Beenleigh

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Beenleigh is located in a pocket of land between the Albert and Logan Rivers. When Europeans first settled here, news of their arrival quickly spread, no doubt, among the local aboriginal people the Yugambeh. The rivers were an important food and transport resource for both the aboriginal people and European settlers. In the 1860s, the area was referred to as the Logan & Albert District.

Beenleigh Sugar Plantation: Around 1864, brother-in-laws, Francis Gooding and John Davy established their Beenleigh sugar plantation near the northern bank of the Albert River. The site was located a little distance upstream from where this river joins the Logan. They named their plantation after the family’s estate in southern Devon, England. The Gooding and Davy Family continued to successfully operate their sugar plantation and mill here until the late 1880s.

In a similar pattern to the development of the Nerang sugar and cotton plantations, other syndicates and family groups took up large parcels of land in the Logan & Albert District. Beenleigh became known as the planter’s town. A government ferry was established at nearby Yatala on the southern bank of the Albert River.

A town develops: In 1868, a Mr Savage opened a general store at the crossroads of five roads leading to the Logan and Albert Rivers, Cedar Creek and farther south to the Nerang District. By 1869, Michael Tansey opened the first hotel the 'Planter's Rest 'near Savage's General Store. The hotel became a convenient stopping place for passing coaches and travellers. Prior to the hotel’s opening, the nearest pub for thirsty travellers was at Eight Mile Plains, south of Brisbane. This 'halfway between destinations' attribute shaped the character and businesses of Beenleigh.

As horse and coach traffic increased, the settlement acquired the services of a hotel and blacksmith and was referred to in the Brisbane newspapers as the township of Beenleigh. A government land survey of Beenleigh town-ship was completed in 1870, and a school opened in the following year.

In 1871, the deciding factor for the future of Beenleigh was the erection of a Court House – again at the intersection of the roads. Because of its relative distance from Brisbane, Beenleigh too served as a local administrative centre for the Lands Department. Farmers from as far away as Coolangatta dealt with the Land Agent’s Office in Beenleigh.

By the mid 20th century, tourists, passing through Beenleigh by car or train used the town, or nearby Yatala, as a refreshment stop. This was all part of the excitement, later a nostalgic reminder of a trip 'down the coast'. When the Pacific Highway bypassed the town in the 1960s, it was the highway signs, 'Beenleigh is Rum' or the Yatala Pie Shop which caught the eye of motorists and their passengers.

Growth in the Beenleigh Area

• Urban renewal and revitalisation of the CBD/main retail precinct
• Located less than 30 minutes drive from Brisbane and central Gold Coast, by the eight lane Pacific Motorway, a station on the Brisbane/Gold Coast rail line, with easy access to Brisbane International Airport, Australia Trade Coast and Gold Coast Airport.
• Significant land banks suitable for larger scale uses, and many areas suitable for redevelopment, mixed use, intensification and higher density development.
• Development and promotion of the professional services sectors and the key business services centre for the Yatala Enterprise Area.
• Continued reversal of retail leakage to Logan.
• Beenleigh Treatment Plant - sewerage plant, capacity upgrade with the removal of a potential constraint to future growth.
• Beenleigh Wastewater Network Upgrade Alliance, a $32 million upgrade of the Beenleigh area wastewater network.
• Access point for the surrounding tourism hubs.
• Development of detailed concepts for an 'Eat Street' precinct to enable leveraging of private sector investment.
• Development of a Town Centre Future Vision which will provide a clear urban design vision for the future development of Beenleigh to stimulate investment and facilitate coordinated development by the public and private sector.
• Development of branding for Beenleigh and implementation of an 'Invest in Beenleigh' campaign and coordinated proactive marketing of the new image
• South East Queensland is the third largest urban reign in Australia and is continuing to experience significant and sustained growth pressure. With a forecast average of 50,000 new residents per year over the next 20 years
• SEQ is Australia’s only subtropical urban region and over the past two decades has become increasingly recognised for its high quality of life, prosperity and relaxed lifestyle
• SEQ is the fastest growing region is Australia with more than 1000 people moving here every week. Over the next 20 years the population is expected to increase by more than one million people to around four million. To accommodate this population growth we will need approximately 575,000 new dwellings and more than 425,000 new jobs