Tweed Heads, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tweed HeadsNew South Wales |
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  From top: Twin Towns Clubs & Resorts, Tweed Heads Marina
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 Tweed Heads
Location in New South Wales
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| Established | 1844 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2485, 2486, 2487, 2488 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) | ||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Tweed Shire | ||||||||
| Region | Northern Rivers | ||||||||
| County | Rous | ||||||||
| Parish | Terranora | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Tweed | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Richmond | ||||||||
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Tweed Heads is a city on the coast of New South Wales, Australia. It sits right where the Tweed River meets the ocean. This city is the most northern town in New South Wales. It is part of the Tweed Shire area.
Tweed Heads is about 830 kilometers (516 miles) north of Sydney. It is also 103 kilometers (64 miles) south of Brisbane. The city is very close to the border with Queensland. It is right next to its "twin town," Coolangatta, which is part of the Gold Coast.
Contents
History of Tweed Heads
Early European Discoveries
In 1823, John Oxley was the first European to see the beautiful Tweed Valley. He wrote about how amazing it looked. He described it as a "deep rich valley" with "magnificent trees." He also mentioned the river, which looked like "small lakes." In the background, he saw Mt. Warning. He said the view was "beautiful beyond description."
Growth and Development
Timber cutters were the first to settle in the Tweed Valley in 1844. They came to cut down the valuable trees. After the trees were cleared, farmers moved in. They started growing bananas and sugar cane. Dairy farming also became very important. A fishing industry grew in the area too. The first school in Tweed Heads opened its doors in 1871.
The Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club started on September 13, 1911. This club helps keep swimmers safe at the beach. The Tweed Shire, which includes the town of Murwillumbah, was officially created in 1947.
Tweed Heads was even featured in a movie! It was the setting for the fictional town of Porpoise Spit in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, special barriers were put up in Tweed streets. These checkpoints helped control travel into Queensland.
Areas of Tweed Heads
The city of Tweed Heads spreads out along the coast. It goes south to Hastings Point. It also extends west along Terranora Creek. This area includes places like Bilambil Heights and Terranora. Some of the main areas within Tweed Heads are:
- Banora Point
- Kingscliff
- Tweed Heads
- Tweed Heads South
- Tweed Heads West
Getting Around Tweed Heads
Past Rail Connections
Tweed Heads used to have a train connection to Brisbane. The South Coast line opened in 1903. People hoped that New South Wales would extend its own railway line to Tweed Heads. However, this did not happen because it was too expensive. The train line to Brisbane closed in 1961. The old train station area is now a park and has other buildings.
Roads and Highways
The Pacific Motorway cuts through the city. This is a major highway that makes travel easy. Tweed Heads is also where the Gold Coast Highway ends. This highway connects Tweed Heads to the Gold Coast. Main local roads like Minjungbal Drive and Wharf Street were once part of the Pacific Highway.
Air Travel
Tweed Heads is served by the Gold Coast Airport. This airport is special because it sits right on the border between New South Wales and Queensland! Part of it is even in Tweed Heads West.
Public Transport Options
Buses are the main way to get around Tweed Heads. Kinetic Group runs most of these services for Transport for NSW. These buses connect the city to nearby areas like Murwillumbah. You can also catch Translink buses from Tweed Heads. These buses can take you to the Gold Coast railway line or the G:link tram system. Long-distance coaches also connect Tweed Heads to major cities like Brisbane and Sydney.
Fun Things to Do in Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads is a popular place for tourists. It shares its economy with Coolangatta, focusing a lot on visitors.
One of the most famous places to visit is Mount Warning. This mountain is one of the biggest shield volcanoes in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a truly amazing natural wonder. Nearby, you can find national parks like Nightcap, Border Ranges, Springbrook, and Lamington National Park. These parks are full of amazing plants and animals that live in warm, wet climates.
Schools in Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads has several schools for young people:
- Banora Point Primary School
- Centaur Primary School
- St James Primary School
- Banora Point High School
- St Joseph's College
People of Tweed Heads
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1954 | 2,467 | — |
| 1961 | 3,291 | +33.4% |
| 1966 | 3,829 | +16.3% |
| 1971 | 5,120 | +33.7% |
| 1976 | 13,190 | +157.6% |
| 1981 | 21,869 | +65.8% |
| 1986 | 19,615 | −10.3% |
| 1991 | 22,981 | +17.2% |
| 1996 | 37,775 | +64.4% |
| 2001 | 44,655 | +18.2% |
| 2006 | 51,788 | +16.0% |
| 2011 | 55,553 | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 59,776 | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 63,721 | +6.6% |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data. | ||
In the 2021 census, the Tweed Heads urban area had 63,721 people. The suburb of Tweed Heads itself had 8,176 people. Slightly more than half were female (52.9%). About 3.0% of the population were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The average age of people in Tweed Heads was 55 years old. This is 17 years older than the average age for all of Australia. Because of this, Tweed Heads is a popular place for retirement. There are 14 retirement villages in the area.
Most people (70.9%) in Tweed Heads were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces include England (5.0%), New Zealand (3.7%), Brazil (2.3%), and the Philippines (1.0%). Most people (83.8%) spoke only English at home. When it came to religion, many people said they had no religion (37.9%). Others were Catholic (22.1%) or Anglican (15.3%).
- Tweed Heads
- Tweed Heads South
- Kingscliff – Fingal Head
- Pottsville
Sports and Recreation in Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads has many sports teams. Because it's so close to the Gold Coast, its teams often play in Queensland competitions. The area helps train players for big teams like the Gold Coast Titans (rugby league) and the Gold Coast Suns (Australian rules football).
Some local sports clubs include:
- Tweed United (soccer)
- Coolangatta Tweed Barbarians (rugby union)
- Northern Rivers Baseball Club
- Tweed Hockey Club
- Tweed Netball Association
- Tweed Heads Bowls Club
- Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club
- Dbah Boardriders (surfing)
- Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club
Rugby League History
Tweed Heads was once home to professional rugby league teams. The Gold Coast-Tweed Giants started in 1988. They played at the Tweed Heads Seagulls' home ground. By 1990, the local Seagulls club took over the team. They renamed it the Gold Coast Seagulls. A famous player named Wally Lewis even joined the team in 1990! After a few years, the team moved to the Gold Coast.
The Seagulls rugby league team returned to local competitions in 1996. They joined the Queensland Cup in 2003. Australian rules football also came to the area in 1962. The Coolangatta Tweed Heads Australian Football Club was formed.
Famous People from Tweed Heads
Many notable people have lived in or come from Tweed Heads. Here are a few:
- Wayne Bartholomew, a world champion surfer
- Mick Fanning, another world champion surfer
- Stephanie Gilmore, a world champion surfer
- Joel Parkinson, also a world champion surfer
- Mark Occhilupo, a world champion surfer
- Sam Gilbert, an Australian rules footballer
- Ryan James, a rugby league footballer
- Samantha Harris, a fashion model
- James Roberts, an Australian Olympic swimmer
See also
In Spanish: Tweed Heads para niños
