Coolangatta
Heritage Walk
Discover the history and
heritage of Coolangatta.
Point Danger, 1891
Image courtesy of John Oxley Library.
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
Coolangatta beach and
Marine Parade, 1935
Marine Parade,
Coolangatta, 1950
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
View of Coolangatta, 1970
Contents
Quintessential holiday resort
Coolangatta Heritage Walk full loop map
Shipwrecks and borders
- Named after a ‘perfect wreck’
Dividing the towns
Saving lives in Coolangatta since 1909
The iconic structures that represent the history of Surf Life
Saving in Coolangatta
- Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club
- Kirra Surf Life Saving Club
- The Kirra Shelter Shed
Honouring those who served and
remembering the fallen
- The Great War
- World War 2
Creating a destination
- A place to stay, a place to play
The making of a community
- Historic places of worship
- A school brought on by the flu!
- The CWA still stands
- Historic places for recreation
- A watering hole by any other name…
Aerial view over point danger
and Coolangatta, 2003
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
Quintessential holiday resort
The town of Coolangatta dates back to 1883 when the first land
surveys of town allotments took place. It is one of the earliest
settlements on the Gold Coast and a place whose history,
topography and beach culture set it apart from other places
on the Coast.
Named after the brigantine the Coolangatta which was wrecked off the beach at
Kirra, it became the twin town to Tweed Heads across the border in 1883.
Initially, development in Coolangatta was slow. The opening of the railway from Brisbane to
Coolangatta in 1903, however, brought with it crowds of people eager to visit the wide, safe
beaches on the back of a growing interest in surf bathing. Coolangatta officially became the place
to holiday with camping grounds and legendary guest houses like Greenmount, the Beach House
and Stella Maris providing not only accommodation but organised social events as well.
The formation of the Coolangatta Town Council in 1914 allowed for a local government
that was more focussed on the interests of the border town and this saw a recognition
of the burgeoning tourist market and the creation of policies to capitalise on this.
The arrival of Spanish Influenza in 1919 saw the closing of the Queensland/New South Wales border.
This prevented people freely crossing from one state to the other. As the bulk of local services
and facilities were in Tweed Heads, this was the catalyst for the rapid development of services
and facilities in Coolangatta. Hotels, shops, cafes, dance halls and theatres developed along
Griffith Street and Marine Parade to cater for a population that could not cross the border and, in
the early part of the twentieth century, could swell to around 30,000 during holiday periods.
During the Second World War, Coolangatta became a leave area for American service personnel.
The influence of the Americans on Coolangatta was overwhelming. The US Army commandeered
land and buildings where they established leave camps and brought with them new and exciting
cultural practices. American men bathed ‘topless’, hot dogs and french fries were introduced
and dancing the jitterbug to a big band saw the local community experience new freedoms.
1883 plan of the Town of Coolangatta.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Today, Coolangatta is the quintessential holiday resort town with a fascinating mix
of heritage buildings, landscapes and modern high rise all shaped in part by the
arrival of rail, the outbreak of influenza and the impact of American culture.
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APEX PARK
(SNAPPER ROCKS)
Coolangatta Heritage Walk Full Loop
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Places of interest
A. Kirra Beach Hotel (formerly
Lennons Kirra Hotel)
B. Rotary Memorial Clock
C. Ocean View Motel
D. Greenmount Beach Resort
E. US Navy Leave Area Camp
No.4 (picnic shelter)
F. St George’s Rest Home
G. Qld/NSW Border Marker
H. Country Women’s
Association building
I. Coolangatta Bowls Club
J. Goodwin Park War
Memorial and Gardens
K. Coolangatta Croquet Club
L. St Peter’s Church
M. Methodist Church Hall
N. The Sands Hotel (formerly
Kirrabelle Hotel)
O. Railway cutting – Chalk St
Gold Coast
Local Heritage
Register places
1. Site of the wreck of
the Coolangatta
2. Kirra Beach Pavilion
3. Kirra Shelter Shed
4. Coolangatta ANZAC Memorial
5. Wreck of the
Coolangatta Memorial
6. Tweed Heads & Coolangatta
Surf Life Saving Club
7. Coolangatta Norfolk pines
8. Remains of Jack Evans
Porpoise Pool
9. Captain Cook Memorial
and Lighthouse
10. Francis Edward Roberts
Commemorative Plaque
11. St Augustine’s Church
12. Jazzland Dance Hall (former)
13. Powell Brothers
Commemorative Trees
14. Coolangatta State &
Special School (former)
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Shipwrecks and borders
Named after a ‘perfect wreck’
The 88 tonne topsail schooner Coolangatta was built in a shipyard on the Shoalhaven River in 1843 by
John Blundell for landowner Alexander Berry and named after his country estate. The original spelling
of the schooner’s name was Coolongatta though this changed over time to become Coolangatta.
In July 1846, the Coolangatta left Brisbane to load 70,000 super feet of cedar at Tweed for southern
ports. Captain Andrew Steele was the master of the ship and along with the crew, there were two
passengers on board; prisoners George Craig and William George Lewis, en-route to Sydney
gaol. One month later, in August 1846, the Coolangatta would be wrecked on Kirra beach. 1
The Moreton Bay Courier reported the tragedy in an article in August 29th 1846:
In 1884 when the area was formally surveyed for town allotments, it was the convention
that the town surveyor, in this case Henry Schneider, supplied the town name. In light
of the nearby wreck, he thought that Coolangatta would be a fitting name for the creek
and the new township. And so the town of Coolangatta was officially named.
In March 1974, the wreck rose from the ocean bed and floated to shore following a cyclone.
It was broken in two – the large timber framework and the copper sheeted bow. Fragments
were collected by the Shire Council at this time. Nearby the wreck site is a Memorial to the
Coolangatta. There is also a fragment of the wreck on display in Queen Elizabeth Park. 5
The Coolangatta wreck is listed on the Australian National Shipwreck Database (ID
2347) and is protected under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.
“Loss of the schooner Coolongatta. It is with regret that we have to report the loss of this schooner
on Wednesday the 18th instant at Point Danger, near the mouth of the Tweed River. The Coolangatta
left this port on the 6th ultimo to load cedar in the tweed but in consequence of the small depth of
water at the bar she could not enter the river and was necessitated to anchor on the north side of
point danger, for the purpose of rafting the timber from the shore. On the evening of Tuesday week the
wind blew strong from the north east and subsequently veered round to the eastward with increasing
force until Wednesday morning when the schooner parted with both anchors and was driven ashore
high and dry. The captain was on shore rafting timber at the time of the gale commence and we
believe was unable to reach the ship in consequence of the boat having stove a few days previous.
The crew saved themselves by swimming through the surf at the imminent risk of their lives.
There were two prisoners on board, one of them, Craig, had been sentenced by the Brisbane
bench to an iron gang and the other named Lewis had been committed for a breach of the Hired
Servants Act. The former had his irons knocked off and was thus enabled to swim for his life.
The captain crew and prisoners reached the pilot station at Amity on Tuesday evening last having
walked from Point Danger along the beach. On Thursday evening Captain Steele and the crew
went aboard the Tamar and proceeded to Sydney. The two prisoners were brought to Brisbane
yesterday in the pilots boat and immediately delivered themselves up to the chief constable.
The schooner has only her lower masts standing and is expected shortly to become a perfect
wreck as there is a good deal of sand in her already. She had a nearly full cargo of cedar on
board at the time the disaster occurred. The natives behaved very kindly to the shipwrecked
men and provided them with fish every evening during their stay at Point Danger.”
Wreckage of a wooden vessel believed to be that of the Coolangatta
near the mouth of Coolangatta Creek, c1970s .
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
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Dividing the towns
In 1862, plans were made by the Colonial
Secretarys of Queensland and NSW to conduct a
joint survey of the first section of the Queensland/
New South Wales border – the watershed
section. Two surveyors were chosen for the
task, Francis Edward Roberts from Queensland
and Isaiah Rowland from NSW. The Queensland
Surveyor-General, A.C. Gregory stipulated that
Roberts and Rowland should take their own
measurements separately and in June 1863, the
two surveyors began their survey at Point Danger.
The survey was an arduous task in difficult
terrain and the surveyors depended on the
help and knowledge of Aboriginal people.
Such was the dependence on Aboriginal
people that Roberts employed them, paying
them wages at a time when Aboriginal people
were more often exploited. With their help,
the survey was completed by 1866.
Roberts and Rowland did not always survey
the same line and there are deviations
throughout the survey, however it was apparent
from the outset that Roberts’ survey defined
the border. This was accepted by both
Queensland and New South Wales though
there has yet been no formal agreement.
fence was to keep out the cattle tick which was
infesting Queensland cattle herds. A turnstile
which allowed people through was erected at
Coolangatta and by 1914, the turnstile was
replaced with an overbridge. This wide area
of separation between the towns became
particularly important during the Influenza
epidemic of 1919 when the border was closed to
aid in the prevention of the spread of the disease.
Initially, the border was marked with a fence
extending from Point Danger through the
twin towns with border gates for access
across the border and a customs house
established in the early 1870s to administer
cross border trade. Thomas Carrick was the
first New South Wales Customs officer.
In December 1948 a small monument to honour
the achievement of Queensland surveyor
Francis Edward Roberts was unveiled. 10
By the early 1970s a new border monument
had been established. It included
archways, gardens and a waterfall and was
popular with tourists as a unique photo
opportunity. It was dismantled in 1991.
In 1904, a double border fence was erected
and encompassed a buffer strip of land known
as ‘no man’s land’ that ran from Point Danger
to Cobaki Broadwater. The intention of the
1899
1907
1910
1919
1930
1930
1970
2001
In 1999, the Gold Coast City and Tweed
Shire Councils sought suggestions from
the community for a another memorial to
mark the border. The project was partly
supported by the Commonwealth Government
for Federation funding with the idea that
the monument would represent the rich
history associated with the border.
The proposal by Rodney Spooner, a Queensland
artist, was accepted. The marker was designed
in a contemporary style to reflect the past
and signal the future for two communities
working together. The design is symbolic of
an unobstructed doorway between the two
States and is located at the site of the early
fence and gates as a reminder of that historical
period. The border marker monument was
officially opened on 15 January 2001. G
Queensland/New South Wales border 1899 - 2013. Images courtesy
of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library and City of Gold Coast.
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Saving lives in Coolangatta since 1909
The iconic structures that represent the history of surf life
saving in Coolangatta
The development of surf life saving at Coolangatta
began with the State’s first recorded rescue in
1909 by a group of local, aspiring surf life savers.
Modelled on a group of New South Wales surf
life savers from Bondi, they were equipped with a
recently purchased demonstration reel, line and
belt. The report in a February 1909 edition of The
Queenslander tells of the gravity of the situation;
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“…four ladies ventured out beyond their depth.
(A) young man endeavoured to effect a rescue,
but was carried out. Fortunately there were others
in the vicinity who finally succeeded in getting the
whole party of five safely to shore, but the young
man and one of the ladies had almost expired…”
Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club
Two days after that first rescue, the Tweed
Heads Surf and Life Saving Club 6 was
formed. In 1911, the club was reformed to
become the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta
Surf Life Saving Club and has, since that time,
operated patrols on Greenmount Beach.
The first club house, a humble timber building,
was replaced in 1936 with a more elaborate
pavilion. One end of the building was leased to
the surf club. The current club house was built
over and around the existing pavilion building
in 1956 and has been altered over the years
to accommodate the needs of the club.
The club has always attracted large summer
crowds and was particularly popular during the
1950s when the famous Hokey Pokey, hosted by
Doug Roughton, was danced on the lawn by big
crowds and Sunday concerts were the norm.
The Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club c1936.
The Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club c1958.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
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Saving lives in Coolangatta since 1909
Kirra Surf Life Saving Club
The Kirra Shelter Shed
The Kirra Surf Life Saving Club 2 was formed
in 1916 following a tragic drowning.
in 1922 by a larger timber pavilion which
eventually boasted a roof top dance floor.
The Brisbane Courier reported the drowning
of Mr Robert Doran in January 1917: “He
had gone surfing at 6.30am with a friend, Mr
John George. Both were carried out by the
undercurrent and got into difficulties. Mr George
made an effort to save his companion, but
was unsuccessful, and only managed to save
himself by floating ashore on his back..”.
In 1935, construction began on the present
pavilion. It was opened by the Queensland
Governor in 1936 and newspaper reports
noted that “it would be hard to find a better
building of its class elsewhere on the coast of
Australia”. The building was designed in the
Tudor Revival style by architect John Beebe and
included a kiosk, changing facilities and public
conveniences, as well as rooms for the use of
the Kirra Surf Life Saving Club. Over time, the
building has been altered and additions made
to accommodate the needs of the surf club.
At a public meeting held at the Coolangatta
Town Hall the following day, a group of
residents decided to form the Kirra Life Saving
Club. The first club house, a simple shed,
was built in 1917 and replaced 5 years later
The Kirra Shelter Shed 3 has also been a fixture
on Kirra Beach for the better part of a century.
Early photographs of Kirra Beach show the
shelter in place by around 1910, although the
project to provide a public shelter is sometimes
reported as a joint initiative of the Coolangatta
Council and the Kirra Surf Life Saving Club.
Described in 1924 as a “very fine shelter
shed”, it has been a continuous part of the
Kirra Beach landscape since its construction
and has withstood a number of cyclones
during that time. In 2004, due to deterioration,
the shelter was reconstructed by Council.
Kirra Beach, c1910.
Kirra Shelter Shed, 2010.
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
Kirra Beach, c1930
showing the 1922
Kirra Surf Life
Saving Club house.
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
Kirra Beach
Pavilion, c1940s.
Image courtesy of City of Gold
Coast Local Studies Library.
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Honouring those who served and remembering the fallen
The Great War
St George’s F , a soldiers’ rest home, was
established on Marine Parade in 1917 by the
Soldiers’ Church of England Help Society. This
was greatly supported by the local community
and by 1922, it was reported that 4000
returned soldiers had enjoyed a rest at the
home with no charge. The “sole qualification
for admission was steadiness of conduct.”
The Brisbane Courier, 22 June 1922.
Commemoration and the establishment of
memorials to those who served and gave
their lives in World War 1 was a nation-wide
undertaking and Coolangatta, with its tight knit
community, was no exception. In Coolangatta,
the Methodist congregation erected a memorial
church M in 1924, dedicated to the Methodist
soldiers who gave their lives in the Great
War. This was the first church to be erected
in Coolangatta. It remains on its original site
and is now used by the church as a hall.
In 1953, the original timber rest home
was replaced with a more solid brick
building with extensions added in 1958
and 1961. It is an example of almost 100
years of strong community spirit and
commitment to those who serve.
Opening ceremony for the Coolangatta
Methodist Memorial Church, 1924.
Image courtesy of John Oxley Library.
In 1926, the well known Coolangatta ANZAC
memorial 4 was constructed in the centre
of the intersection of Griffith and McLean
Streets. The obelisk was a popular design all
over Australia. Here, it is carved with crossed
rifles, (suggested by some to symbolise the
soldier who had no further use of his weapon),
and the top of the obelisk is draped with a
funeral shroud. The memorial is the work of
monumental masonry firm A. L. Petrie and Son
of Brisbane and is indicative of many World
War 1 structures that were erected throughout
the state during and after the First World War.
As Coolangatta grew, development pressure
saw the memorial moved to Queen Elizabeth
Park in 1933. It has since been relocated
within the park a number of times.
St George’s holiday home, Marine Parade, Coolangatta, 2013.
The Anzac Memorial in its original
location at the intersection of Griffith and
McLean Street, Coolangatta, c1930.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
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Honouring those who served and remembering the fallen
World War 2
World War 2 brought with it a large presence
of US Army personnel in Coolangatta.
Rest and recreation camps were established
in prime locations and the remnants of
those can still be seen today in some of
the timber pavilions that dot the foreshore.
The stone clad picnic shelter in Pat Fagan
Park on Greenmount Hill is a remnant of the
U.S. Greenmount Hill Camp No. 4. E
Memorials to those who served in World War
2 were also constructed by the community to
honour local men and women. The Coolangatta
War Memorial in Goodwin Park J , officially
unveiled in 1948, was originally located at the
entrance to the Coolangatta Town Council
Chambers in Griffith Street. The granite and
sandstone monument, again the work of
A. L. Petrie, was moved to Goodwin Park
when the council building was demolished.
A matching clock B was installed a few
years later by the Rotary Club of CoolangattaTweed Heads to commemorate the Golden
Anniversary of the founding of Rotary 1905
– 1955. The clock was dedicated to the 508
local men and women of the twin towns
who served in the Second World War. This
memorial was also located at the entrance
of the Coolangatta Town Council Chambers.
It was later moved to its current location in
Queen Elizabeth Park and positioned in such
as way as to line up with its counterpart, the
Coolangatta War Memorial, in Goodwin Park.
Coolangatta War Memorial in its original
location in front of the Coolangatta
Town Council Chambers.
The Coolangatta Memorial Clock in its
original location in front of the Gold Coast
City Council Chambers, Coolangatta, 1979.
Greenmount Hill Camp No.
4 picnic shelter, 2012.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
1968 aerial view of Greenmount Hill. The picnic shelter can be seen on top of the hill.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Image courtesy of Deslie Dolan.
Family memorials to loved ones lost in the
war were also common. The Powell Brothers
trees 13 were planted along Garrick Street,
near the old Coolangatta school, in honour of
brothers John, Arthur, Ivan, Laurence and Lance
Powell of Coolangatta, all of whom served
in World War 2. Laurence and Lance both
lost their lives while serving during the war.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Powell brothers memorial trees,
Garrick Street, 2012.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
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Creating a destination
A place to stay, a place to play
When the trains O first began to arrive in
Coolangatta in 1903 they brought with them
people with a newly developed interest in surf
bathing. The train station was located in Griffith
Street and this provided a direct link for people from
Brisbane and Ipswich to easily access the glorious
beaches Coolangatta had to offer. Sometimes up
to 1000 people would come in a single day.
This early tourist market also sought affordable
accommodation and other recreation opportunities.
Coolangatta obliged and over time, the establishment
of renowned guest houses and motels, coupled
with tourist attractions, dance halls and hotels
saw Coolangatta regarded as the place to be.
Greenmount Guesthouse D was established in
1904 to cater for the early tourist market. A grand
sprawling building on the top of Greenmount Hill,
it was the first of many legendary guesthouses to
line Marine Parade. Stella Maris, St Leonards, and
the Beach House were some of the guesthouses
at their peak in the 1920s. While accommodation
was basic, the guesthouses were the social hubs
for holiday makers and competitions between
guesthouses were commonly played out on the
beaches to the delight of the large crowds.
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Beach House guesthouse 1920.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Looking towards Coolangatta as
the train approaches, c1912.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
The guesthouses overlooked Marine Parade
with clear views to the beach and, coupled
with beautification of the foreshore which
began in 1924 with the planting of Norfolk
pines, Coolangatta took on the look and feel
of a seaside resort town. Planting continued
into the 1930s and over 1000 Norfolk pines
7 were planted in Coolangatta to beautify the
foreshores and principal streets of the town.
Marine Parade, Coolangatta c1940, showing the
guesthouses and Norfolk pines lining the street.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Greenmount Guesthouse, 1916.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Later, as the tourist market C changed,
motels became popular. The Ocean View
Motel on Marine Parade is a very retro
reminder of how the accommodation scene
looked in Coolangatta in the 1950s and 60s.
Stella Maris guesthouse 1914.
Ocean View Motel, 2013.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
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Creating a destination
Tourist attractions flourished to cater for the continual
tourist market and Jazzland 12 was particularly
popular. It was opened in 1933 and described as
one of the most modern dance halls in Queensland.
During World War 2, it became important as one of
the places frequented by the American servicemen
on leave in Coolangatta. For this reason, Jazzland
was reputedly known to thousands of young people
throughout the Commonwealth. It was the era
of the big band and the introduction of American
dance styles saw Coolangatta develop a freedom
and culture quite different to other parts of the Gold
Coast. With the changing times, Jazzland closed
its doors in 1951 and became a Penney’s store.
By 1970, the Tweed Shire Council and
the Gold Coast City Council, came to an
agreement in a desire to have a suitable
landmark to serve the twin towns. The
Captain Cook Memorial and Lighthouse was
conceived with the final design produced
by Gold Coast City Council architect
L. F. Nyerges. Constructed in 1970 to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of
Captain Cook’s voyage along the east coast
of Australia, the joint project was designed to
serve as a landmark and tourist attraction. 9
Crowd at Jazzland, 1950.
Image source unknown.
In the mid 1950s, Jack Evans and his wife built the
Snapper Rocks Sea Baths 8 . It was one of the
Gold Coast’s first purpose built tourist attractions.
The baths were so popular that Jack decided to
incorporate a shark pool for public viewing. This was
also popular and he surmised that porpoises would
be popular with the public too. Jack obtained two
bottle nosed dolphins who were accidently netted
by a couple of local fishermen, and the famous Jack
Evans Pet Porpoise Show began. In 1961, Jack
moved the porpoise pool aquarium operations to the
mouth of the Tweed River. Today, only remnants of
the original attraction remain at Snapper Rocks.
The addition of the laser beam light
as a navigation aid was a world first.
It was shown at the 1970 Electronics
Trade Fair in Stockholm and more than
thirty countries enquired about the new
technology, effectively putting Coolangatta
on the map as a place of forward thinking
innovation. Unfortunately, the laser beam
proved unsuccessful and a conventional
electric lamp was later installed.
Point Danger, 1969, prior to the construction of
the Captain Cook Memorial and Lighthouse.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Jack Evans’ sea baths, 1958.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies
Library. Photgrapher Laurie Holmes.
Captain Cook Memorial and Lighthouse, 1982.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
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The making of a community
Historic places of worship
St Peter’s Anglican Church L was built in 1937.
When Archbishop Wand laid the foundation
stone in a ceremony attended by 200 people, he
remarked that “he knew of few places where the
gifts of God had been showered so bountifully as
at Coolangatta.” The Courier-Mail, November 1937.
The new church was to mark the beginning of great
progress for the Coolangatta Anglican community.
The first church to be constructed in Coolangatta
was the Methodist Church M . Completed by
1925, the building provided a place of worship and
a focus for events for the Methodist community.
The building now functions as the church hall.
St Peter’s Anglican Church, 2013.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
Methodist Church hall, 2013.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
A school brought on by the flu!
When the Spanish Influenza epidemic arrived
and New South Wales closed its border,
children in Coolangatta who attended the
school in Tweed Heads, found themselves
without a place for education. The Coolangatta
Council had been lobbying for a school since
1916 but it was the flu that finally forced
the Government to establishment the state
school 14 on the hill in Coolangatta.
St Augustine’s Church 11 opened on Sunday 26
December, 1926 with Father Leo Carlton as Parish
Priest. Designed by J. P. Donoghue in the Italian
Romanesque style, it would change the skyline
in Coolangatta and dominate the landscape for
years to come with its campanile of 110 feet (33
metres). For the local Catholic community, the
church became the focus for both social and spiritual
life, and continues to serve that purpose today.
St Augustine’s Church, 1930.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
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The school officially opened in October 1920
and provided a place for education until
2006. The threat of demolition saw a strong
and dedicated community push to save the
place and the State Government agreed to
retain the land in public ownership for public
use. The Gold Coast City Council took on
trusteeship of the site and the building was
restored to serve as a community facility.
Coolangatta State School, 1940.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
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The making of a community
The CWA still stands
A watering hole by any other name…
The new club building for the CoolangattaTweed Heads branch of the County Women’s
Association was opened in July 1937 H . The
branch itself had been formed in 1928, a time
when things were very different in Coolangatta
and the association was particularly concerned
with “making happier the lot of the women
and children on the land.” The presence of
this historic building, dwarfed by modern
development, is a reminder of the early
Coolangatta community and its values.
Named the Kirrabelle Hotel N , The Port O Call
Hotel and now the Coolangatta Sands Hotel,
this building has been an important part of the
Coolangatta streetscape since 1923. Historic
hotels like this are a rarity on the Gold Coast
and it continues to play its part in Coolangatta
history as the locals’ watering hole.
Kirrabelle Hotel, c1949.
Coolangatta CWA building, Griffith Street, 2013.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
Historic places for recreation
The Coolangatta and Tweed Heads bowlers
played within the one club. As membership
grew and the needs of members changed,
the club separated and in 1949, the
Coolangatta Bowls Club was formed. I
Lennons Kirra Hotel, now known as the Kirra Beach Hotel A , was constructed in 1956
by the Lennons Hotel Group. It was modern for its time and many families spent holidays
accommodated there. “One outstanding feature of the hotel was that on two occasions the
sea washed into the bar.” Arch Nicholson, Now and Then, 2010, Gold Coast City Council.
Coolangatta Bowls Club, c1951.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Croquet was first played in Coolangatta in
the gardens of interested residents before a
club was formally established in 1949. The
results of extensive community fundraising
efforts were realised in 1954 with the opening
of the club house K on land leased from
the Department of Lands. For over sixty
years, the croquet club has been a place
of community recreation in Coolangatta.
30
Coolangatta Croquet Club, 2013.
Lennons Kirra Hotel, c1959.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
31
Coolangatta marks the southern end of the strip of surfing beaches that runs from the
State border to Main Beach. It has the distinctive form of a town locked between the twin
headlands of Kirra and Greenmount Hills, the mountains and the sea. It is a place of special
character within the city because of its early settlement, role as a border town and railway
terminus, its topography and the early development of a still thriving beach culture.
View from Kirra Hill of the crowd gathered on Coolangatta beach, c1935.
Image courtesy of City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library.
Prepared by City of Gold Coast Office of City Architect and Heritage, June 2013.
Special thanks to Councillor Chris Robbins, City of Gold Coast Local Studies Library
and John Oxley Library, and Sue Burnett from the Kirra Hill Heritage Group.