The transformation of the Gold Coast began in the late 1920s with the establishment of the Surfers Paradise Hotel, marking the start of the region’s rapid growth as a holiday destination. Originally referred to as the South Coast due to its location south of Brisbane, the area gained the nickname "Gold Coast" in the 1950s, inspired by inflated real estate prices and booming tourism. While locals initially viewed the name as derogatory, it soon became a convenient identifier for the popular coastal strip stretching from Southport to Coolangatta.

The administrative landscape of the region also evolved during this period. On 17 June 1949, the Town of South Coast was formed by amalgamating the Towns of Coolangatta and Southport, along with parts of the Shire of Nerang including Burleigh Heads, creating a unified local government area for the entire coastal strip. As tourism flourished in the 1950s, businesses adopted the Gold Coast name, and on 23 October 1958, the Town of South Coast officially became the Town of Gold Coast. Less than a year later, on 16 May 1959, the area was proclaimed a city, formalizing its status as a major urban center.

The Gold Coast experienced another significant boom during the 1980s, emerging as one of Australia’s leading tourist destinations. Its population and administrative boundaries continued to grow, including the 1994 expansion to incorporate the Shire of Albert. By 2007, the Gold Coast had overtaken Newcastle to become the sixth-largest city in Australia and the country’s largest non-capital city. Highlighting its global profile, the city hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, cementing its reputation as both a premier tourist destination and an international sports and events hub.