Currimundi, Queensland

Currimundi is located on the northern boundary of the Caloundra area.{{Cite web |title=Currimundi |url=https://www.queensland.com/au/en/places-to-see/destination-information/p-56b2610e2880253d74c498bf-currimundi |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Queensland |language=en}}

Currimundi Lake is a saltwater lake situated beside Currimundi Beach. North of the lake is the Kathleen McArthur Conservation Park. Nicklin Way, the main road between Caloundra and Maroochydore, crosses Ahern Bridge over Currimundi Lake. The Ahern Bridge was named after John Ahern, a firefighter who saved many lives and won a bravery award. Currimundi attracts many tourists in the holidays and the beach is patrolled by Surf Life Saving Australia on weekends and school holidays.[https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/qld/sunshine-coast/battery-hill/currimundi "Currimundi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405080727/https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/qld/sunshine-coast/battery-hill/currimundi |date=5 April 2021 }}, Surf Life Saving Australia Beachsafe

The shopping centre at Currimundi is called the Currimundi Markets.{{Cite web |url=https://www.currimundimarkets.com.au/ |title=Currimundi Markets |access-date=11 December 2021 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508045102/https://www.currimundimarkets.com.au/ |url-status=live }}

Prior to the colonisation of Australia, Currimundi was the traditional home of the Kabi Kabi peoples.{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Country & Traditional Acknowledgement |url=https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Living-and-Community/first-nations-partnerships/welcome-to-country-and-traditional-acknowledgement |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au}}

It was named by Queensland Governor Sir Leslie Wilson, in which he used the local Aboriginal name for the area, Garamandah or Girramundi, meaning "place of flying foxes".[https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/Education-Resources-and-Events/Environment-Resources-and-Publications/Native-Animals/Flying-Foxes "Flying foxes"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513160120/https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/Education-Resources-and-Events/Environment-Resources-and-Publications/Native-Animals/Flying-Foxes |date=13 May 2021 }} by Kate Winter, Sunshine Coast Council

During World War II, Currimundi Lake and the beach areas to its north were used for defence purposes and artillery practice.{{Cite web |title=Currimundi {{!}} Queensland Places |url=https://queenslandplaces.com.au/currimundi |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=queenslandplaces.com.au}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Currimundi had a population of 6,786 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC30779|name=Currimundi (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Currimundi had a population of 6,570 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL30773|name=Currimundi (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

Currimundi State School (opened 24 January 1977) is a government primary (Prep to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 17 Buderim Street ({{coord|-26.7776|153.1355|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Currimundi State School}}).{{Citation|author1=Queensland Family History Society|title=Queensland schools past and present|publication-date=2010|edition=Version 1.01|publisher=Queensland Family History Society|isbn=978-1-921171-26-0}}{{Cite QldSchool|access-date=18 April 2019}}{{cite web|date=9 July 2018|title=State and non-state school details|url=https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997|url-status=live|access-date=21 November 2018|publisher=Queensland Government|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997|archivedate=21 November 2018}}{{cite web|title=Currimundi State School|url=https://www.currimunss.eq.edu.au|access-date=21 November 2018|archive-date=21 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621123301/http://www.currimunss.eq.edu.au/|url-status=live}} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 579 students with 48 teachers (38 full-time equivalent) and 26 non-teaching staff (17 full-time equivalent).{{cite web|title=ACARA School Profile 2018|url=https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx|access-date=28 January 2020|publisher=Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority|archive-date=27 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085246/https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx|url-status=live}} It includes a special education program.

Talara Primary College (opened 22 January 1998) is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Talara Street ({{coord|-26.7724|153.1179|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Talara Primary College}}).{{cite web|title=Talara Primary College|url=https://www.talacollss.eq.edu.au|access-date=21 November 2018|archive-date=19 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319190847/https://talacollss.eq.edu.au/|url-status=live}} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1,132 students with 79 teachers (69 full-time equivalent) and 47 non-teaching staff (31 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.{{cite web|title=Talara Primary College – Special Education Program|url=https://www.talacollss.eq.edu.au|access-date=21 November 2018|archive-date=19 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319190847/https://talacollss.eq.edu.au/|url-status=live}}

The nearest government secondary schools are Caloundra State High School, Kawana Waters State College and Meridan State College.

Currimundi is noted for its natural beauty and is home to the Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park which is a popular location for bushwalks.{{Cite web |date=2009-10-21 |title=Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park |url=https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/currimundi/about |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Parks and forests {{!}} Department of Environment and Science, Queensland |language=en-AU}}

The area has a high degree of biodiversity and includes coastal heath, open forest, woodland, low closed forest with rainforest species, sedgeland and casuarina dune plant communities.

Currimundi Lake is recognised by the Sunshine Coast Region Council as an important coastal asset for both the community and the local wildlife, and so regular maintenance is undertaken in order to protect waterways and manage erosion.{{Cite web |title=Currimundi lake maintenance |url=https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/Education-Resources-and-Events/Environment-Resources-and-Publications/Coast-and-Marine/Currimundi-Lake-Maintenance |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au}} Furthermore two local community groups, Currimundi Catchment Care Group Inc and Friends of Currimundi Lake work in cooperation and with the Sunshine Coast Council to improve the Currimundi Catchment and care for the environment.{{Cite web |title=Currimundi Catchment – Maintaining healthy waterways |url=https://currimundicatchment.org.au/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=currimundicatchment.org.au}}

In 2004 Currimundi won the annual "Queensland's Cleanest Beach" award.

In 2023 Currimundi Lake was identified as one of Queensland's top five 'ecotourism' destinations, having experienced a 325% increase in visitors post the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The lake features in a children's book, The Oobleegooblers of Lake Curramundi by Kath Dewhurst, published in 1977, which is based on a local Aboriginal story.{{cite book|last=Dewhurst|first=Kath|year=1977|title=The Oobleegooblers of Lake Curramundi|publisher=Whitcombe & Tombs|location=Sydney|others=illustrated by Edwin Rush|isbn=9780723352952|oclc=27529019}}; {{Cite web|url=http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/f/1oppkg1/slq_alma21121511860002061|title=Catalogue record: The Oobleegooblers of Lake Curramundi|publisher=State Library of Queensland|access-date=31 August 2021}}

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{{Commons category|Currimundi, Queensland}}

• {{cite web|url=http://queenslandplaces.com.au/currimundi|title=Currimundi|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland|website=Queensland Places}}

{{Sunshine Coast Region}}

Category:Suburbs of the Sunshine Coast Region

Category:Caloundra

Category:Coastline of Queensland