Beenleigh is a town and suburb in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the suburb of Beenleigh had a population of 8,425 people.
A government survey for the new town was conducted in 1866. The town is the terminus for the Beenleigh railway line, which first opened in 1885 and a stop on the South Coast railway line, which reached Southport in 1889. Beenleigh was the administrative centre of the former Shire of Albert. It is known for the heritage-listed tourist attraction called the Beenleigh Artisan Distillery. In recent years it has seen many high rise developments.
Beenleigh is situated in the Bundjalung traditional Indigenous Australian country. The Yugambeh people are custodians within the traditional Aboriginal Bundjalung country, antedating European settlement by tens of thousands of years. Their Yugambeh language and heritage survive and is a testament to the Yugambeh Museum located in the town. Yugembah (also known as Yugumbir, Jugambel, Jugambeir, Jugumbir, Jukam, Jukamba) is one of the Australian Aboriginal languages in areas that include the Beenleigh, Beaudesert, Gold Coast, Logan, Scenic Rim, Albert River, Coolangatta, Coomera, Logan River, Pimpama, Tamborine and Tweed River Valley, within the local government boundaries of the City of Gold Coast, City of Logan, Scenic Rim Regional Council and the Tweed River Valley.
Beenleigh was first colonised in the 1860s, with the first permanent European settlement occurring by John Davy and Frank Gooding, who named their sugarcane plantation Beenleigh in memory of their family estate in Devon, England.
William Fryar surveyed the Town of Beenleigh in July 1866.
The first sugarcane mill was built in 1867, and by 1885, another 29 were operational.
Beenleigh Post Office opened on 1 August 1867.
Beenleigh State School was opened on 6 February 1871. From 1954 to 1962 it also had a secondary department. From 4 February 1974 to 1980 the school had an Opportunity Class to provide special education.
St George's Anglican Church was officially opened on Thursday 16 September 1875. A second St George's was built next door at 10 Tansey Street in 1964. In 1981 the first church building was moved to its present site at the Beenleigh Historical Village in Main Street (27°43′25″S 153°12′48″E / 27.7235°S 153.2133°E) and has been repaired.
On 3 December 1885, 85 resubdivided allotments of "Beenleigh Township Estate" were advertised to be auctioned by J.R. Dickson and Co. on 26 December 1885. A map advertising the auction states that the Estate was close to the Beenleigh Railway Station and was the property of the late Peter Benz.
In October 1886, a well-known property on the Albert River owned by W. K. Witty called "Yellowwood Estate" was advertised for subdivision into suitable sized farms and then auctioned by Simon Fraser & Son. A map advertising the auction states that 40 choice farms were available and the auction was to be held on Saturday 27 November at the Palm's Hotel, Beenleigh.
Beenleigh Wesleyan Methodist Church opened on Sunday 28 November 1886. Separate tenders for materials and labour were called in July 1886, which indicated the church was to be built of timber and be 42 feet 6 inches (12.95 m) by 22 feet 6 inches (6.86 m).
Commercial dairying in the area began in 1889.
In June 1922, 12 portions of farm land located on the Logan River were advertised to be auctioned by Cameron Bros Auctioneers. A map advertising the auction states that the land was within easy reach of Cleveland Railway Station and Beenleigh, and that there was a steamer service weekly. The land was advertised as suitable for growing arrowroot and sugarcane and magnificent for dairying.
The Beenleigh Memorial Park was dedicated on 21 August 1925.
The abattoir was established in 1952 for beef production, and is still one of the largest industries in Beenleigh. Beenleigh State High School opened on 29 January 1963. Beenleigh Special School opened on 1 January 1981.
St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School opened on 25 October 1953.
Beenleigh State High School opened on 29 Jan 1963, replacing the secondary department at Beenleigh State School.
Beenleigh Special School opened in January 1981, replacing the opportunity class at Beenleigh State School.
Trinity College opened on 25 January 1982.
Beenleigh was the centre of the Beenleigh Shire until 1949, then Shire of Albert, which also included the suburbs of Eagleby, Alberton, Mt Warren Park, Windaroo, Edens Landing, Holmview, Pimpama, and Jacobs Well. In 1995, Albert Shire was dissolved and Beenleigh and the surrounding suburbs were then amalgamated into City of Gold Coast. In 2008, these suburbs were transferred from Gold Coast City to City of Logan (despite protests from locals, who voted against being part of Logan).
Beenleigh Mitre 10 MEGA opened in 2004; it was the company's first Australian MEGA store, and it employed over 200 people on opening.
In the 2011 census, the suburb of Beenleigh had a population of 8,244 people, 49.5% female and 50.5% male. The median age of the Beenleigh population was 34 years, compared to the national median age of 37; 66.9% of people living in Beenleigh were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 8.1%, England 3.4%, the Philippines 1.1%, Brazil 0.6%, and Germany 0.5%. About 81.5% of people spoke only English at home; the next-most common languages were 0.7% Portuguese, 0.6% Tagalog, 0.6% Vietnamese, 0.4% Spanish, and 0.3% German.
In the 2016 census, the suburb of Beenleigh had a population of 8,252 people, 49.7% female and 50.3% male. The median age of the Beenleigh population was 37 years, compared to the national median age of 38. 69.2% of people living in Beenleigh were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 8.0%, England 3.2%, the Philippines 1.4%, India 0.6%, and Germany 0.5%. 82.9% of people spoke only English at home; the next-most common languages were 0.8% Tagalog, 0.4% Samoan, 0.4% Malayalam, 0.4% Vietnamese, and 0.4% Maori (New Zealand).
In the 2021 census, the suburb of Beenleigh had a population of 8,425 people, 49.8% female and 50.2% male. The median age of the Beenleigh population was 38 years, on par with the national median age of 38. 66.3% of people living in Beenleigh were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 7.7%, England 2.8%, the Philippines 1.7%, India 1.0%, and Papua New Guinea 0.5%. 79.0% of people spoke only English at home; the next-most common languages were 0.8% Tagalog, 0.5% Maori (New Zealand), 0.5% Punjabi, 0.5% Mandarin, and 0.5% Filipino.
History info courtesy of Wikipedia
