Gold Coast, Queensland

This article is about the coastal city in Australia. For the local government area, see City of Gold Coast.

Gold Coast
Queensland
Q1 and the Gold Coast skyline
Broadbeach
Isle of Capri Canals
Light Rail on Surfers Paradise Boulevard
Chevron Renaissance
Home of the Arts
Roxy Theatre at Warner Bros. Movie World
Gold Coast is located in Queensland
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Coordinates28°01′0″S 153°24′0″E / 28.01667°S 153.40000°E / -28.01667; 153.40000
Population640,778 (2021)[1][2] (6th)
 • Density972/km2 (2,520/sq mi)
Established1865 (1865)
Area414.3 km2 (160.0 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location66 km (41 mi) SSE of Brisbane[3]
LGA(s)City of Gold Coast
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
25.4 °C
78 °F		 17.3 °C
63 °F		 1,252.9 mm
49.3 in

The Gold Coast, also known by its initials, GC, is a coastal city and region in the state of Queensland, Australia, located approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital, Brisbane. It is Queensland's second-largest city after Brisbane, as well as Australia's sixth-largest city and the most populous non-capital city.[4] The city's central business district is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport.[5] The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast, sprawling almost 60 kilometres, joining up with the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region to the north and to the state border with New South Wales to the south.[6] Nicknames of the city include the ‘Glitter Strip’ and the ‘Goldy’. The demonym of a Gold Coast resident is Gold Coaster.

The area that became the Gold Coast was originally inhabited by the indigenous Yugambeh people. The city grew from a collection of small townships, the earliest being Nerang in 1865. From the 1920s onwards, tourism led to significant economic growth in the region, and by 1959 the Gold Coast was declared a city, with its first skyscraper being built in 1960. The Gold Coast boomed from the 1980s onwards with skyscraper construction. This era was defined by the city's ‘white-shoe brigade' developers, neon lights, and organised crime, particularly the yakuza and the Russian mafia.[7] The late 20th century saw the city's tourism diversify with theme park openings, and in the early 21st century became an international destination for film production.

The Gold Coast has a diverse economy with strengths in health, tourism, arts and culture, and construction, with a GDP of AU$45.3 billion as of 2023.[8] The city ranks highly as one of the country's cultural and creative hotspots,[9] alongside content creators,[10] a growing video games industry,[11] and leads Australia in startups per capita.[12] The Gold Coast is central to the nation's entertainment industry with a major film and television production industry, leading to the city's metonym of Goldywood.[13][14] The Gold Coast is also host of the AACTA Awards and the Gold Coast Film Festival.

The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with a sunny, subtropical climate and has become widely known for its surfing beaches (such as Surfers Paradise), high-rise dominated skyline, theme parks, nightlife, and rainforest hinterland.

  1. ^ "Gold Coast". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  2. ^ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017–18: Population Estimates by Significant Urban Area, 2008 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Great Circle Distance between Gold Coast and Brisbane". Geoscience Australia. March 2004. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016.
  4. ^ "2021 Gold Coast, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". abs.gov.au. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Southport priority development area". www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Ormeau to Coolangatta". Ormeau to Coolangatta. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  7. ^ Schloenhardt, Andreas (2009). PALERMO IN THE PACIFIC: ORGANISED CRIME OFFENCES IN THE ASIA PACIFIC (PDF). The University of Queensland TC Beirne School of Law The University of British Columbia Centre of International Relations. p. REGION 6 Australia 6.1 Introduction 6.1.1 Organised crime in Australia: A snapshot Page 82. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Gold Coast City | Gold Coast | economy.id". .idcommunity. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Gold Coast shines as creative hotspot for national QUT study". Scimex. 13 June 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  10. ^ "More than a mini Hollywood: Indie Gold Coast film productions on the rise". Business News Australia. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Games biz moving to Coast, dozens of jobs to be created". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Gold Coast leads Australia in founders per capita". Business News Australia. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Up in Lights: Why the Gold Coast remains Australia's Blockbuster Capital". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Forget Hollywood, hello Goldywood: City's film explosion". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 13 December 2023.