If I Only Had a Heart: a History of the Gold Coast and Its Economy
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If I Only Had a Heart: A History of the Gold Coast and its Economy Author Blackman, Alan Published 2013 Version Version of Record (VoR) Copyright Statement © 2013 International Business and Asian Studies and the Author(s). The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the publisher’s website for further information. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/124762 Link to published version https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-business-school Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au If I Only Had A Heart A history of the Gold Coast and its economy Alan J Blackman PhD Over its history, the Gold Coast’s economic development has been based on four key elements: first, accessible natural resources and prime growing conditions; second, population growth; third, the creation of access-en- abling infrastructure; and fourth, entrepreneurialism. This story begins in 1823, with Oxley, Stirling and Uniacke’s exploration of the coast south from Stradbroke Island to the Tweed River and the subsequent arrival of the region’s early British and European settlers and then the creation of a string of timber, farming, mining, and fishing communities from the Logan River in the north to Coolangatta in the south, and to Beechmont in the west. If I Only Had a Heart A history of the Gold Coast and its economy From 1823 to 2013 by Alan Blackman Southport, Queensland: GRIFFITH BUSINESS SCHOOL 2013 Printed in Australia by Fast Proof Press Pty Ltd ISBN 978-1-922216-10-6 i | P a g e © Monograph by Alan Blackman 2013 Dedicated to the Ardills of Tugun Acknowledgements This work builds on the works of those giants who have gone before. In particular acknowledgement is given to Karyn for her patient editorial help, to Gold Coast City Council’s Local Studies Library staff who provided generous access to historical archives, to Professor Paul Burton for providing an opportunity for me to start, and to Professors Tony Makin and Bill Merrilees and Associate Professor Janice Bailey for their encouragement and insights. In particular, the prior works of Favenc, Steele, Lightfoot, Fitzgerald, Jones, McRobbie, Charlton, Orr, Derrick, Longhurst, Quirke, Bishop, Russell, Salt, Spearritt, Threlfall and Arundell were among many whose comprehensive manuscripts and research were scoured for relevant material. Thank you all! ii | P a g e © Monograph by Alan Blackman 2013 The Author Alan Blackman is a Senior Lecturer in Griffith Business School and has taught Business Strategy as part of the School’s Master of Business Administration program since 1993. He currently convenes a range of Work Integrated Learning courses for Griffith Business School. A Churchill Fellow, Alan earned Master of Business Administration and Master of Law degrees from Bond University in 1990 and 1991 and a PhD from Griffith University in 2003. From 1992 to 2011 he managed Gold Coast management consulting and research firm, the ‘Centre for Independent Business Research’. His research has included a scoping study into the information technology and communications industry in the Gold Coast region (1998), an investigation of the structure of the multimedia industry in SEQ (1999), a determination of the most suitable model for a sustainable economic community based on information technology and communications industries (2001), a study of entrepreneurs and the impact of their characteristics and values on the performance of their businesses (2003), and a series of studies of strategically important industry sectors in Gold Coast City (2000-2004, 2006-2012). As an active member of his local community, in 2010 Alan received the prestigious “Queensland Sport’s Volunteer of the Year Award” and on Australia Day 2011 he was chosen as Scenic Rim Region’s “Citizen of the Year”. He is married with four children and lives with his wife Karyn on Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland. iii | P a g e Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. ii The Author ............................................................................................................................................. iii Contents ................................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... v Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 The First Sixty Years: 1823-1883 ........................................................................................................... 3 Trains, Planes, Automobiles, Federation, Depressions and Wars: 1884-1964 ..................................... 11 The Tourism Boom; and Bust: 1965 to 1983 ........................................................................................ 28 Sport, Education & Gambling & the winds of change: 1984 to 1989 .................................................. 30 Toward amalgamation and a new millennium: the 1990s .................................................................... 31 A New Century: Y2K, 9/11 and beyond ............................................................................................... 33 The Big Shift: What first; the chicken or the egg?................................................................................ 37 In quest of a heart .................................................................................................................................. 40 Highlights and future options ................................................................................................................ 41 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................... 47 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 53 Appendix A: Milestones - 1823-2013 ............................................................................................... 53 Appendix B: Gold Coast’s Mayors: 1949 - 2013 ............................................................................. 65 Town of South Coast .................................................................................................................... 65 Gold Coast City Council ............................................................................................................... 65 Gold Coast City Council (amalgamation with Albert Shire Council 22 March 1995) ................ 65 Appendix C: Gold Coast City’s Industry Development Timeline .................................................... 66 iv | P a g e © Monograph by Alan Blackman 2013 Table of Figures Figure 1: Captain John Oxley, 1783-1828, from a portrait in the possession of Mrs Oxley, of Bowral. The portrait was presented to Mrs. King, widow of Governor King, in 1810, and signed by him (Source: Favenc, E. 1908, "The Explorers of Australia and their Life-Work", epub, www.slq.qld.gov.au accessed 06/03/13). 4 Figure 2: Alan Cunningham's map of the Moreton Region, Queensland, circa 1829. Photographer unknown. Held at Local Studies Library, Gold Coast City Council. ...................................................... 5 Figure 3: Sketch of the Nerang River with the Manchester Cotton Company holdings, Robert Muir holdings and Morris Pardoe holdings, South Coast, Queensland, circa 1880s [picture] / Photographer unknown. Held at Local Studies Library, Gold Coast City Council. ...................................................... 6 Figure 4: John Cornelius Howard's Riverside Mill, Upper Coomera, 1880. Artist and photographer unknown. Digital image held by Gold Coast City Council’s Local Studies Library, Southport. ......... 10 Figure 5: Southport’s first cricket team c. 1883, Photographer unknown Digital image held by Gold Coast City Council’s Local Studies Library, Southport........................................................................ 11 Figure 6: The High School - Main Building c. 1900, originally the summer residence of Queensland Governors. Original image held by Gold Coast Local Studies Library, accession date 9/91; accession number LHP6475). ............................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 7: Steam train with passengers waiting at Mudgeeraba Railway Station, c. 1916, Queensland. Photographer unknown. Held at Local Studies Library, Gold Coast City Council. ............................. 18 Figure 8: Southport Motor Works, the first garage in Southport, located in Garden Street, Queensland, c. 1920. Photographer unknown. Held at Local Studies Library, Gold Coast City Council................. 19 Figure 9 (left): Jubilee Bridge, Southport c. 1930. Photographer unknown. Held at Local Studies Library, Gold Coast City Council. Copyright held by Gold Coast City Council. ................................ 20 Figure 10 (below): Surfers Paradise Hotel and Zoo c. 1930. Photographer unknown. Copyright held by Gold Coast City Council. ................................................................................................................. 20 Figure 11: Qantas Empire