Beenleigh Local Info

Location

Beenleigh and surrounding suburbs are part of the Logan City Council and is located in a pocket of land between the Albert and Logan Rivers. Just 25 minutes drive to Surfers Paradise and 25 minutes drive to Brisbane with easy access to the M1.

About Beenleigh

Beenleigh is 34km south of Brisbane and is strategically placed   in the Brisbane Gold Coast Growth corridor. Beenleigh has recently become part of the Logan City Council as part of the state wide initiative undertaken by the Queensland State Government to reform local council boundaries.
The booming Yatala Enterprise Area is just 5 minutes south of Beenleigh and is home to many large companies providing for thousands of jobs.
Beenleigh is also home to many government Departments including Centrelink, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Motor Transport and the Courthouse. Council facilities such as the Library, local swimming pool and tennis courts also make up part of the town's recreational facilities. There are both public primary and high schools in the town as well established nongovernmental schools.

History

When Europeans first settled here, news of their arrival quickly spread, no doubt, among the local aboriginal people the Yugambeh. The rivers were an important food and transport resource for both the aboriginal people and European settlers. In the 1860s, the area was referred to as the Logan & Albert District.
Around 1864, brother-in-laws, Francis Gooding and John Davy established their Beenleigh sugar plantation near the northern bank of the Albert River.


A town develops: In 1868, a Mr Savage opened a general store at the crossroads of five roads leading to the Logan and Albert Rivers, Cedar Creek and farther south to the Nerang District. By 1869, Michael Tansey opened the first hotel the ‘Planter's Rest ‘near Savage's General Store. The hotel became a convenient stopping place for passing coaches and travellers. Prior to the hotel's opening, the nearest pub for thirsty travellers was at Eight Mile Plains, south of Brisbane. This ‘halfway between destinations' attribute shaped the character and businesses of Beenleigh.
As horse and coach traffic increased, the settlement acquired the services of a hotel and blacksmith and was referred to in the Brisbane newspapers as the township of Beenleigh. A government land survey of Beenleigh town-ship was completed in 1870, and a school opened in the following year as well as a court house.
This courthouse is still used today.