Beechmont, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beechmont Queensland
Beechmont
Beechmont Location in Queensland
Population	842 (2016 census)
• Density	24.48/km2 (63.4/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4211
Area	34.4 km2 (13.3 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	27.1 km (17 mi) SW of Nerang 27.3 km (17 mi) S of Tamborine Mountain 41.5 km (26 mi) SE of Beaudesert 90.2 km (56 mi) S of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Scenic Rim Region
State electorate(s)	Scenic Rim
Federal Division(s)	Wright
Suburbs around Beechmont: Witheren Lower Beechmont Advancetown Flying Fox Illinbah Beechmont Numinbah Valley Illinbah Binna Burra Numinbah Valley

Beechmont is a rural town and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Beechmont had a population of 842 people.

Geography

Beechmont is positioned on a forested ridge leading from the Lamington Plateau to Tamborine Mountain. Outstanding views in nearly all directions means that on a clear day Cunninghams Gap and other Scenic Rim landforms are visible as well as Flinders Peak, Moogerah Peaks and the D'Aguilar Range to the north west of Brisbane. Lower Beechmont is also on the Beechmont road, but slightly lower down the hill.

Roads in the area are narrow and windy, some are prone to rockfalls and some with very steep slopes. The road to Binna Burra and access to Lamington National Park goes through Beechmont. The Rosins Lookout Conservation Park is a popular launch site for hangliders and paragliders.

History

The Beechmont district was first occupied and managed by the Yugambeh people before the arrival of European timber cutters in the 1880s. The district takes its current name from the beech trees in the area.

The Beechmont State School opened on 15 August 1904.

Attempts to grow fruit in the rich soils of the area were halted due to fruit fly infestations, before the area became to be known as a mountain tourist destination from the 1920s. There are still dairy farms operational in the area, but only three remain in operation as the area is experiencing increasing levels of development.

Heritage listings

Beechmont has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Binna Burra Road: Binna Burra Cultural Landscape
• 2-4 McInnes Court: Beechmont Church

Demographics

Beechmont has a population of 842 at the 2016 census. The locality contains 17 households, in which 50.2% of the population are males and 49.8% of the population are females with a median age of 46, 8 above the national average. The average weekly household income is $1,399, $39 below the national average.

1.6% of Beechmont's population is either of Aborigional or Torres Strait Islander descent. 64.6% of the population aged 15 or over is either registered or de facto married, while 35.4% of the population is not married. 25.8% of the population is currently attending some form of a compulsory education. The most common nominated ancestries were English (31.7%), Australian (28.2%) and Scottish (9.4%), while the most common countries of birth are Australia (73.4%), England (5.1%) and New Zealand (5.0%), and the most commonly spoken languages at home are English (90.9%), French (0.5%) and German (0.4%). The most common nominated religions were No religion (44.0%), Anglican (14.5%) and Catholic (14.1%). The most common occupation was a technician/trades worker (18.4%) and the majority/plurality of residents worked 40 or more hours per week (36.8%).

Education

Beechmont State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 1922 Beechmont Road (28°07′29″S 153°11′08″E / 28.1248°S 153.1856°E / -28.1248; 153.1856 (Beechmont State School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 109 students with 10 teachers (7 full-time equivalent) and 8 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).

There is no secondary school in Beechmont. The nearest government secondary schools are Tamborine Mountain State High School in Tamborine Mountain to the north and Nerang State High School in Nerang to the north-east.

Infrastructure

There is a mobile phone tower near the village. Internet is available with ADSL1 and ADSL2+ over copper lines. The Beechmont exchange is connected via a microwave link to the Telstra National Network. Beechmont is listed on the National Broadband Network (NBN) roll-out plans for Jul-Dec 2019 with a deployment of fixed wireless technology.

Tarred roads are available to Canungra and to Nerang. The roads are narrow and windy and sometimes closed or reduced to one lane passes after landslides and other rain induced incidents.

Notable residents

Notable people from or who have lived in Beechmont include:

• Greg Brough - 1968 Olympic medalist swimmer

Images for kids

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  View from Rosins Lookout, 1994