Tugun is situated at the junction of the Pacific and Gold Coast highways 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-west of Coolangatta and 97 kilometres (60 mi) south of Brisbane, the state capital.
Tugun is a popular vacation spot, featuring several holiday units and motels along Tugun Beach. The area also boasts a variety of shops situated along its Golden-Four Drive stretch. The Jolly Swagman motel owner proposed naming the section of the former Brisbane to Sydney Highway nearest the beaches "Golden Four Drive." A new highway was constructed further to the west and the local Council consulted with the community for suggestions about naming the bypassed section of the older highway. "Golden Four" was a local name that referred to the four southern golden beaches of Tugun Beach, Bilinga Beach, North Kirra Beach (in Bilinga), and Kirra Beach (inKirra).[citation needed]
The name Tugun is believed to have derived from an Indigenous word of unknown dialect meaning "breaking waves".[9]
Tugun Baptist Church opened in February 1925 on two parcels of land donated by Mrs J. H. Morgan.[10][11][12]
In 1959, St Monica's Catholic Church was opened, able to accommodate 150 people. In 1970, it was extended by half. In 1990, it was re-oriented and extended by half again. In 1996, St Monica's Samaritan Centre was established beside the church; it is used by Centacare to provided services for disabled people. [13]
All Saints' Anglican Church was dedicated on 1 November 1980 by Bishop Administror Ralph Wicks. It was conscrecrated on 11 November 1984 by ArchbishopJohn Grindrod. Its closure on 22 September 1999 was approved by Assistant Bishop Ron Williams.[15]
The junction of the Pacific and Gold Coast highways was notoriously traffic-clogged but has improved markedly upon completion of the Tugun Bypass in June 2008.[citation needed]
In the 2011 census, Tugun recorded a population of 5,976 people, 51.1% female and 48.9% male. The median age of the Tugun population was 39 years, 2 years above the national median of 37. 76.1% of people living in Tugun were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 5.3%, England 4%, Scotland 0.6%, Japan 0.6%, Canada 0.5%. 89.5% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% Japanese, 0.5% Portuguese, 0.4% Italian, 0.4% Mandarin, 0.3% Spanish.[16]
In the 2016 census, Tugun had a population of 6,588 people.[17]
In the 2021 census, Tugun had a population of 7,175 people.[1]
A number of well-known sporting teams represent the local area, including the Tugun Seahawks, the local rugby league club who play home games at Betty Diamond Complex.[citation needed]
Other amenities in the suburb include the Tugun Tavern.[citation needed]
^"1925 Tugun". Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^"BAPTIST UNION". The Daily Mail. No. 7665. Queensland, Australia. 23 September 1926. p. 8. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
