Caloundra (pop. 96,305) is an Australian tourist resort on the Sunshine Coast, 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Brisbane. The town’s name is thought to derive from the Aboriginal word callanda, meaning beautiful. The area is noted for its excellent surf beaches and fishing. The Queensland Air Museum, located in Caloundra, features dozens of aircraft with a special emphasis on those developed in Australia.
The Ngundanbi, an Aboriginal people, occupied the area before European settlement. The town was first surveyed in the 1870’s. Settlers were first able to buy land there in 1883, and Caloundra grew into a tourist destination by the early 1900’s. Growth slowed during World War II (1939-1945). A development boom began in the 1950’s, and the town’s population began to grow.
