Mooloolaba is a suburb and tourist resort township on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located 97 kilometres (60 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is part of the Maroochydore urban centre. At the 2011 Australian Census the suburb recorded a population of 7,333.
Mooloolaba is bounded on the east by the Coral Sea, on the south by the Mooloolah River, on the north by Alexandra Headland and to the west by Buderim. Mooloolaba Harbour (actually the mouth of the Mooloolah River) is the home of a large fleet of fishing vessels, as well as being the northern base for the pilot vessels that control shipping through Moreton Bay and the Port of Brisbane. Due to its sheltered location in the lee of Point Cartwright, it is an all-weather harbour favoured by recreational sailors.
The esplanade facing Mooloolaba beach is a centre for tourist activity, containing the UnderWater World marine park, as well as many souvenir and clothing shops, bookshops, galleries and restaurants. Behind the apartments facing the beach are camping grounds, backpacker hostels and canal villas. It is also a tourism destination, with cruise ships regularly anchoring outside the port.
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In 1861 Lieutenant Heath surveyed and chartered the Mooloolah River mouth and harbour. The following year, Tom Petrie explored the region for timber resources. By 1864, the first land was purchased at the mouth of the Mooloolah River by William Pettigrew. Pettigrew dominated the timber trade in the Maroochy District for the next thirty years. He founded a timber depot and wharf to ship timber from Cotton Tree and Buderim to his Brisbane sawmill. In partnership with James Low, he also opened the first store in the district to serve the needs of the new settlers.
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