Tanawha, Queensland

Tanawha Sunshine Coast,  Queensland
Lagoon at Maroochy Bushland Botanical Gardens, 2018
Tanawha
Coordinates	26°42′55″S153°02′04″E / 26.7152°S 153.0344°E / -26.7152; 153.0344 (Tanawha (centre of locality))
Population	1,312 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	102.5/km2 (265.5/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4556
Area	12.8 km2 (4.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	4.3 km (3 mi) SW of Buderim 11.4 km (7 mi) SW of Maroochydore 13.6 km (8 mi) SE of Nambour 17.7 km (11 mi) NW of Caloundra CBD 89.5 km (56 mi) N of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	Sunshine Coast Region
County	Canning
Parish	Mooloolah
State electorate(s)	Buderim Nicklin
Federal division(s)	Fisher Fairfax
Suburbs around Tanawha: Forest Glen Mons Buderim Chevallum Tanawha Sippy Downs Ilkley Glenview Palmview

Tanawha (pronounced /'tæn-uh-wuh/) ^[2] is a rural locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is a suburb of Buderim. The name Tanawha is believed to be a Māori language word referring to a legendary New Zealand monster. ^[3]

In the 2021 census, Tanawha had a population of 1,312 people. ^[1]

Geography

Tanawha is in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and is part of the Buderim urban centre. It is home of the Tanawha Tourist Drive.

The Bruce Highway passes through from south-east to north-west, and the Sunshine Motorway runs to the east. The eastern boundary includes a short length of the Bruce Highway and a short length of the Sunshine Motorway. ^[4]

History

The locality is believed to be named using a Maori language word referring to a legendary New Zealand monster Taniwha. ^[3]

Tanawha Tourist Drive was the former Bruce Highway until 16 November 1989 when the Tanawha Deviation opened to traffic. ^[5]

Frank Cunning (son of William Cunning junior, a pioneer of the Tanawha district) was a local timber cutter. He operated sawmills at Kiel Mountain (1960), Forest Glen (1968) and Nambour (1973). He cut timber for railway sleepers. He also had a 100-hectare (250-acre) cattle property along Sippy Creek. ^{[6] [7]}

Bellingham Maze opened in 1993 and has added more attractions over time. ^[8]

The Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden was opened on 1 December 2001. ^[9]

Calvary Christian Church was built from brick in 2009. ^[10]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Tanawha had a population of 1,327 people. ^[11]

In the 2021 census, Tanawha had a population of 1,312 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Tanawha. The nearest government primary schools are: ^[12]

• Chancellor State College in neighbouring Sippy Downs to the east
• Buderim Mountain State School in neighbouring Buderim to the north-east
• Chevallum State School in neighbouring Chevallum to the west
• Eudlo State School in Eudlo to the south-west,
• Glenview State School in neighbouring Glenview to the south.

The nearest government secondary school is Chancellor State College in neighbouring Sippy Downs. ^[12]

Amenities

Calvary Christian Church is at 212 Crosby Hill Road ( 26°42′35″S153°02′45″E / 26.709736°S 153.0457°E / -26.709736; 153.0457 (Calvary Christian Church) ). It is affiliated with the Australian Christian Churches. ^{[10] [13]}

Attractions

Bellingham Maze, 2015

Amaze World (formerly known as the Bellingham Maze) provides a maze, puzzle-oriented games and mini-golf at 274 Tawawha Tourist Drive ( 26°42′41″S153°01′58″E / 26.7115°S 153.0329°E / -26.7115; 153.0329 (Amaze World (Bellingham Maze)) ). ^{[14] [15]}

Spiders web art, Maroochy Bushland Botanical Gardens

The Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden is located in Tanawha, showcasing plants that are native to the Sunshine Coast. It is on Palm Creek Road ( 26°43′11″S153°01′25″E / 26.7196°S 153.0236°E / -26.7196; 153.0236 (Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden) ). ^[16]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Tanawha (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. Tent, Jane (March 2020). "Oh what a difference a vowel makes!" (PDF). Placenames Australia: 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
3. "Tanawha – locality in Sunshine Coast Region (entry 49239)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 17 November 2019.
4. Google (13 August 2019). "Tanawha, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
5. Whittington, Dorothy (25 December 2020). "Flashback: The roads that paved the way for Coast's future". Sunshine Coast News. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
6. "Coast history: Timber godsend for pioneers". Sunshine Coast Daily . 23 June 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
7. "Backward Glance – Timber getters and sawmills". Sunshine Coast Council. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
8. "Bellingham Maze and Mini Golf Review". Brisbane Kids. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
9. "Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden". Sunshine Coast Regional Council . Retrieved 29 January 2023.
10. Blake, Thom. "Calvary Christian Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
11. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Tanawha (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
12. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 29 January 2023.
13. "Sunshine Coast". Calvary Christian Church. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
14. "Amaze World". Amaze World. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
15. "Bellingham Maze". Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
16. "Visitor information". Sunshine Coast Regional Council . 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2019.