The Gold Coast Highway enters the suburb from the north (Palm Beach) and exits to the south (Tugun). The highway is characterised by commercial development along much of its route, but this is absent in Currumbin where the highway winds through bushland over the headland through the Currumbin Hill Conservation Park and then past the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.[3]
The Currumbin Valley Reserve is located west of Currumbin. Of late, developments in the area have started to destroy the natural rainforests and wildlife.
The Gold Coast Oceanway follows a beachfront alignment around Currumbin Alley and along Currumbin Beach. Between Tomewin Street and Flat Rock the current Oceanway pavements swing inland along Temmangum Street.
Currumbin is located on the unceded land of the Yugambeh people.[8] The name Currumbin is from the Bundjalung language (Ngaraangbal dialect), which means either high or high trees or may be a corruption of kurrohmin meaning kangaroo.[2] It was appropriated for an early farming settlement and later also used as a railway station name.
The entirety of Currumbin was forested before farming and land clearing commenced in the late 19th century. Samuel William Grey was the first European to acquire land in the area.[9][10][when?]
Currumbin Creek Provisional School opened circa 1896 and closed in 1905.[11]
In 1904, Isle, Love and Co advertised the first subdivisions in Currumbin.[12]
Currumbin Lower State School opened on 29 January 1909. In 1924 the school was renamed Currumbin State School.[11]
The first hotel was built by Wallace McDonald Nicoll in 1910 on Duringan Street overlooking the mouth of the Currumbin Creek.[13] Currumbin Hotel was demolished in 1996 and replaced with modern apartments.
Tourism and industry significantly increased through the 20th century. Many of the houses at Currumbin date from a period of subdivisions in the 1920s. The area also contains a number of fibro beach houses. Since then later development has occurred including some high rise backing onto the hillside at Pacific Parade.
The Beeches State School opened on 1 June 1925 and closed on 12 March 1948.[11]
On 8 May 1926 a Presbyterian Church was opened at Lower Currumbin by Moderator Reverend Mervyn Henderson. The establishment of the church was led by Alexander Mayes.[14]
Part of Currumbin's success as a tourism, farming and timber hub was access via railway. The Nerang-Tweed line opened in 1903. Vehicular traffic gradually increased and Thrower Drive Bridge opened in 1926. A second road bridge over Currumbin Creek, for the Pacific Highway, opened in 1974.
Ridgetop Provisional School opened on 4 October 1928. In 1933 it was replaced by Ridgetop State School. It closed on 23 July 1967.[11][15]
Currumbin Beach Methodist Church and camp was officially opened on Saturday 23 March 1940.[16][17]
Currumbin Beach, 1938
Generally the area contains more natural vegetation than other areas of the coast due in part to the difficulty of building on the steep hillsides and in part to the presence of the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary - a long-standing landmark at the Gold Coast. The Sanctuary comprises a substantial area of land on both sides of the highway adjacent to Flat Rock Creek.
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School opened on 24 January 1972 in neighbouring Palm Beach (immediately across Currumbin Creek).[11]
In the 2011 census, Currumbin recorded a population of 2,785 people, 50.9% female and 49.1% male.[18] The median age of the Currumbin population was 41 years, 4 years above the national median of 37. 73.7% of people living in Currumbin were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 5%, England 4.5%, South Africa 1.1%, United States of America 1%, Scotland 0.7%. 88.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.5% Portuguese, 0.5% Japanese, 0.5% Swedish, 0.5% Italian, 0.5% Spanish.[18]
In 2013, Currumbin was named Australia's cleanest beach by the national organisation Keep Australia Beautiful. At an award ceremony in the City of Cockburn in Western Australia, Currumbin was commended in particular for its excellence in community involvement and partnerships.[19]
In the 2016 census, Currumbin had a population of 2,920 people.[1]
During 2020 and 2021, the Queensland borders were closed to most people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Border crossing points were either closed or had a Queensland Police checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The Pacific Motorway at Currumbin had one of the police checkpoints.[20]
Each year during September, the Swell Sculpture Festival is held along the Oceanway at Currumbin between Currumbin Creek and Elephant Rock. Elephant rock becomes a pedestal for a signature artwork. Other artwork is spread out along the Oceanway pavements and upon the beach and dune areas. Artwork from the festival often finds its way onto display on public and private spaces across the Gold Coast region including a horse in the park at Broadbeach, Fish along the foreshore at Harley Park, Pelicans along the bank of Currumbin Creek, a seal mother and pup along the Oceanway at Miami, a ship up on Point Danger and a metal goddess within a subdivision at Reedy Creek.
Nearby the Currumbin In The Bin short film festival usually coincides with the Swell Sculpture festival held in the carpark opposite the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
^"Currumbin Rock Pools". City of Gold Coast. Council of the City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
^Noren, Anne (2001). From the Valley to the Alley : A journey through Currumbin, a book created for the community by the community. Currumbin: Gecko. p. 27.
^Noren, Anne (2001). From the Valley to the Alley : A journey through Currumbin, a book created for the community by the community. Currumbin: Gecko. p. 34.
^Noren, Anne (2001). From the Valley to the Alley : A journey through Currumbin, a book created for the community by the community. Currumbin: Gecko. p. 35.
^"CURRUMBIN BEACH". The Courier-mail. No. 2043. Queensland, Australia. 20 March 1940. p. 22. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
