Book excerpt: Blackman draws on original material and the work of many earlier researchers to paint a verbal picture of the evolution of a remarkable city. In an easy-to-read style, he highlights some of the conditions, key events, and individuals that have led to the development of Australia’s Gold Coast. The story of the City of Gold Coast is more than just any story. It describes the growth of Australia’s sixth-largest city, the nation’s most populous city that is not a state capital. A city of more than 600,000, it has grown at a rate of four per cent yearly since the 1950s. It sustains a growth rate well ahead of its infrastructure and its economy’s capacity to provide full-time employment to the many new arrivals. A city heavily reliant on tourism and construction, it is regularly subjected to the boom and bust of a fickle world economy. But it continues to expand and evolve. And, like so many coastal towns worldwide, this Gold Coast may soon be threatened by the tides. This book is essential for students, researchers, anyone interested in industry and urban development and those seeking to understand the city where they live, work, and play.