Mudgeeraba, Queensland

For the Queensland electoral division, see Electoral district of Mudgeeraba.

Mudgeeraba (/ˈmʌdʒərəbɑː/ MUH-jə-rə-bah) is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.^[2][3] In the 2021 census, the suburb of Mudgeeraba had a population of 14,578 people.^[4] Mudgeeraba's essential character remains one of a nineteenth-century village.^[5]

Mudgeeraba Gold Coast, Queensland
Old Post Office, 2015
Mudgeeraba
Coordinates	28°04′45″S 153°21′13″E / 28.0791°S 153.3536°E / -28.0791; 153.3536 (Mudgeeraba (town centre))
Population	14,578 (SAL 2021)^[1]
Postcode(s)	4213
Area	25.8 km^2 (10.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	City of Gold Coast
State electorate(s)	Mudgeeraba
Federal division(s)	McPherson Wright
Localities around Mudgeeraba: Tallai Worongary Merrimac Robina Advancetown Mudgeeraba Varsity Lakes Neranwood Austinville Bonogin Reedy Creek

Geography

Mudgeeraba Creek is the major creek of a catchment area in the southern region of the Gold Coast. It is part of the larger catchment area of Nerang River. Bonogin and Wyangan Creeks are tributaries of Mudgeeraba Creek.

Mudgeeraba's essential character remains one of a nineteenth-century village,^[5] and contains important evidence of its earlier form and building. Most older houses are situated on large blocks of 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) to 2 acres (0.81 ha), alongside much larger farming properties situated in the area.^{[citation needed]}

History

 

View of a farm in the Mudgeeraba district ca. 1891

 

Mudgeeraba Exchange Hotel, 1915

It is thought that the name of the town was derived from an Indigenous Australian expression meaning, "place of infant's excrement", "place where someone told lies" or "place of sticky soil".^[6][2] Another theory is that the name means "low-lying ground".^[7][8]

Mudgeeraba is remnant of the type of township that characterises the rural hinterland of the Gold Coast. Subdivision of land was conventional and buildings were traditionally rural or rural commercial. The Schmidt Farmhouse is typical of farms of that period in the district (the farmhouse is now in the adjacent suburb of Worongary).^[9]

 

People posing at the railway station in Mudgeeraba, ca. 1917

Mudgeeraba, like other areas in the region, was an early centre for farming, timber getting and cattle grazing by the mid-1870s.^[10]

Mudgeraba Provisional School opened on 24 October 1887. On 1 January 1909, it became Mudgeraba State School. In 1915 it was renamed Mudgeraba Upper State School. By 1925 the spelling had changed to Mudgeeraba Upper State School. It closed on 6 November 1955.^[11]

Mudgeraba Lower Provisional School opened on 31 March 1892. In 1914, it became Mudgeraba Lower State School. In 1915 it was renamed Mudgeraba State School. By 1925, the spelling had changed to Mudgeeraba State School.^[11] It was on the south-east corner of School Street and Cobai Drive (28°04′41″S 153°21′48″E / 28.07799°S 153.36322°E / -28.07799; 153.36322 (Mudgeeraba State School (original site))).^[12] In 1981, the school relocated to its current site.^[13][14]

Mudgeeraba rose to some prominence with the coming of the railway from Brisbane to Tweed Heads in 1903.^[15] The station of the South Coast railway line was located near the present-day motorway entrance.^[16] In 1890, the Queensland State Government indicated that the railway station would be positioned as close to the township, located on Coach Road, as possible.^[17] Following the decision was made to position the railway station at some distance to the town, early residents acquired land nearby. Once the railway line was in operation the centre of the town was relocated to its present position.^[18] The railway was closed in 1961. The modern day Pacific Motorway largely follows the route of the former railway. The new Gold Coast railway opened on a different alignment from Brisbane to neighbouring Robina in 1998. Robina station is about 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) further than the old Mudgeeraba railway station. ^[11]

In the early 1930s during the Great Depression, the Upper Mudgeeraba Creek banks were the location of unemployment relief camps set up under the Income (Unemployment Relief) Tax Acts, 1930. The creek water helped sustain vegetable gardens for the residents, housed in timber and corrugated iron huts.^[19] One aspect of the relief scheme put in place by the Queensland Government was to establish small banana plantations. In Upper Mudgeeraba, 300 acres (120 ha) divided into 50 blocks were made available to successful applicants to farm.^[20][21][22]

Mudgeeraba Opportunity School opened on 1 January 1981 on the former site of the Mudgeeraba State School. In 1985, the opportunity school relocated to its current site and is now known as Mudgeeraba Special School.^[11]

Somerset College opened in 1983.^[11][23]

Mudgeeraba Creek State School opened on 29 January 1996.^[11]

Following the closure of All Saints' Anglican Church in the Chirn Park neighbourhood in Southport on 2 November 1997, the church building was relocated to become the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd at 4 Tarrant Drive, Mudgeeraba.^[24]

The Gold Coast City Council opened a public library at the Old Post Office Heritage Centre in Railway Street in 2004. However it did not attract a lot of patronage and it was decided to merge it into the Robina Library with the Mudgeeraba branch closing on 25 January 2017.^[25] The Gold Coast City Council operates a fortnightly mobile library service which visits Railway Street beside Mudgeeraba Pool.^[26]

Since 2005, under the Beaches to Bushland restoration program, Gold Coast City, with the help of Austinville Landcare Group, have worked on restoration of areas of upper Mudgeeraba Creek.^[27]

Demographics

At the 2011 census, the suburb recorded a population of 13,204, 51.3% female and 48.7% male. The median age of the Mudgeeraba population was 36 years, 1 year below the national median of 37. 69% of people living in Mudgeeraba were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 8.5%, England 6.1%, South Africa 1.7%, Scotland 0.7%, Germany 0.7%. 88.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% Japanese, 0.6% German, 0.6% Mandarin, 0.4% Cantonese, 0.4% Spanish.^[28]

In the 2016 census, the suburb of Mudgeeraba had a population of 13,624 people.^[29]

In the 2021 census, the suburb of Mudgeeraba had a population of 14,578 people.^[4]

Heritage listings

Mudgeeraba has a number of heritage-listed sites,^[30] including:

• Franklin Drive (crossing Mudgeeraba Creek): Dip Crossing Bridge (Old Mudgeeraba Creek Bridge) ^[31]
• Hardys Road (corner of Gold Coast Springbrook Road): Persimmon Trees, Laver Family Park ^[32]
• 30 Hardys Road (Hinterland Regional Park): Hardy's House ^[33]
• 47 Railway Street: Wallaby Hotel (formerly Exchange Hotel) ^[34]
• 57 Railway Street: Mudgeeraba Old Post Office (formerly Nerang Shire Council Chambers) ^[35]
• 4 School Street: Mudgeeraba Special School (former Mudgeeraba State School) ^[36]
• Mudgeeraba Creek upstream of the confluence with Bonogin Creek: Hardy's Bridge ^[37]

Education

 

Aerial photograph of Mudgeeraba State School, 2023

Mudgeeraba State School is a government primary (Preparatory to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 32-48 Old Coach Road (28°04′26″S 153°21′10″E / 28.0740°S 153.3527°E / -28.0740; 153.3527 (Mudgeeraba State School)).^[38][39] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 843 students with 64 teachers (51 full-time equivalent) and 33 non-teaching staff (21 full-time equivalent).^[40] It includes a special education program.^[38][41]

 

Clover Hill State School, 2023

Clover Hill State School is a government primary (Preparatory to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Clover Hill Drive (28°05′30″S 153°22′34″E / 28.0917°S 153.3760°E / -28.0917; 153.3760 (Clover Hill State School)).^[38][42] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 947 students with 72 teachers (60 full-time equivalent) and 26 non-teaching staff (17 full-time equivalent).^[40] It includes a special education program.^[38]

Mudgeeraba Creek State School is a government primary (Preparatory to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Gold Coast-Springbrook Road (28°05′12″S 153°20′49″E / 28.0867°S 153.3470°E / -28.0867; 153.3470 (Mudgeeraba Creek State School)).^[38][43] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 705 students with 61 teachers (52 full-time equivalent) and 37 non-teaching staff (24 full-time equivalent).^[40] It includes a special education program.^[38]

Mudgeeraba Special School is a special primary and secondary (Preparatory to Year 12) school for boys and girls at 4–6 School Street (28°04′40″S 153°21′50″E / 28.0778°S 153.3640°E / -28.0778; 153.3640 (Mudgeeraba Special School)).^[38][44] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 160 students with 42 teachers (39 full-time equivalent) and 65 non-teaching staff (40 full-time equivalent).^[40]

Somerset College is a private primary and secondary (Preparatory to Year 12) school for boys and girls at Somerset Drive (28°05′26″S 153°22′30″E / 28.0906°S 153.3750°E / -28.0906; 153.3750 (Somerset College)).^[38][45] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1,438 students with 102 teachers (99 full-time equivalent) and 98 non-teaching staff (88 full-time equivalent).^[40]

There is no government secondary school in Mudgeeraba; the nearest is neighbouring Robina.^[46]

Infrastructure

Mudgeeraba is home to the Mudgeeraba Water Treatment Plant and a pump and pipeline runs from the Little Nerang Dam to the Water Treatment Plant operated by SEQWater. An above-ground pipeline runs from the WTP through Mudgeeraba to Tugun and Molendinar.^[47]

Amenities

The Gold Coast City Council provides the Old Post Office (formerly the Mudgeeraba Library) to community groups and activities for both adults and children involving computing, technology, robotics etc.^[48]

The Springbrook Mudgeeraba branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the Bill Deacon Pavilion, Mudgeeraba Showgrounds at 115 Mudgeeraba Road, Worongary.^[49]

The headquarters of one of Australia's largest car clubs, Kustoms of Australia, is based in Mudgeeraba and has a building within the Gold Coast Historical precinct.^[50]

St Benedict's Catholic Church is at 2 Wallaby Drive (28°05′51″S 153°21′22″E / 28.0975°S 153.3561°E / -28.0975; 153.3561 (Mary Mother of Mercy Catholic Church)). It is part of the Burleigh Heads Catholic Parish within the Archdiocese of Brisbane.^[51]

Sport and recreation

A number of sporting teams represent the area, including the Mudgeeraba Redbacks, the local rugby league club who play home games at Firth Park, the Hinterland District Netball Association who run a large competition on Saturday mornings for players 5yrs to 17yrs and Monday nights for 13yrs to opens at Firth Park, Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, the Mudgeeraba Lawn Bowls Club situated just behind the Rugby Club, and the Mudgeeraba Soccer Club. Mudgeeraba Spartans Junior AFL Club plays their home games at Somerset College. The starting point for the annual 96 kilometres (60 mi) cross-country Kokoda Challenge is in Mudgeeraba.^[52]

Notable people

• Darius Boyd rugby league player
• Richard Clapton, musician
• Denan Kemp, former rugby league player and owner of "Bloke in a Bar"
• d'Arcy Doyle, artist
• Lyndon Dykes; Scottish international footballer
• Matthew Saunoa, 2006 New Zealand Idol champion
• Anna Torv, actress

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mudgeeraba (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  
2. "Mudgeeraba – town in City of Gold Coast (entry 39096)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. "Mudgeeraba – suburb in City of Gold Coast (entry 46067)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mudgeeraba (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
5. "Character area 6.2 Mudgeeraba" (PDF). Gold Coast City Council. p. 46. (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
6. "Mudgeeraba history". www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au. Gold Coast City Council. from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
7. "SKETCHER". The Queenslander. National Library of Australia. 11 April 1914. p. 8. from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
8. "ANSWERS". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 12 December 1931. p. 14. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
9. "Schmidt Farmhouse & Outbuildings (former) (entry 601889)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
10. "THE NERANG AND SOUTHWARDS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXVII, no. 4, 901. Queensland, Australia. 14 June 1873. p. 5. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
11. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
12. "9541-14 Mudgeeraba" (Map). Queensland Government. 1976. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
13. "Explore Mudgeeraba". Raine & Horne Robina / Mudgeeraba. from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
14. Mudgeeraba New State School : official opening 1981. Mudgeeraba State School. 1981. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
15. "OPENING NEW LINES". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LX, no. 14, 244. Queensland, Australia. 8 September 1903. p. 7. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
16. "Mudgeeraba history". City of Gold Coast Council. from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
17. "Southern Railway Extension". The Queenslander. Vol. XXXVII, no. 755. Queensland, Australia. 22 March 1890. p. 535. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
18. "MUDGEERABA". South Coast Bulletin. Vol. 8, no. 399. Queensland, Australia. 17 January 1936. p. 4. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
19. "Mudgeeraba and Currumbin Creeks unemployment relief camps, 1931". Department of Labour and Industry. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
20. "MUDGEERABA BANANA SCHEME". The Nambucca and Bellinger News. Vol. 29, no. 1446. New South Wales, Australia. 12 January 1934. p. 2. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
21. "MUDGEERABA". South Coast Bulletin. Vol. 5, no. 246. Queensland, Australia. 1 September 1933. p. 3. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
22. "THE BANANA SETTLEMENT". South Coast Bulletin. Vol. 5, no. 262. Queensland, Australia. 22 December 1933. p. 10. from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
23. "History". Somerset College. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
24. . Anglican Church of Southern Queensland. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
25. Jackson, Cam (22 November 2016). "Mudgeeraba Library to close in January". Gold Coast City Council. from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
26. (PDF). Gold Coast City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
27. "Bushcare and Landcare groups". The City of Gold Coast. from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
28. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Mudgeeraba (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 October 2013.  
29. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mudgeeraba (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
30. "City of Gold Coast history and heritage | Gold Coast Local Heritage Register". heritage.goldcoast.qld.gov.au. from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
31. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M, pp. 31-32
32. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - N to Z, pp. 93-94
33. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M, pp. 55-56
34. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M, pp. 37-38
35. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M, pp. 79-80
36. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M, pp. 81-82
37. Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M, pp. 53-54
38. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
39. "Mudgeeraba State School". Mudgeeraba State School. 29 November 2020. from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
40. "ACARA School Profile 2017". from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
41. "Mudgeeraba SS - Special Education Program". from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
42. "Clover Hill State School". Clover Hill State School. 29 November 2020. from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
43. "Mudgeeraba Creek State School". Mudgeeraba Creek State School. 29 November 2020. from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
44. "Mudgeeraba Special School". Mudgeeraba Special School. 29 November 2020. from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
45. "Somerset College". from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
46. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
47. "South East Queensland Water Projects" (PDF). Queensland Government. (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
48. "Mudgeeraba Library". Gold Coast City Council. from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
49. . Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
50. "Kustoms of Australia – Gold Coast Car Club". from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
51. "Churches". Burleigh Heads Catholic Parish. from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
52. "Kokoda Challenge, 2018 Gold Coast 48km & 96km course map" (PDF). Kokoda Challenge. (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.

Sources

• "Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - A to M" (PDF). Gold Coast City Council. (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
• "Gold Coast Local Heritage Register - N to Z" (PDF). Gold Coast City Council. (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.

Further reading

• Mudgeeraba State School Jubilee - 1915-1965. Mudgeeraba State School. 1965.
• Burrows, R. (1992). Bush schools and golden rules : the spirit of Mudgeeraba State School / by Robyn Burrows. Boolarong Pub. ISBN 064608626X.
• Roberts, B. (2011). Mudgeeraba memories : memories of Mudgeeraba, Bonogin, Austinville and Springbrook areas / [edited by] Beryl Roberts (2nd ed.). Q.V. Books Queensland. ISBN 9780987231505.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mudgeeraba, Queensland.

• "Mudgeeraba". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
• "Town map of Mudgeeraba". Queensland Government. 1985.
• "Mudgeeraba History". Gold Coast City Council.
• "Mudgeeraba Branch Library". Gold Coast City Council.
• "Mudgeeraba Heritage Walk". Gold Coast City Council.
• "Gold Coast Hinterland Heritage Museum".