COOLUM, QUEENSLAND

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Coolum is the largest beach side resort on Queensland's southern Sunshine Coast. The area is fast growing with a population of 18, 000. The resort town is renowned for its quality world-class golf courses and accommodation and is home to a lively cafe and restaurant scene. Coolum Beach is a popular day trip and holiday destination. The town is focused around the beach which is patrolled by life savers and offers swimming and surfing, in its day it is known as one of the best breaks in Queensland.
Location: 90 minutes (135 km) north of Brisbane and about 15 km south of Noosa.
Origin of name: The origin of the name Coolum appears to be derived from the Aboriginal word 'gulum' or 'kulum' meaning 'blunt' or 'headless'. This is assumed to refer to the shape of Mount Coolum, which has no peak. According to Aboriginal legend, Ninderry knocked off Coolum's head and it fell into the ocean and is now Mudjimba Island.
Brief history: The Coolum district was the traditional land of the Inabara or Yinneburra clan of the Undanbi Tribe. In turn, they were part of the larger group of the Kabi Kabi.
In 1823, the first Europeans to pass through Coolum were castaways and shipwrecked sailors. The first land selection in Coolum was made in 1871 by Grainger Ward - a pastoral lease of 255 hectares. Here, Ward ran upwards of 300 head of cattle. The first permanent european settler of Coolum was William Perry-Keene and his family in 1905. Cane farming provided the main source of financial stability in the distruct until the advent of tourism in the 1960s.
Natural features: Mt Coolum; Coolum Beach