Suburb Details
Originally known as Nerang Creek Heads, Southport is one of the Gold Coast’s oldest suburbs. The Queensland Government named the area Southport because it was the southernmost port of the colony of Queensland. The suburb owed its existence to the timber industry because a port and several timber mills were set up in the area to meet the demand for timber in Brisbane.
The suburb is now officially recognised by the City of the Gold Coast as city’s central business district. Around 8000 businesses are registered in Southport, but the suburb also has an incredible mix of housing options ranging from small affordable units that have appeal to first-home buyers through to the most the extravagant dwellings imaginable. Many consider Southport’s residential areas around the The Southport School as being the Gold Coast’s version of Toorak because the precinct has many stately homes set on large blocks of land and some with river frontage.
Property prices in the TSS district have outperformed the rest of the Gold Coast for many years because homes in the area are so tightly held that people are willing to pay a premium to get in when they can. Generally, people living in the TSS district generally don’t sell for at least 15 years because they wait until their children to finish school. Some of the homes in McMillan Court, Regatta Parade, and Winchester Street are among the most sought-after pieces of real estate on the Gold Coast.
Elsewhere in Southport there are much more affordable options for family buyers while in the central part of Southport there is an incredible array of apartments to choose from. As of January 2023, the median price for a house in Southport was sitting at $915,000, significantly up from the $580,000 median price recording in January 2018. For apartments, the median price has risen from $405,000 in January 2018 to $509,750 in January 2023.
So what are the attractions of Southport for buyers. Well, apart from great schools and its proximity to the business hub, the suburb has an incredible range of tourism, recreation and entertainment. Firstly the suburb is home to Australia Fair Shopping centre, which is one of the largest in the city, and the surrounding area is filled with cafes, restaurants and shops.
In this area, at the intersection of Young and Davenport Streets, you will also discover the Gold Coast’s version of Chinatown. Southport has long been a popular base for Chinese but the Chinatown precinct is still relatively young. The areas might still be growing but will find a good selection of Asian cuisine and live shows of an evening.
Across the Gold Coast Highway from Australia Fair is the Broadwater Parklands which is an incredible parkland newly developed by the council. Broadwater Parklands is a fantastic family destination with a host of attractions for children and adults alike. These include BBQ facilities, a water park/play area, playgrounds, art works, walking paths and rock pools. From the jetty at the parklands, you can jump on the HOPPO ferry and cruise the river and the Broadwater.
Within the grounds of the Broadwater Parklands is the Southport Aquatic Centre, which hosted the swimming and diving events during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In fact, throughout Southport you will find some of the city’s leading sporting facilities.
Click for more detail and Core Logic Statistics – Suburb Report Southport