New signage rollout starts at The Spit
New signage at Muriel Henchman Park improves access and shares The Spit’s stories in a major first rollout.
What’s happening?
The Gold Coast Waterways Authority has completed the first full precinct signage rollout at Muriel Henchman Park, also known as The Spit Boat Ramps.
The project marks an important milestone in the implementation of The Spit Signage Guidelines. The guidelines were developed by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and funded through the Spit Works Program.
New wayfinding signage has been installed across the precinct to help pedestrians and vehicles move through the area. The signs direct visitors to key facilities, including the boat ramps, parking, amenities, Volunteer Marine Rescue and The Paddle House.
Interpretive signage has also been installed to help visitors understand the environmental, cultural and community significance of The Spit.
The signs explore the history of the Broadwater and community advocacy on The Spit. They also cover environmental values such as seagrass meadows and migratory shorebirds, along with the precinct’s role in recreation and maritime activity.
Each sign includes a QR code linking to The Spit Stories website, where visitors can read more online.
The signage also incorporates traditional owner language, with Muriel Henchman Park formally identified as Yungunn Place, meaning Dugong.
Why it matters?
The new signage gives the precinct a clearer and more coordinated system for both access and information.
That matters in a busy public area used by boaters, visitors and the wider community. Clearer wayfinding can make movement through the precinct easier and improve the overall visitor experience.
The interpretive signs also add context to the site. They help people understand that The Spit is not only a recreation space, but also an area with strong environmental, cultural and community value.
Including traditional owner language strengthens that connection to place and reflects the cultural significance of the area.
Local Impact
For Gold Coast locals and visitors, the rollout makes Muriel Henchman Park easier to use and easier to understand.
People heading to the boat ramps and nearby facilities now have clearer directions across the precinct.
The signage also gives visitors more insight into the stories, environment and identity of The Spit.
This work builds on the broader Muriel Henchman Park Improvements Project, completed in December 2024, which upgraded boating and public infrastructure to support growing use of the Broadwater.
By the numbers
The broader Muriel Henchman Park Improvements Project was completed in December 2024, adding major public and boating infrastructure across the site.
The upgraded precinct includes six boat ramp lanes, helping support continued growth in Broadwater use.
The project also delivered upgraded pontoons and floating walkways, expanded parking, accessible spaces, public amenities, pathways and landscaping.
Zoom In
The interpretive content was developed in close collaboration with the Community Reference Panel.
The panel brought together environmental, cultural, marine, trading and community perspectives, all connected by a shared passion for The Spit.
Working with a specialist interpretive writer, panel members helped shape and refine stories across themes including community, environment and ecology, leisure and trading, and maritime.
GCWA thanked the panel members and the broader community for sharing their time, knowledge and lived experience to support the content.
Zoom Out
This is the first full precinct signage rollout delivered under The Spit Signage Guidelines, with more planned across the wider area.
It shows a broader effort to create a more consistent experience across The Spit, while improving access and sharing the stories that shape the precinct.
The project also shows how signage can do more than guide movement. It can help visitors better understand the character and significance of a place.
What To Look For Next?
Additional precinct rollouts are planned across The Spit.
The next area to be delivered will be the Top of The Spit, formally identified as Gowondo Place, meaning Dolphin.