Beenleigh (4207)
Located 34 km to Brisbane South and near the junction of the Logan and Albert Rives, Beenleigh (4207) was first surveyed in 1866 as a station point in both the Beenleigh line opened in 1885 and the South Coast line opened in 1889. Beenleigh was named for the family estate back in England of the first settlers in the 1860s. The suburb became well known for sugar cane plantations with the first mill established in 1867 and was the base of Australia’s first rum distillery built in 1864. Cane production was supplemented with dairying in 1889. A post office was opened in 1867 and a school in 1871. In 1952 an abattoir was established to service Beenleigh’s rapidly growing beef industry.
Since then, Beenleigh has seen continuous urban development such that it is now a significant, self-sufficient town with commercial and retail areas including three major shopping centres, a district court complex and various other public and community services, numerous schools, a library and several theatres. It is also home to a historical village which preserves a collection of historical buildings and houses. Beenleigh has a rich array of sporting facilities to service sports such as baseball, soccer, football, swimming, netball, tennis, even roller derby, and with its access to the Logan River, fishing and boating. Similarly, Beenleigh is busy through the year with social events including the Rum, Rump and Rhumba Festival and the Beenleigh Show.
Because it is such a major urban centre, Beenleigh is strategically situated on the Pacific Motorway and has ready rail and bus access to Brisbane and the Gold Coast. In 2011, 8300 people lived in Beenleigh, their average age is 34 years. Most residents were Anglo-Australian, a minority from the Philippines, with English being the primary language spoken at home.
