Sunshine Beach, Queensland

Sunshine Beach is a coastal town and suburb in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia.^[2][3] In the 2021 census, the suburb of Sunshine Beach had a population of 2,480 people.^[4]

Sunshine Beach Noosa Heads, Queensland
Sunshine Beach, 2016
Sunshine Beach
Coordinates	26°24′26″S 153°06′20″E / 26.4072°S 153.1055°E / -26.4072; 153.1055 (Sunshine Beach (town centre))
Population	2,480 (SAL 2021)^[1]
Postcode(s)	4567
Area	1.9 km^2 (0.7 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	1.8 km (1 mi) SE of Noosa Heads 9.2 km (6 mi) ESE of Tewantin 137 km (85 mi) N of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Noosa
State electorate(s)	Noosa
Federal division(s)	Wide Bay
Suburbs around Sunshine Beach: Noosa Heads Noosa Heads Coral Sea Noosa Heads Sunshine Beach Coral Sea Noosa Heads Sunrise Beach Coral Sea

History

The area south of Noosa Headlands was formerly known as Golden Beach but was rarely visited before the 1920s. In 1928, Thomas Marcus Burke gained land there in exchange for building roads and bridges from Tewantin. After World War II it was marketed by his son, Marcus, as Sunshine Beach.^[5]

Sunshine Beach State School opened on 25 January 1982.^[6]

St Andrew's Anglican Church was built in 1990. It was designed by Hurst & Harris to seat 150 people. It was built from coralite limestone at a cost of $350,000.^[7]

Saint Thomas More Primary School is a Roman Catholic Primary school. It was opened by the Marist Brothers on Tuesday 30 January 1990 with an initial enrolment of 92 children with Brother Mark May as the first principal.^[8][9][6]

Sunshine Beach State High School opened on 1 January 1992.^[6]

St Thomas More's Catholic Church was built in 1994.^[10]

Sunshine Beach Uniting Church was built from concrete blocks in 1997.^[11]

Noosa Flexible Learning Centre opened on 23 January 2006.^[6]

Although currently and historically within the Shire of Noosa, between 2008 and 2013, the entire Shire of Noosa including Sunshine Beach was within the Sunshine Coast Region.^[12][13][14]

In the 2016 census, the suburb of Sunshine Beach had a population of 2,460 people.^[15]

In the 2021 census, the suburb of Sunshine Beach had a population of 2,480 people.^[4]

Education

 

Sunshine Beach State School, 2023

Sunshine Beach State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at David Low Way (26°24′10″S 153°06′08″E / 26.4027°S 153.1023°E / -26.4027; 153.1023 (Sunshine Beach State School)).^[16][17] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 799 students with 52 teachers (47 full-time equivalent) and 25 non-teaching staff (18 full-time equivalent).^[18] It includes a special education program.^[16][19]

St Thomas More Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at Ben Lexcen Drive (26°24′21″S 153°06′06″E / 26.4059°S 153.1017°E / -26.4059; 153.1017 (St Thomas More Primary School)).^[16][20] It is part of The Noosa District Roman Catholic Parish. It is staffed by the Brisbane Catholic Education Centre and operates in the Marist tradition.^[21] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 765 students with 50 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 37 non-teaching staff (21 full-time equivalent).^[18]

Montessori Noosa is a private primary (Prep–5) school for boys and girls at 2 Bicentennial Drive (26°24′18″S 153°05′57″E / 26.4050°S 153.0992°E / -26.4050; 153.0992 (Montessori Noosa)).^[16] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 40 students with 3 teachers and 2 non-teaching staff (1 full-time equivalent).^[18]

Sunshine Beach State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 45 Ben Lexcen Drive (26°24′37″S 153°06′03″E / 26.4104°S 153.1007°E / -26.4104; 153.1007 (Sunshine Beach State High School)).^[16][22] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1,401 students with 112 teachers (103 full-time equivalent) and 50 non-teaching staff (39 full-time equivalent).^[18] It includes a special education program.^[16][23]

Noosa Flexible Learning Centre is a Catholic secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 2 Girraween Court (26°24′11″S 153°06′03″E / 26.4031°S 153.1007°E / -26.4031; 153.1007 (Noosa Flexible Learning Centre)).^[16][24] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 88 students with 8 teachers (6 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent).^[18]

Amenities

 

Sunshine Beach Surf Life Saving Club, 2016

Noosa Aquatic Centre is at 6 Girraween Court (26°24′27″S 153°05′54″E / 26.4074°S 153.0982°E / -26.4074; 153.0982 (Noosa Aquatic Centre)).^[25] It has swimming pools and gym facilities with associated classes and group fitness sessions.^[26]

Sunshine Beach Surf Lifesaving Club is off The Bend along the beachfront (26°24′22″S 153°06′43″E / 26.40620°S 153.11196°E / -26.40620; 153.11196 (Sunshine Beach Surf Lifesaving Club)).^[27] Volunteers from the club patrol the beach to protect the public while swimming and surfing.^[28]

There are a number of churches in Sunshine Beach:

• St Andrew's Anglican Church, Bicentennial Drive (26°24′13″S 153°06′00″E / 26.403484°S 153.1°E / -26.403484; 153.1 (St Andrew's Anglican Church))^[7][29]
• St Thomas More's Catholic Church, 75 Ben Lexcen Drive (26°24′17″S 153°06′04″E / 26.404844°S 153.101°E / -26.404844; 153.101 (St Thomas More's Catholic Church))^[10][30]
• Sunshine Beach Uniting Church, 6 Grasstree Court (26°24′43″S 153°05′55″E / 26.411835°S 153.0985°E / -26.411835; 153.0985 (Sunshine Beach Uniting Church))^[31][32]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Sunshine Beach (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  
2. "Sunshine Beach – town in Shire of Noosa (entry 32860)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
3. "Sunshine Beach – suburb in Shire of Noosa (entry 48885)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Sunshine Beach (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
5. Noosa Community Guide 2005 Part D 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine 19 December 2006
6. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
7. Blake, Thom. "St Andrew's Anglican Church". Queensland Religious Places. from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
8. . Saint Thomas More Primary School. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
9. "History". Saint Thomas More Primary School. from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
10. Blake, Thom. "St Thomas More's Catholic Church". Queensland Religious Places. from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
11. Blake, Thom. "Sunshine Beach Uniting Church". Queensland Religious Places. from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
12. "About Council". Noosa Shire Council. from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
13. "Backward Glance: History of Local Government on the Sunshine Coast". Sunshine Coast Regional Council. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
14. "The Noosa De-amalgamation: Building a New Organisation". Noosa Shire Council. 2 January 2014. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Sunshine Beach (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
16. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
17. "Sunshine Beach State School". Sunshine Beach State School. 24 August 2022. from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
18. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
19. "Sunshine Beach SS - Special Education Program". from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
20. "St Thomas More Primary School". from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
21. "Marist Characteristics". St Thomas More Primary School. from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
22. "Sunshine Beach State High School". Sunshine Beach State High School. 1 December 2022. from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
23. "Sunshine Beach SHS - Special Education Program". from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
24. "Noosa Flexible Learning Centre". from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
25. "Building areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 17 November 2020. from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
26. "Noosa Aquatic Centre - Swimming Lessons, Public Pools, & Gym". Noosa Aquatic Centre. from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
27. Google (3 July 2023). "Sunshine Beach Surf Lifesavers Club" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
28. "Surf Lifesaving". Sunshine Beach SLSC. from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
29. "Anglican Church Noosa". from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
30. "Noosa District Catholic Parish". Noosa District Catholic Parish. from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
31. Blake, Thom. "Sunshine Beach Uniting Church". Queensland Religious Places. from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
32. "Noosa Coastal Uniting Church - Our Church". 11 November 2020. from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.

External links

• "Sunshine Beach". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.