Gaven

Gaven, a rural/residential suburb on the Gold Coast, is immediately north of Nerang and west of the Pacific Highway. Until 2004 it included Pacific Pines, now a separate suburb.

Gaven was defined as a future residential area in 1979 by the Albert Shire Council, and named after a well-known local family. Eric Gaven was a local shire councillor (1935-66) and State parliamentarian for Southport (1950-60).  In 1990 Stockland acquired 800 ha of land in the west of Gaven, the site including a pine plantation with views to Stradbroke Island and Coolangatta. It was planned as a 5800 lot estate with a potential population of 15,000 people. Named Pacific Pines, about half the allotments were sold during 1993-2003. Demand for house lots improved with the upgrading of the Pacific Motorway in 2000, and alternative access to Brisbane from the Helensvale railway station put Gaven in a favourable commuting situation.

Within a few years State primary and high schools were opened (2002, 2000), along with the Jubilee private primary school (2001). A short way north in Oxenford there is the Gaven primary school (1995), along with a Gaven Heights shopping centre.

In 2004 most of Gaven was renamed Pacific Pines. Gaven was retained as the name of the rural/residential parts that existed before Pacific Pines was subdivided.

The census population of Gaven have been: