Nerang, Queensland

Nerang Gold Coast, Queensland
The Nerang railway station
Population:	16,066 (2006)[1]
Postcode:	4211
LGA:	Gold Coast City
State District:	Gaven
Federal Division:	Moncrieff
Suburbs around Nerang: Maudsland Pacific Pines Gaven Molendinar Mount Nathan Nerang Ashmore Advancetown Gilston Highland Park Carrara

Nerang is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, that lies upon the Nerang River. At the 2006 Census, Nerang had a population of 16,066.

Nerang, like Mudgeeraba, is the very remnant of those townships that characterise the rural hinterland of the Gold Coast. Together with Advancetown and Tallebudgera its settlement was brought together with the construction of the Gold Coast railway in the later years of the 19th century. It was not until this century that the coastal lands became dominant. Subdivision was conventional and buildings were traditional rural or rural commercial.

History

Rossler's Sawmill, 1896

Nerang has focused very much on the river crossing and the head of navigation. Land was first sold here in 1871. Daily Cobb & Co coach services from Brisbane began the same year^[2] and river transport to the settlement became more regular. With an abundant supply of red cedar amongst other tree species, the first industry to flourish in the area was timber cutting.

Sugar and maize were grown by farmers along the upper reaches of the river. The arrival of the railway in 1887 gave added impetus to the town. Recent years have seen the early Nerang flourish as an administrative centre for the growing Gold Coast.

Transport

The construction of the 'new' Pacific Highway on the old railway reserve has helped to focus development in the town in a manner which has extended and indeed largely swamped the early township. Its character is however still dependent upon the river and the early subdivision and commercial centre survives.

Nerang is a regional and transportation hub, containing several shopping centres and Nerang Station.

The current Gold Coast railway line is not the original one. The original railway was built in the 19th century, but was torn up in the 1960s due to state politics. It ran roughly where the Pacific Motorway does now and ran all the way to Tweed Heads/Coolangatta. It featured a Nerang station roughly where Station Street is now (hence the name). The line was rebuilt in the 1990s, but only as far as Varsity Lakes.^[3]

Education

The Nerang State School was Nerang's first school which opened in 1875. Due to increasing growth of the area in the 1980s, Nerang State High School and William Duncan State School were opened in 1986 and 1987 respectively.

Notable residents

• Sara Carrigan - Athens 2004 Olympic gold medalist in road bicycle racing

References

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Nerang (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC32161&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2009-05-10. 
2. ^ Roberts, Beryl (1991). Stories of the Southside. Archerfield, Queensland: Aussie Books. p. 14. ISBN 094733601X. 
3. ^ Greg Stolz (14 December 2009). "Robina-Varsity Lakes rail extension state's most expensive". Courier Mail. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26480932-3102,00.html. Retrieved 31 January 2010. 

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places:Nerang and Nerang Shire
• Heritage Tour — Nerang
• Nerang Forest Reserve