Mermaid Waters is a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

in the

City of Gold Coast The City of Gold Coast is the Local government in Australia, local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, and surrounding areas. With a population of 606,774, it is the second most populous local ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , Mermaid Waters had a population of 13,088 people.

Geography

Mermaid Waters is primarily a residential suburb, featuring many homes built along artificial

canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow u ...

and lakes, including the fresh water Lake Hugh Muntz.

History

The suburb derives its name from , a cutter ship that brought Australian surveyor

John Oxley John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley (1784 – 25 May 1828) was an English List of explorers, explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of British colonisation. He served as Surveyor General of New South Wales and is perhaps bes ...

to the region in 1823. Oxley named the area where he landed " Mermaid Beach". The adjacent area to the west eventually became known as "Mermaid Waters". Miami State School and Merrimac State High School both opened on 30 January 1979. The Broadbeach Library (located in Mermaid Waters) opened in 2008.

Demographics

In the , Mermaid Waters had a population of 11,789 people. In the , Mermaid Waters had a population of 12,045 people. In the , Mermaid Waters had a population of 13,088 people.

Shopping

There are two small local shopping centres in Mermaid Waters, and a medium-sized shopping centre, Q Super Centre, in the western parts of the suburb, with new retail and commercial developments being established in the adjacent area. Nearby Pacific Fair Shopping Centre in Broadbeach Waters is one of the largest shopping centres in the Gold Coast.

Education

Miami State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 18-36 Oceanic Drive (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 819 students with 64 teachers (55 full-time equivalent) and 43 non-teaching staff (27 full-time equivalent). The school includes a

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

program. Merrimac State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Dunlop Court (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1208 students with 103 teachers (96 full-time equivalent) and 57 non-teaching staff (43 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

Amenities

Albert Waterways Community Hall is at the northern end of the suburb. Immediately adjacent is the Broadbeach Library, which despite its name is located in Mermaid Waters, opposite Pacific Fair. A customer service centre for the Gold Coast City Council is part of this precinct. Another community hall is located on the grounds of Miami State Primary School. Pizzey Park Sports Complex hosts a variety of sports and clubs in the southern Gold Coast. Adjacent to the complex is the Miami Olympic Swimming Pool.

References

External links

* {{Localities in Gold Coast Suburbs of the Gold Coast, Queensland