# Beerwah, Queensland

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Beerwah (/ˈbɪərwɑː, -wɔː/) is a rural town and locality in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. At the 2021 census, the locality of Beerwah had a population of 7,734 people.
Australia Zoo, located in Beerwah, is a major tourist attraction and is visited daily by large numbers of local, national and international tourists. Beerwah has transport links to Brisbane and northbound destinations via the Beerwah railway station on the Nambour and Gympie North railway line. Roads in the area include a bypass in the south of the town, Kilcoy-Beerwah Road and Steve Irwin Way.

## Geography

Beerwah is situated north of Glass House Mountains, approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Brisbane, and just south of Landsborough. The main road through Beerwah is called Steve Irwin Way. It was formerly known as the Glasshouse Mountain Tourist Route and is accessed by the Bruce Highway, which bypassed the town in 1985. Kilcoy–Beerwah Road enters from the west.

## History

The name Beerwah comes from the Kabi language (Turrbal dialect) word birrawaman, with birra meaning sky and wandum meaning climbing up.
Beerwah Post Office opened by August 1907 (a receiving office had been open from 1891).
The Coochin Creek Provisional School opened on 27 November 1888 with an initial enrolment of 19 students under teacher William Verrants. By the end of 1888, there were 43 students enrolled. It was on the main Peachester road, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Beerwah railway station. On 1 January 1909, it became Coochin Creek State School. In about November 1928, it was renamed Beerwah State School. The school celebrated its golden jubilee in 1938. On 10 July 1952, another Coochin Creek State School opened, but it closed on 11 March 1962.
On Saturday 26 September 1914, the local Anglican residents held a meeting to consider erecting a church in Beerwah. Mr Mawhinney donated a piece of land by the railway station. On Saturday 7 November 1914 Archdeacon Henry Le Fanu officially capped the first stump of the new church building. All the materials for the church and the labour were all donated so the church would be free of debt. On Saturday 6 March 1916, Archdeacon Le Fanu returned to officially open and dedicate St James' Anglican Church. In the 1990s, diminishing numbers in the congregations led to a decision to close a number of churches in the area. St James' was closed and sold for removal.
On 4 July 1991, the Mary MacKillop Catholic Centre was blessed and opened by Archbishop Francis Rush.
Beerwah State High School opened on 1 January 1992.
The Beerwah Library opened in 2000.
Glasshouse Country Christian College was established on 31 January 2000 by the Glasshouse Country Baptist Church with an initial 16 students.
Glasshouse Country Uniting Church opened its church at Beerwah on 16 December 2000, The architects were Thomson Adsett Architects. It was a result of the merger of the Glasshouse Uniting Church, Beerwah Uniting Church, Landsborough Uniting Church and Mooloolah Uniting Church.

## Demographics

In the 2016 census, the locality of Beerwah had a population of 6,769 people, 52% female and 48% male. The median age was 39 years, compared to the national median age of 38. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 2.8% of the population. 77.2% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 5.1% and New Zealand 4.8%. 90.8% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion in Beerwah were No Religion 32.8%, Anglican 17.2% and Catholic 14.4%.

## Heritage listings

Beerwah has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* 53 Beerwah Parade: Beerwah Hotel
* 2719 Old Gympie Road: Site of Coochin Homestead
* Roys Road and Mawsons Road (Beerburrum State Forest): Beerburrum Scientific Area No 1
* Roys Road, approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) east of Mawsons Road intersection: former Beerwah Forest Station and Arboretum
* Simpson Street: Beerwah railway station

## Transport

Beerwah is a growing hinterland town. Transport links to Brisbane and northbound destinations at Beerwah railway station on the Nambour and Gympie North railway line. Beerwah has high public transport usage with 0.6% of residents using public transportation for their work commute, placing it in the top 20% on the Sunshine Coast.
A small bypass was constructed south of the town, including an overpass of the railway, a large roundabout at Roberts Road, and traffic signals at Kilcoy-Beerwah Road and Steve Irwin Way. This work opened to traffic in October 2009. As part of that project, however, the original level crossing was closed and demolished, causing concern among local residents who claimed it sliced the town in two. In 2010, many residents began to complain about the lack of signage to the town centre. The town entrance now features two distinctive large directional signs, one at the Steve Irwin Way entrance, and one at the roundabout after travelling over the railway bridge.

## Education

Beerwah State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 2788 Old Gympie Road (26°51′19″S 152°56′24″E﻿ / ﻿26.8554°S 152.9399°E﻿ / -26.8554; 152.9399﻿ (Beerwah State School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 367 students with 40 teachers (32 full-time equivalent) and 21 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
Glasshouse Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep–12) school for boys and girls at 58 Roberts Road (26°51′42″S 152°57′06″E﻿ / ﻿26.8616°S 152.9518°E﻿ / -26.8616; 152.9518﻿ (Glasshouse Christian College)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1074 students with 75 teachers (70 full-time equivalent) and 67 non-teaching staff (48 full-time equivalent).
Beerwah State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 35 Roberts Road (26°51′46″S 152°57′14″E﻿ / ﻿26.8627°S 152.9540°E﻿ / -26.8627; 152.9540﻿ (Beerwah State High School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 895 students with 86 teachers (79 full-time equivalent) and 44 non-teaching staff (30 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

## Amenities

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council operates a public library at 25 Peachester Road.
There are a range of national supermarkets, specialty shops, and a retirement village.
The Beerwah branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 39 Simpson Street.
Anglican church services are held at the Mary MacKillop Catholic Centre at 160 Peachester Road (26°51′28″S 152°56′34″E﻿ / ﻿26.8579°S 152.9427°E﻿ / -26.8579; 152.9427﻿ (Mary MacKillop Catholic Centre)).
Glasshouse Country Uniting Church (also known as Beewah Uniting Church) is at 29 Twin Peaks Drive (26°52′18″S 152°57′36″E﻿ / ﻿26.8718°S 152.9599°E﻿ / -26.8718; 152.9599﻿ (Beerwah Uniting Church)).
There are a number of parks in the locality, including:
* Beerwah Sports Ground, Roberts Rd, Beerwah (26°51′51″S 152°57′23″E﻿ / ﻿26.8641°S 152.9565°E﻿ / -26.8641; 152.9565﻿ (Beerwah Sports Ground, Roberts Rd, Beerwah))
* Biondi Crescent Park (26°51′32″S 152°57′52″E﻿ / ﻿26.8589°S 152.9644°E﻿ / -26.8589; 152.9644﻿ (Biondi Crescent Park))
* CWA Park (26°51′29″S 152°57′29″E﻿ / ﻿26.8580°S 152.9581°E﻿ / -26.8580; 152.9581﻿ (CWA Park))
* Cabrera Park (26°52′10″S 152°58′30″E﻿ / ﻿26.8695°S 152.9750°E﻿ / -26.8695; 152.9750﻿ (Cabrera Park))
* Caralan Way Park (26°51′44″S 152°56′43″E﻿ / ﻿26.8623°S 152.9454°E﻿ / -26.8623; 152.9454﻿ (Caralan Way Park))
* Caralan Way/Emma Place Park 2 (26°51′44″S 152°56′47″E﻿ / ﻿26.8622°S 152.9464°E﻿ / -26.8622; 152.9464﻿ (Caralan Way/Emma Place Park 2))
* Carnarvon Drive Bushland Park
* Chantilly Park (26°51′21″S 152°56′55″E﻿ / ﻿26.8558°S 152.9485°E﻿ / -26.8558; 152.9485﻿ (Chantilly Park))
* Coochin Creek Riparian Zone on Steve Irwin Way (26°52′07″S 152°58′00″E﻿ / ﻿26.8687°S 152.9668°E﻿ / -26.8687; 152.9668﻿ (Coochin Creek Riparian Zone - Steve Irwin Way))
* Coochin Nature Park
* Esplanade (26°51′58″S 152°56′53″E﻿ / ﻿26.8661°S 152.9481°E﻿ / -26.8661; 152.9481﻿ (Esplanade))
* Emma Place Park (26°51′40″S 152°56′51″E﻿ / ﻿26.8612°S 152.9476°E﻿ / -26.8612; 152.9476﻿ (Emma Place Park))
* Foley Road Buffer (26°51′11″S 152°57′35″E﻿ / ﻿26.8530°S 152.9598°E﻿ / -26.8530; 152.9598﻿ (Foley Road Buffer))
* Gowen Park (26°49′22″S 152°57′16″E﻿ / ﻿26.8229°S 152.9544°E﻿ / -26.8229; 152.9544﻿ (Gowen Park))
* Hibiscus Park (26°51′33″S 152°57′06″E﻿ / ﻿26.8591°S 152.9516°E﻿ / -26.8591; 152.9516﻿ (Hibiscus Park))
* Jubilee Park
* Kello Road Environmental Reserve (26°52′06″S 152°57′37″E﻿ / ﻿26.8682°S 152.9603°E﻿ / -26.8682; 152.9603﻿ (Kello Road Environmental Reserve))
* Kindy Park (26°51′24″S 152°57′37″E﻿ / ﻿26.8566°S 152.9604°E﻿ / -26.8566; 152.9604﻿ (Kindy Park))
* Lachlan Crescent Busland Reserve (26°51′40″S 152°55′01″E﻿ / ﻿26.8612°S 152.9170°E﻿ / -26.8612; 152.9170﻿ (Lachlan Crescent Busland Reserve))
* Lachlan Crescent North Drainage Reserve (26°51′36″S 152°55′12″E﻿ / ﻿26.8601°S 152.9199°E﻿ / -26.8601; 152.9199﻿ (Lachlan Crescent North Drainage Reserve))
* Lachlan Crescent Park (26°51′40″S 152°54′59″E﻿ / ﻿26.8612°S 152.9164°E﻿ / -26.8612; 152.9164﻿ (Lachlan Crescent Park))
* Lachlan Crescent South Drainage Reserve (26°51′45″S 152°54′57″E﻿ / ﻿26.8625°S 152.9158°E﻿ / -26.8625; 152.9158﻿ (Lachlan Crescent South Drainage Reserve))
* Lindeman Road Natural Amenity Reserve (26°52′13″S 152°55′52″E﻿ / ﻿26.8702°S 152.9312°E﻿ / -26.8702; 152.9312﻿ (Lindeman Road Natural Amenity Reserve))
* Mill Park (26°51′14″S 152°57′28″E﻿ / ﻿26.8538°S 152.9577°E﻿ / -26.8538; 152.9577﻿ (Mill Park))
* Monarch Place Natural Amenity Reserve (26°51′55″S 152°57′08″E﻿ / ﻿26.8653°S 152.9521°E﻿ / -26.8653; 152.9521﻿ (Monarch Place Natural Amenity Reserve))
* Monica Smith Park (26°51′30″S 152°56′38″E﻿ / ﻿26.8584°S 152.9440°E﻿ / -26.8584; 152.9440﻿ (Monica Smith Park))
* Newell Park (26°50′56″S 152°57′08″E﻿ / ﻿26.8488°S 152.9523°E﻿ / -26.8488; 152.9523﻿ (Newell Park))
* Newells Rd Buffer (26°50′48″S 152°57′13″E﻿ / ﻿26.8467°S 152.9535°E﻿ / -26.8467; 152.9535﻿ (Newells Rd Buffer))
* Newton Park (26°49′49″S 152°57′42″E﻿ / ﻿26.8304°S 152.9616°E﻿ / -26.8304; 152.9616﻿ (Newton Park))
* Old Peachester Road Natural Amenity Reserve (26°50′57″S 152°54′26″E﻿ / ﻿26.8492°S 152.9071°E﻿ / -26.8492; 152.9071﻿ (Old Peachester Road Natural Amenity Reserve))
* Otto Northling Road Natural Amenity Reserve (26°51′31″S 152°55′30″E﻿ / ﻿26.8586°S 152.9251°E﻿ / -26.8586; 152.9251﻿ (Otto Northling Road Natural Amenity Reserve))
* Otto Nothling Place Drainage Reserve
* Otto Nothling Place Park
* Park (26°52′02″S 152°56′59″E﻿ / ﻿26.8672°S 152.9497°E﻿ / -26.8672; 152.9497﻿ (park))
* Parkside Drive Bushland Park (26°51′24″S 152°57′08″E﻿ / ﻿26.8567°S 152.9521°E﻿ / -26.8567; 152.9521﻿ (Parkside Drive Bushland Park))
* Peachester Dr/Parkside Dr Walkway Link (26°51′26″S 152°56′51″E﻿ / ﻿26.8572°S 152.9476°E﻿ / -26.8572; 152.9476﻿ (Peachester Dr/Parkside Dr Walkway Link))
* Pinelands Park (26°49′43″S 152°56′59″E﻿ / ﻿26.8286°S 152.9496°E﻿ / -26.8286; 152.9496﻿ (Pinelands Park))
* Reserve (26°51′49″S 152°56′48″E﻿ / ﻿26.8636°S 152.9467°E﻿ / -26.8636; 152.9467﻿ (Reserve))
* Roberts Road Park (26°51′33″S 152°56′50″E﻿ / ﻿26.8593°S 152.9473°E﻿ / -26.8593; 152.9473﻿ (Roberts Rodd Park))
* Settlement Park (26°51′32″S 152°56′11″E﻿ / ﻿26.8590°S 152.9364°E﻿ / -26.8590; 152.9364﻿ (Settlement Park))
* Shaws Road Drainage Reserve (26°51′41″S 152°55′19″E﻿ / ﻿26.8614°S 152.9219°E﻿ / -26.8614; 152.9219﻿ (Shaws Road Drainage Reserve))
* Sidney Drive Bushland Reserve (26°49′48″S 152°57′51″E﻿ / ﻿26.8301°S 152.9641°E﻿ / -26.8301; 152.9641﻿ (Sidney Drive Bushland Reserve))
* Sidney Drive Park
* Steve Irwin Way Buffer Kello Road Estate
* Thompson Road Buffer
* Turner Park (26°51′33″S 152°57′20″E﻿ / ﻿26.8592°S 152.9555°E﻿ / -26.8592; 152.9555﻿ (Turner Park))
* Twin Peaks Park (26°52′22″S 152°57′33″E﻿ / ﻿26.8727°S 152.9592°E﻿ / -26.8727; 152.9592﻿ (Twin Peaks Park))
* Whistler Place Open Space (26°51′57″S 152°57′06″E﻿ / ﻿26.8657°S 152.9518°E﻿ / -26.8657; 152.9518﻿ (Whistler Place Open Space))
* Woodgrove Boulevard Drainage Reserve (26°51′52″S 152°57′04″E﻿ / ﻿26.8645°S 152.9512°E﻿ / -26.8645; 152.9512﻿ (Woodgrove Boulevard Drainage Reserve))
* Woodgrove Boulevard Park (26°51′49″S 152°57′04″E﻿ / ﻿26.8635°S 152.9510°E﻿ / -26.8635; 152.9510﻿ (Woodgrove Boulevard Park))
* Woodgrove Esplanade Walkway 1 (26°52′02″S 152°57′05″E﻿ / ﻿26.8673°S 152.9514°E﻿ / -26.8673; 152.9514﻿ (Woodgrove Esplanade Walkway 1))
* Woodgrove Esplanade Walkway 2 (26°51′58″S 152°56′54″E﻿ / ﻿26.8660°S 152.9483°E﻿ / -26.8660; 152.9483﻿ (Woodgrove Esplanade Walkway 2))
* Woodgrove Stage 7 (26°51′54″S 152°56′52″E﻿ / ﻿26.8651°S 152.9477°E﻿ / -26.8651; 152.9477﻿ (Woodgrove Stage 7))

## Tourism

Beerwah is one of the largest towns in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, set within the backdrop of the Glasshouse Mountains National Park with 13 volcanic peaks.

### Attractions

Australia Zoo is located in Beerwah. The zoo was founded by Bob Irwin and later made famous by his son, Steve Irwin. It is a major tourist attraction and is visited daily by large numbers of local, national and international tourists.
Another attraction, the Glass House mountain range, is located nearby. The largest mountain in the range, at 555m, is Mount Beerwah. Access to the Mount Beerwah summit route has been closed since 2008 due to the erosion and destabilization of some walking tracks, leading to a high risk of rock fall.
The Big Mower, one of Australia's big things, is located in Beerwah.

## Notable residents

* Lawrence Daws, painter and printmaker
* The Irwin family: Bob Irwin, Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, Bindi Irwin, Robert Irwin, environmentalists and operators of Australia Zoo