# Rainbow Beach, Queensland

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Rainbow Beach is a coastal rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,220 people.
It is a popular tourist destination, both in its own right and as a gateway to K'gari (Fraser Island), with a vehicle ferry frequently running to the southern point of K'gari.

## Geography

Rainbow Beach is bounded to the east by Wide Bay in the Coral Sea.
The name of the town derives from the rainbow-coloured sand dunes fronting the beach. According to the legends of the indigenous Kabi 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. The sand colours derive from the rich mineral content, including rutile, ilmenite, zircon, and monazite. A black dune of ilmenite sands, overgrown by dune vegetation, can be found north-west of the main town. It is currently being mined for sale to 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. That includes the northern end-point of the Cooloola Great Walk.
By road, Rainbow Beach is 75 kilometres (47 mi) from the Bruce Highway town of Gympie, and 239 kilometres (149 mi) from the Queensland state capital, Brisbane.

## History

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.
Rainbow Beach State School opened on 28 January 1986.
The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd opened on 15 September 1993. The church and hall were relocated from Yeronga in Brisbane and re-erected in Rainbow Beach after a 15-hour journey. The church had operated in Yeronga under the same name from 1958 to 1992.
Rainbow Beach Library was opened in 2012.

## Demographics

In the 2011 census, the locality of Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,103 people.
In the 2016 census, the locality of Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,249 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,220 people.

## 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 K'gari (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 go to the town each year.
Created as a means of driving tourism off-season, Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic & Expo has been a popular event for nearly 40 years.

## Community Facilities

Gympie Regional Council operates Rainbow Beach Library at Rainbow Beach Community Hall, 32 Rainbow Beach Road (25°54′16″S 153°05′25″E﻿ / ﻿25.9045°S 153.0902°E﻿ / -25.9045; 153.0902﻿ (Rainbow Beach Library)).
The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd is at 17-19 Carlo Street (25°54′27″S 153°05′13″E﻿ / ﻿25.9075°S 153.0870°E﻿ / -25.9075; 153.0870﻿ (Anglican Church of The Good Shepherd)).
St Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church is at the south-east end of Manooka Drive (25°54′38″S 153°05′19″E﻿ / ﻿25.9105°S 153.0887°E﻿ / -25.9105; 153.0887﻿ (St Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church)).

## Education

Rainbow Beach State School is a government coeducational primary (Prep–6) school at Warooga Road (25°54′26″S 153°04′43″E﻿ / ﻿25.9073°S 153.0787°E﻿ / -25.9073; 153.0787﻿ (Rainbow Beach State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 93 students with eight teachers (six full-time equivalent) and five non-teaching staff (four full-time equivalent).