James Beattie, a farmer, became the first European to settle in the area when he staked out an farm on the northern bank of the
Nerang River, close to present-day Cavill Avenue. The farm proved unsuccessful and was sold in 1877 to German
immigrant Johan Meyer, who turned the land into a sugar farm and mill. Meyer also had little luck growing in the sandy soil and within a decade had auctioned the farm to focus on providing access to tourists wanting to visit the surf beach. From 1880 to 1928, Meyer's Ferry operated across the
Nerang River transporting passengers and vehicles. He operated a horse-and-buggy service from the Southport railway station to the beach. He built the Main Beach Hotel. By 1889, Meyer's hotel had become a post receiving office and subdivisions surrounding it were called
Elston, named by the
Southport postmaster after his wife's home in
Southport,
Lancashire, England. The Main Beach Hotel licence lapsed after Meyer's death in 1901 and for 16 years Elston was a tourist town without a hotel or post office. In 1917, a land auction was held by
Brisbane real estate company Arthur Blackwood to sell subdivided blocks in Elston as the "Surfers' Paradise Estate", but the auction failed because access was difficult. This was the first recorded reference to the name Surfers Paradise. Elston began to get more visitors after the opening of
Jubilee Bridge and the extension of the South Coast Road in 1925. Elston was no longer cut off by the river and speculators began buying land around Elston and further south at
Burleigh Heads. Estates down the coast were promoted and hotels opened to accommodate tourists and investors. In July 1936 Cavill's timber hotel burnt to the ground and was rebuilt the following year. In 1934, Surfers Paradise State School was first established on the north-east corner of Laycock Street and the Gold Coast Highway (now Gold Coast Boulevard), three blocks south of
Cavill Avenue (). In 1976, the school relocated to its current site on the Isle of Capri. In December 1938, tenders were called to construct a Methodist church in Hamilton Avenue, just off the Pacific Highway, close to the beach. The church was to seat 140 people and was designed by architect W. J. E. Kerrison. It was anticipated that the church would open at Easter in 1939. However, tenders were called again in July 1939. In June 1940, church officials indicated that they still did not have sufficient funds to build the church. In September 1940, tenders were called again to build the church in Clifford Street. On Saturday 23 October 1940, the
stump-capping ceremony was held. On Saturday 14 December 1940, the Surfers Paradise Methodist Church was opened by Reverend Wilfred Slater, the President of the Methodist Conference. In 1977, it was part of the amalgamation that created the
Uniting Church in Australia and became known as Clifford Street Uniting Church. The church celebrated its 50th anniversary in December 1990. An amalgamation of the Uniting Church congregations on the Gold Coast resulted in the closure of the Clifford Street church, which was relocated to
Emmanuel College in
Carrara to serve as their chapel. It was officially reopened at the college on 7 July 1991. In the late 40s
Margot Kelly moved here and had the Hibiscus Room built. This was a fine-dining restaurant and entertainment venue that attracted an exclusive clientele. A development boom followed in the 1950s and 1960s. The first highrise in Surfers Paradise was erected in 1959 and was named the Kinkabool. The Kinkabool stood 10 stories high and remains to this day in Hanlan Street. Many tall apartment buildings were constructed in the decades that followed, including the iconic buildings included the Iluka, St Tropez and
The Pink Poodle. The boom later saw strong Japanese investment in the 1980s. Little remains of the early vegetation or natural features of the area and even the historical association of the beachfront development with the river is tenuous. The early subdivision pattern remains, although later reclamation of the islands in the
Nerang River as housing estates (e.g.
Chevron Island), and the bridges to those islands, have created a contrast reflected in subdivision and building form. In the early 2010s, the annual Surfers Paradise Festival was held in March and April. It was a celebration of local music, food, fashion, film and art and is a key driver of the Gold Coast's long-term cultural development. Across the four weekends of the festival, the Surfers Paradise precinct was transformed into a vibrant showcase of the Gold Coast's emerging arts and cultural scene.The festival comprised an accessible mix of family events, exhibitions, live music, street markets and short film screenings. By 2020, minor changes had occurred in extending the road along the beachfront since the early subdivision and The Esplanade road is now a focus of activity, with supporting shops and restaurants. The intensity of activity, centred on Cavill, Orchid and Elkhorn Avenues, is reflected in the density of development. Of all places on the Gold Coast the high-rise buildings in this area constitute a dominant and enduring image visible from as far south as
Coolangatta and from the mountain resorts of the hinterland. == Demographics ==