Southside is on the south-western bank of the Mary River. Its name reflects its location south of the Gympie town centre.
History
The locality was originally known as Gympie South.
Gympie South Side State School opened on 4 July 1910. On 13 May 1954, it was renamed Gympie South State School.
In November 1937, the Methodist Church at Chatsworth was relocated to a new 0.5-acre (0.20 ha) site adjacent to the South Side State School (about 6 miles (9.7 km) away, where it was officially opened by Reverend Ira Menear. It originally opened as Chatsworth Wesleyan Methodist Church opened on Sunday 16 August 1885 and was on the Chatsworth Road (now the Bruce Highway).
Cooloola Christian College opened in 1992.
Gympie Wesleyan Methodist Church opened on 15 January 2006. A congregation was formed as a church plant of the Mary Valley Wesleyan Methodist Church (based in Amamoor) in March 1990. Services were initially held in the CWA hall in Gympie, before moving 3km to another hall. In February 2003 the congregation purchased a 2-acre (0.81 ha) block in a residential development in Southside, holding its first service in its newly constructed church on 15 January 2006.
Demographics
In the 2006 census, Southside had a population of 4,838 people.
In the 2016 census, Southside had a population of 5,737 people.
In the 2021 census, Southside had a population of 6,312 people.
Heritage listings
Southside has the following heritage listings:
Southside State School (now Gympie South State School), 50 Exhibition Road
Education
Gympie South State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 50 Exhibition Road (26°11′59″S152°38′43″E / 26.1998°S 152.6454°E / -26.1998; 152.6454 (Gympie South State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 532 students with 45 teachers (38 full-time equivalent) and 34 non-teaching staff (20 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
Cooloola Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at 1 College Road (26°11′53″S152°38′32″E / 26.1981°S 152.6421°E / -26.1981; 152.6421 (Cooloola Christian College)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 396 students with 38 teachers (33 full-time equivalent) and 33 non-teaching staff (24 full-time equivalent). It is operated by a not-for-profit company established by four churches: Baptist Church, Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church and Wesleyan Methodist Church.
There is no government secondary school in Southside. The nearest government secondary schools are Gympie State High School and James Nash State High School both located in neighbouring Gympie to the north and north-east.
^"Gympie". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
^"RELIGIOUS NOTES". The Courier-mail. No. 1306. Queensland, Australia. 6 November 1937. p. 7. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"In Country Centres". The Courier-mail. No. 1330. Queensland, Australia. 4 December 1937. p. 23. Retrieved 8 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
Scougall, J. (1985). Gympie South & district schools : 75th anniversary. Gympie South State School – via State Library of Queensland. — includes other schools including Calico Creek, Lagoon Pocket, Pie Creek, Langshaw (Eel Creek), Mooloo (Mooloo Road), Warrawee, Glastonbury, Scrubby Creek, and Greendale