Bells Creek, Queensland

Bells Creek is located {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} west of Caloundra. The Bruce Highway traverses the locality from the south-west to the north-west. Most of the land is freehold and used for farming. The Mooloolah River National Park is in the north-western corner of the locality. The south-western corner of the locality forms part of the Beerwah State Forest.{{Queensland Globe|access-date=17 October 2017}}

The locality takes its name from the creek, which in turn was named after Mary Alice Bell (later Eglington) who bought Portion 29 south of the creek. She was the governess of the children of explorer and pioneer William Landsborough. The creek had previously been known as Kelaher Creek and by the Indigenous people as Tooringoor.{{Cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/191351387|title=William Landsborough|publisher=Sunshine Coast Libraries|access-date=18 October 2017|archive-date=21 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521015627/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/191351387|url-status=live}}

On 18 August 2017, the north-eastern part of Bells Creek was excised to create the locality of Baringa to accommodate future suburban growth in the Caloundra South Priority Development Area.{{cite QPN|50031|Baringa|locality in Sunshine Coast Region|access-date=18 October 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/place-names/proposals-decisions/decisions#16-049|title=Recent place name decisions|publisher=Queensland Government|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017222749/https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/place-names/proposals-decisions/decisions|archive-date=17 October 2017|url-status=usurped|access-date=18 October 2017}}

On 14 June 2019, the localities of Bells Creek and Meridan Plains were again excised to the localities of Banya, Corbould Park, Gagalba and Nirimba to accommodate future suburban growth in the Caloundra South Priority Development Area.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/title/place-names/proposals-decisions/decisions|title=Recent place name decisions|date=11 October 2019|website=Queensland Government|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022094413/https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/title/place-names/proposals-decisions/decisions|archive-date=2019-10-22|access-date=2019-10-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnrme.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1431664/18098-qpn1395-proposal.pdf|title=Proposed locality boundaries: Banya, Bells Creek, Corbould Park, Gagalba, Meridan Plains, Nirimba|date=22 February 2019|publisher=Queensland Government|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728222003/https://www.dnrme.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1431664/18098-qpn1395-proposal.pdf|archive-date=28 July 2019|access-date=22 October 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnrme.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1447051/18089-qpn1395-decision.pdf|title=Locality boundaries of Banya, Bells Creek, Corbould Park, Gagalba, Meridan Plains, Nirimba|date=14 June 2019|publisher=Queensland Government|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728222142/https://www.dnrme.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1447051/18089-qpn1395-decision.pdf|archive-date=28 July 2019|access-date=22 October 2019}}{{Cite QPN|50399|Banya|locality in the Sunshine Coast Region|access-date=22 October 2019}}{{Cite QPN|50400|Corbould Park|locality in the Sunshine Coast Region|access-date=22 October 2019}}{{Cite QPN|50401|Gagalba|locality in the Sunshine Coast Region|access-date=22 October 2019}}{{Cite QPN|50402|Nirimba|locality in the Sunshine Coast Region|access-date=22 October 2019}}

In the {{CensusAU|2011}}, Bells Creek had a population of 317 people.{{Census 2011 AUS|id=SSC30142|name=Bells Creek (State Suburb)|access-date=11 June 2011|quick=on}} The population was 52.1% female and 47.9% male. The median age of the Bells Creek population was 32 years, 5 years below the national median of 37. 79.6% of people living in Bells Creek were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 3.8%, England 3.5%, Scotland 1.9%, Samoa 1.9%, United States of America 1.6%. 89.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 1.9% Arabic, 1.3% Afrikaans.

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Bells Creek had a population of 94 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC30224|name=Bells Creek (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Bells Creek had a population of 343 people. This included the populations of neighbouring newly created localities of Banya and Gagalba.

There are no schools in Bells Creek. The nearest government primary schools are Baringa State School in neighbouring Baringa to the north, Nirimba State Primary School in neighbouring Nirimba to the west, and Landsborough State School in Landsborough to the west. The nearest government secondary schools are Baringa State Secondary College in Baringa and Beerwah State High School in Beerwah to the south-west.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=23 June 2024 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government}}

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{{Sunshine Coast Region}}

Category:Suburbs of the Sunshine Coast Region

Category:Localities in Queensland