The History of the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast hasn’t always been high-rises, theme parks, and sun-drenched holidays. Believe it or not, this buzzing beachside city started as a quiet stretch of sand, bushland, and the occasional timber mill. So how did we go from fishing villages to one of Australia’s top tourist spots? Here's the short and sunny version.

Before tourism took over, this region was home to the Yugambeh people, the traditional custodians of the land. European settlers came in the 1800s, mostly for logging and farming — not exactly the stuff of travel brochures.

But the coast’s natural beauty was hard to ignore. Word spread about the beaches and the perfect surf. In the 1920s, a hotel called Surfers Paradise opened, and suddenly, the area wasn’t so sleepy anymore.

By the 1940s, land prices were soaring — and not everyone was thrilled. Locals started calling the area the “Gold Coast” as a bit of a joke about how expensive everything was becoming.

But the name stuck. It had a nice ring to it. In 1958, it became official: the Town of South Coast was renamed the City of Gold Coast. What started as a jab became a brand.

From the 1960s onwards, the Gold Coast went all-in on entertainment. High-rises popped up. Tourists poured in. By the 80s and 90s, we had theme parks, nightclubs, and a reputation as Australia’s holiday capital.

Today, the Gold Coast is a mix of surf culture, family fun, food, and flash. But underneath it all, it still holds onto its original charm: a place where people come to relax, unwind, and soak up the good life.