Broadbeach is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Broadbeach had a population of 5,514 people. Geography Development in the area today mostly incorporates low rise structures, consisting of single bedroom houses and apartment blocks. Much of the suburb consists of canal waterways, including Lake Intrepid that are linked to the Nerang River. The suburb contains a major road intersection between Nerang - Broadbeach Road and the Gold Coast Highway. History In circa 1924, 70 allotments were advertised as "Mermaid Beach Estate" located at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach to be auctioned by R. G. Oates Estates. The estate map has 3 estates for sale at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach. The estates were divided in two by the "New Coastal Road" running through the Gold Coast. While residential housing lots were selling successfully in the state government developed Broadbeach township from 1934, and the area had good bitumen roads that were described as 'speedways' in newspaper reports, it wasn't until the construction of Lennon's Broadbeach Hotel (now the site of the Oasis Hotel and Shopping Centre) in 1955 - 1956 that development of the area as a holiday destination began to increase. Broadbeach State School opened on 16 May 1960. In the , Broadbeach had a population of 5,514 people. The median age of the Broadbeach population was 41 years, higher than the national median of 38. 51.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 7.0% and England 4.7%. 66.8% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 31.0% and Catholic 20.3%. Heritage There are a number of heritage sites in Broadbeach, including: 2684 Gold Coast Highway (Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre): Seal Sculpture by Len Shillam (relocated from the former Lennon's Hotel, Broadbeach) Seal sculpture In 1954 Len Shillam was commissioned to create a water fountain feature for the pool of Lennon's Hotel at Broadbeach (the first large hotel on the Gold Coast). He created a lifesize sculpture of a seal with its pup in polished terrazzo which became a much-photographed icon. After the demolition of the hotel in 1987, the sculpture was relocated to a jetty at the Sakura Japanese gardens restaurant. It later disappeared but was found at that bottom of a canal. After it was retrieved by Conrad Jupiters Casino and Bond University,