Southport is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. In the , Southport had a population of 31,908 people. It contains the Gold Coast central business district. Geography Southport is bounded to the south-east by the Nerang River (), where it flows into The Broadwater, the southernmost end of Moreton Bay, which then bounds the suburb to the north-east. King Reach is a reach () of the Nerang River. 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. He was involved with rowing for over 50 years. It was gazetted on 28 November 2014. Ray Newlyn Channel is a channel () in The Broadwater. It is an east-to-west channel across The Broadwater to Main Beach avoiding two large sandbanks. 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. Musgrave Hill is a neighbourhood () in western Southport. It was gazetted on 13 November 1982. History Originally known as Nerang Creek Heads, it was named Southport because it was the southernmost port of the colony of Queensland. A settlement was first surveyed in 1874 and the name Southport decided the following year. Southport was once the site of timber mills. A port was established to ship logs to Brisbane. Cutting timber opened up the area for settlement. Early rural industries included sugar growing and livestock grazing. Southport Provisional School opened on 17 February 1880. On 1 July 1882, it became Southport State School. 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. Land was purchased in Queen Street and a Congregational church was opened there on 9 October 1880. It was used for monthly Congregational services but was also available for use by other denominations. The first minister, Reverend A.R. Bailey was appointed in 1883. A manse was built in Bauer Street. J.B. Evans was the minister from late 1885, being replaced by J. G. Cribb in 1887. In 1888 a new Congregational Church was erected in White Street costing £530 and based on the designs prepared for the Milton