Download coordinates as: Southport is a coastal town and the most populous suburb in the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

It was named in honour of Jeremy King (3 March 1935 – 13 October 2010) for his coaching, involvement and dedication to the sport of rowing within the Southport district.

Raymond Paul (Ray) Newlyn was a Southport resident and a Commander in the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association; he died on 18 October 1997, it was gazetted on 11 January 2002.

[13] In 1879, the first Congregational services were held in Southport in the home of J. C. Lather conducted by the Reverend J. Whiting who ministered in the Logan and Albert River districts.

[24] After the arrival of the rail and prior to the construction of vehicular or pedestrian bridges across the Nerang River, a ferry service run by Johan Meyer ferried passengers to Main Beach, Queensland and a horse and buggy service linked the area to Surfers Paradise.

[13][34][35]By 1901 (Federation), Southport was well established as a tourist seaside spot with numerous accommodation options and a permanent population of 1,230.

[36] Tourism continued to expand in the first half of the 20th century with Southport maintaining its role as a seaside resort and a popular destination for day trippers and excursionists travelling from Brisbane.

[39][40] The construction of the Jubilee Bridge in 1925 between Southport and Main Beach replaced the ferry service and facilitated further growth.

[42] In 1924, the Southport Surf Life Saving Club was established to protect swimmers at present-day Main Beach.

[47] The circuit was 5.7 miles in length, and there were two "no-passing" sections, where the road surface was too narrow for overtaking and too expensive to widen.

[46] The Grand Prix was won by Lex Davison in a HWM-Jaguar, ahead of Curly Brydon in an MG TC and Ken Richardson in a Ford V8 Special.

[50] It was located on 5 hectares (12 acres) of prime real estate facing the Broadwater which was previously the site of the popular Southport Hotel which was originally constructed in 1876.

The area is now home to the Meriton Brighton on Broadwater development, a mix of high and low-rise buildings together with trendy eateries and some retail outlets.

In more recent years another a time capsule was discovered on the Sundale site which was buried when the mall was originally constructed.

The body of water marking the eastern boundary of present-day Southport is known as the Gold Coast Broadwater.

The Broadwater houses the Southport Yacht Club and a number of marinas on the southern bank of the Nerang River in an area now known as Main Beach.

Located opposite Southport on the far side of the Broadwater on The Spit, is the theme park Sea World.

The re-opening of the mall (the old CBD, located adjacent to the shopping centre) to low-speed through traffic, after eight years of closure to vehicles, took place in 2000.

[62] At the top of the mall, on the south western intersection of Scarborough and Nerang Streets, is the Art Deco styled Hotel Cecil which is considered an 'important anchor' in the streetscape.

[63] Opposite the hotel is a G:link station and, a few metres to the north, is the major northern bus interchange for the Gold Coast.

[citation needed] The City of Gold Coast Southport Branch Library is located on the Corner of Garden and Lawson Streets.

[66] Located on Nind Street, the Sata Nita building built in 1936 by Ralf Tennant Johnston, is now home to a funeral business.

[104] The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre is located on Marine Parade adjacent to Southport Broadwater.

The state government has allocated A$16M with matched funding from Gold Coast City Council (over $32 million in total), to invest into the parklands.

[citation needed] Located on the eastern edge of the suburb is home to the Gold Coast's health and knowledge precinct.

[43] Habitats for native mammals include large trees with or without hollows, fallen logs, leaf litter and understorey vegetation.

A light rail system called G:link opened in July 2014 and ran between Broadbeach to Gold Coast University Hospital.

There are seven light rail stations in the suburb, connecting Southport with the major hubs of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

Its intention was to operate from the previous terminus at Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale railway station.

[115] Helensvale is the suburb's nearest railway station, located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the Southport CBD.