 Pimpama-Jacobs Well Road. It is one of three campuses for the college.
• Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School is a private school (Prep-Year 12) for both primary and secondary students. It is located at 68 Mirambeena Drive.
• Pimpama State Secondary College is a government high school (Year 7-12) on Dixon Drive. It also has a special education program.
• Gainsborough Primary School is a primary school (Prep-Year 6) that opened in 2021. It is located on the corner of Yawalpah Road and Gawthern Drive.

Getting Around Pimpama

Pimpama is served by the Queensland Rail City network through Ormeau railway station, which is in the Canowindra area. The suburb is also divided by the M1 Motorway, making it easy to drive through. There are plans to build an additional train station in Pimpama as part of the Cross River Rail project.

Local Services

The Gold Coast City Council offers a mobile library service that visits Pimpama every two weeks. It stops at Pimpama State School on Hotham Creek Road and Lords School on Mirambeena Drive.

Images for kids

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  The Pimpama River, 2014

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  Pimpama State School in 1878

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  An arrowroot field in Pimpama, 1897

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  Ormeau railway station, the closest train station to Pimpama

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  Ormeau State School, 2014