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The Gold Coast is located in Queensland, about one hundred kilometers south of Brisbane and was named after the many great beaches on the ocean shore, with fine sand of a golden color. The Gold Coast has developed into a popular tourist destination. It has a favorable climate which has attracted migrants, including Serbians - primarily retirees from Sydney, Melbourne and other cooler parts of Australia.

Since the early eighties the Serbian population on the Gold Coast has gradually increased. As they were still few in numbers, the Serbians from this area occasionally gathered for prayer in the Greek Orthodox Chapel, located in Bundall. They were joined by the Russians who also did not have their own place of worship. The first Divine Liturgy for Serbians and Russians was conducted by the pastor of the Brisbane Serbian Orthodox Church, Nikola Bilić, in Greek Orthodox Chapel in Bundall, on 19 April 1982. Common services commenced from then on and the Serbians were then able to organise periodic meetings and have small celebrations.

As the number of members in the Serbian and Russian communities grew from year to year, priests from Brisbane from both Serbian and Russian churches began to travel from Brisbane to conduct services each month.

Sometime later the parishioners, headed by the Priest, began to make plans for the future. At one meeting with Priest Bilić, it was decided to choose a Church board and establish a missionary parish under the name of The Most Holy Mother of God, which was blessed by Bishop Longin in 1984. Due to the substantial distance from the Serbian Church in Brisbane, in 1987 the Church Board decided to ask the Gold Coast City Council for land on long lease, to build the church of their patron saint, The Most Holy Mother of God.

On 18th November 1988, after several requests and discussions with the authorities, the Commission for the Administration of Land decided to award the land size of nearly half an acre (4950m2) at 114-118 Allied Drive, Arundel for the building of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Dimitrije Vučić was credited for obtaining the land, and President Aleksandar Ćosić was one of those who put a great deal of time and effort into establishing the Church.

Although few in number, the diligent Church Board and Priest were organising worship and preparing celebrations, parties and picnics where funds were collected for the Church construction. Soon, the effort was confirmed when Bishop Longin, declared on the 4th of October, 1990 that the missionary parish would be raised the level of parish.

The land in Arundel was prepared shortly after. Construction of the Church Hall began in 1990 and in 1991 construction of the Chapel by voluntary labor began. The Consecration of Bishop Longin was performed with the clergy and the local parish priest Nikola Bilić.

Hardworking Serbians from the Gold Coast area continued with the construction of the Church under the leadership of the new Parish Priest, Dušan Stefanov. Building of the Church commenced in 1998 and by 2005 it had a roof, and rendered outside.

The iconostasis for the Church was made in Serbia and shipped to the Gold Coast for installation.

Priests who have presided on the Gold Coast: Nikola Bilić, Nedeljko Milanović, Dragoljub Pantelić, Ljubomir Kudrić, Dušan Stefanov, Nikola Stefanov, Đordje Petrović & Velibor Bojičić.

 

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