Rainbow Beach, Queensland

Rainbow Beach is a coastal rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,249 people.[1]

Rainbow Beach
Queensland
Rainbow Beach, Queensland, 2013
Rainbow Beach
Coordinates25.9075°S 153.0888°E / -25.9075; 153.0888
Population1,249 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density87.3/km2 (226.2/sq mi)
Established1969
Postcode(s)4581
Elevation14 m (46 ft)
Area14.3 km2 (5.5 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Gympie Region
State electorate(s)Gympie
Federal Division(s)Wide Bay
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
25.4 °C
78 °F		 16.6 °C
62 °F		 1,218.2 mm
48 in
Localities around Rainbow Beach:
Inskip Inskip Coral Sea
Cooloola Rainbow Beach Coral Sea
Cooloola Cooloola Cooloola

It is a popular tourist destination, both in its own right and as a gateway to Fraser Island.

Geography

Rainbow Beach is in the Wide Bay–Burnett, east of Gympie.

The town's name derives from the rainbow-coloured sand dunes surrounding the settlement. According to the legends of the Kabi people, the dunes were coloured when Yiningie, a spirit represented by a rainbow, plunged into the cliffs after doing battle with an evil tribesman.[4] Much of the sand colours stem from the rich content of minerals in the sand, such as rutile, ilmenite, zircon, and monazite. A black dune of ilmenite sands, overgrown by dune vegetation, can be found north west of the main town. This is currently being removed for sale in China with complete removal expected to take two years.

The Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park borders the town to the south. A number of walking tracks through the national park depart from the southern outskirts of Rainbow Beach.[5] This includes the northern end point of the Cooloola Great Walk.[6]

By road, Rainbow Beach is located 75 kilometres (47 mi) from the Bruce Highway town of Gympie, and 239 kilometres (149 mi) from the Queensland state capital, Brisbane.

History
Propeller from the wrecked ship Cherry Venture, saved and displayed at Rainbow Beach, 2016
War memorial, "In memory of those who gave their lives from the Great War onwards", 2016

The town's war memorial commemorating those who died in the World War I and subsequent conflicts was refurbished in 1993 and is also located in Laurie Hanson Park.[7]

Rainbow Beach State School opened on 28 January 1986.[8]

At the 2011 census, Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,103.[9]

Rainbow Beach Library was opened in 2012.[10]

Economy

The town's economy is now dominated by tourism, featuring quiet and idyllic holidays, fishing and retirement getaway. The town caters to beach-orientated holiday-makers with hotels, motels, and caravan parks. The town promotes itself as the "Gateway to Fraser Island" as vehicular ferries for Fraser Island depart from Inskip Point, north of town. Double Island Point, a popular destination amongst 4WD enthusiasts, is located east of town. It is also promoted as an eco-tourism destination.

Although it has a permanent population of about 1,000, about 70,000 visitors come to the town each year.[11]

Community Facilities

Gympie Regional Council operates Rainbow Beach Library at Rainbow Beach Community Hall, 32 Rainbow Beach Road.[12]

Education

Rainbow Beach State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Warooga Road (25.9073°S 153.0787°E / -25.9073; 153.0787 (Rainbow Beach State School)).[13][14] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 93 students with 8 teachers (6 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).[15]

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References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Rainbow Beach (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Rainbow Beach - town in Gympie Region (entry 27922)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  3. "Rainbow Beach - locality in Gympie Region (entry 47617)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  4. Hues of a rainbow Archived 15 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 August 2006.
  5. Travel: Rainbow Beach Archived 15 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 August 2006.
  6. Jo Skinner (29 March 2010). "$1.3m Cooloola Great Walk opens". ABC News. Archived from the original on 17 November 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  7. "Rainbow Beach War Memorial". Queensland War Memorial Register. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  8. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  9. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Rainbow Beach (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  10. "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  11. "Rainbow Beach Foreshore: Park Development Plan" (PDF). Gympie Regional Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  12. "Rainbow Beach Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  13. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. "Rainbow Beach State School". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  15. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
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