The sailing vessel known as the ‘Coolangatta’ gave its name to the area between the townships of Bilinga and Tweed Heads. On the outskirts of Kirra, its neighboring town, lies the memorial to its shipwreck, easily noticeable due to the anchor protruding from the front. It was initially uncovered in 1936 due to a cyclone that hit Queensland and deposited the eroded material on the north beach. Ironically, in March of 1846, it was an unforeseen cyclone that had driven the brigantine ashore after it had been anchored in port for five weeks while awaiting passage into Tweed River. An attempt was made in December of the same year to refloat the vessel by lifting it out of the sand with wooden rollers, but a second gale forced it into a worse position before relaunching. The lasting remains of the schooner have been slowly exposed, with the latest discovery being in 1973, just offshore of Coolangatta Creek. It had been reported that the wreck had injured several members of the public when they had collided with it in the surf. Consequently, instead of excavating the ship frame, the government believed it necessary to demolish the protruding ribs, thus leaving what was kept below the sand intact but destroying a piece of local heritage.
