Cairns, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Cairns
is a regional city in Far North Queensland
, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns
, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas
. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland
region. As of 2010, the population is approximately 150,920.
Cairns is located about 1700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane
, and about 2420 km (1,504 mi) from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate. It serves as a starting point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef
and Far North Queensland
.
Cairns is located on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula
on a coastal strip between the Coral Sea
and the Great Dividing Range
. The northern part of the city is located on Trinity Bay and the city centre is located on Trinity Inlet
. Some of the city's suburbs are located on flood plains. The Mulgrave River
and Barron River flow within the greater Cairns area but not through the CBD. The city centre's foreshore is located on a mud flat.
, with suburbs occupying land previously used for sugar cane farming.
The Northern Beaches consist of a number of beach communities extending north along the coast. In general, each beach suburb is located at the end of a spur road extending from the Captain Cook Highway
. From south to north, these are Machans Beach, Holloways Beach
, Yorkeys Knob
, Trinity Park, Trinity Beach
, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach
, Palm Cove
, and Ellis Beach.
The suburb of Smithfield
is located inland against the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, between Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Park. It serves as the main hub for the Northern Beaches, with a modern shopping arcade, called Smithfield Shopping Centre.
Located south of Smithfield and inland from the Northern Beaches along the edge of the Barron River flood plain are the suburbs of Caravonica
, Kamerunga, Freshwater, and Stratford
. This area is sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley, though it is actually the lower part of Redlynch Valley; further up the valley are the suburbs of Redlynch, on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and Brinsmead on the eastern side. Stratford, Freshwater, and Brinsmead are separated from Cairns city by Mount Whitfield (elevation 365 m (1,198 ft)) and Whitfield Range. Crystal Cascades
and Copperlode Dam
are also located behind this range. (Kuranda
, a town on the Barron River on the western side of the Macalister Range, forms part of the Cairns economic catchment but is located in the Tablelands local government area and is not part of the Cairns urban area.)
The city centre of Cairns is adjacent to the suburbs of Cairns North, and Parramatta Park, Bungalow, Portsmith, and close to Westcourt, Manunda, Manoora, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla, Mooroobool
, Earlville, Woree
and Bayview Heights
. The small suburb of Aeroglen
is pressed between Mount Whitfield and the airport, on the Captain Cook Highway between Cairns North and Stratford.
Southside Cairns, situated in a narrow area between Trinity Inlet to the east and Lamb Range to the west, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park
and Edmonton
. The townships of Goldsborough, Little Mulgrave, and Aloomba are near Gordonvale
, located on the Mulgrave River. This area is serviced by the Bruce Highway
. Several other small towns and communities within Cairns' jurisdiction are sparsely located along the Bruce highway, the furthest being Mirriwinni, 66 kilometres (41 mi) south of Cairns city; the largest of these townships is Babinda, about 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the city.
, the Cairns area was inhabited by the Walubarra Yidinji people, who still recognise their indigenous property rights
. The area is known in the local Yidiny language
as Gimuy.
In 1770, James Cook
first mapped the future site of Cairns, naming it Trinity Bay. Closer investigation by several official expeditions 100 years later established its potential for development into a port.
Cairns was founded in 1876, hastened by the need to export gold discovered on the tablelands to the west of the inlet. The site was predominantly mangrove
swamps and sand ridges. The swamps were gradually cleared by labourers, and the sand ridges were filled in with dried mud, sawdust from local sawmills, and ballast from a quarry at Edge Hill. Debris collected from the construction of a railway to Herberton
on the Atherton Tableland, a project which started in 1886, was also used. The railway opened up land that was later used for agriculture on the lowlands (sugar cane, corn, rice, bananas, pineapples), and for fruit and dairy production on the Tableland. The success of local agriculture helped Cairns to establish itself as a port, and the creation of a harbour board in 1906 helped to support its economic future.
During World War II, Cairns was used by the Allied Forces
as a staging base for operations in the Pacific, with US Army Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force
operational bases (now the airport), as well as a major military seaplane base in Trinity Inlet, and US Navy and Royal Australian Navy
bases near the current wharf. Combat missions were flown out of Cairns in support of the Battle of the Coral Sea
in 1942. Edmonton and White Rock south of Cairns were major military supply areas and US Paratroopers trained at Gordonvale and the Goldsborough Valley.
A Special Forces training base was established at the old "Fairview" homestead on Munro's Hill, Mooroobool. This base was officially known as the Z Experimental Station
, but referred to informally as "The House on the Hill".
After World War II, Cairns gradually developed into a centre for tourism. The opening of the Cairns International Airport in 1984 helped establish the city as a desirable destination for international tourism.
, specifically a Tropical monsoon climate
(Am) under the Köppen climate classification
. A wet season
with tropical monsoon
s runs from November to May, with a relatively dry season
from June to October, though showers are frequent for most of this period. Cairns' mean annual rainfall is 2015.9 millimetres (79.4 in). The township of Babinda
at the southern end of the city is one of Australia's wettest towns, recording an annual rainfall of over 4200 millimetres (165.4 in). It has hot, humid summers and milder temperatures in winter. Mean temperatures vary from 25.7 °C (78.3 °F) in July to 31.4 °C (88.5 °F) in January. Monsoonal activity during the wet season occasionally causes major flooding of the Barron and Mulgrave Rivers, cutting off road and rail access to the city.
Notable cyclones that have affected the Cairns region include:
which is governed by a Regional Council. The Council consists of a directly elected mayor and 10 councillors, elected from 10 single-member divisions (or wards) using an optional preferential voting
system. Elections are held every four years.
The Cairns Region consists of three former local government areas. The first was the original City of Cairns
, consisting of the Cairns City region as listed above. The second, which was amalgamated in 1995, was the Shire of Mulgrave
(comprising the other areas, namely the Northern Beaches, Redlynch Valley and Southside). The town of Gordonvale was once called Nelson. The third area is the Shire of Douglas
, which amalgamated in 2008 during major statewide local government reforms.
At the time of the 1995 amalgamation, Cairns City had a population of approximately 40,000 and Mulgrave Shire had a population of approximately 60,000. Both local government authorities had chambers in the Cairns CBD. The old Cairns City Council chambers has been converted into a new city library. In a controversial decision, new Council chambers were constructed on previously contaminated land in the mainly industrial suburb of Portsmith.
Cairns has three representatives in the Queensland Parliament, from the electoral districts of Barron River
, Cairns
and Mulgrave
. The city is represented in the Federal Parliament
by representatives elected from the districts of Leichhardt
and Kennedy
.
Cairns serves as the major commercial centre for the Far North Queensland and Cape York Peninsula Regions. It is a base for the regional offices of various government departments.
. According to Tourism Australia
, the Cairns region is the fourth-most popular destination for international tourists in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. While the city does not rank amongst Australia's top 10 destinations for domestic tourism, it attracts a significant number of Australian holiday makers given its distance from major capitals. The city is in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland, and the Atherton Tableland
.
Cairns esplanade
includes a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing is permitted here, as the area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so.
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Several shopping centres of various sizes are located throughout Cairns. The largest of these are Cairns Central
shopping centre, located in the central business district, and Stockland Cairns, located in the suburb of Earlville. In Westcourt, one of the city's oldest shopping centres has been refurbished, with the city's first DFO. To service the needs of suburbs further from the city centre, shopping complexes are also located at Mount Sheridan, Redlynch, Smithfield, and Clifton Beach.
In 2010, the state government opened the second stage of William McCormack Place, an AU$80 million office building credited as the first 6-star green star rated
building in the city.
is a daily newspaper published in the city; a weekly paper, The Cairns Sun, is also published. The Courier-Mail
is a daily Queensland-wide newspaper published in Brisbane. The Australian
newspaper also circulates widely.
Cairns is served by five television stations, three commercial television stations (WIN Television
, Seven Queensland
and Southern Cross Ten
) which are regional affiliates of the three Australian commercial television networks (Nine
, Seven
and Ten), and public broadcasters the ABC
(ABC1) and SBS
(SBS ONE). Each broadcasts television services in both analogue and digital formats, with analogue transmissions to be deactivated in the second half of 2011.
Ten extra digital-only channels from these networks are also available: ABC2
, ABC3
, ABC News 24
, GEM
, GO!
, One HD, Eleven
, SBS Two, 7Two
and 7mate
. SBS offers digital high-definition
simulcasts of their main channel, SBS ONE on SBS HD. Austar Limited
provides subscription satellite television services.
Of the three main commercial networks, Seven Queensland and WIN produce 30-minute local news bulletins each weeknight (both produced from local newsrooms, but broadcast from studios elsewhere in the state - Maroochydore and Toowoomba respectively) with WIN also producing a state-wide late news bulletin for regional Queensland. Southern Cross Ten also provides short local news updates throughout the day.
Cairns radio stations include a number of public, commercial and community broadcasters. The ABC broadcasts ABC Radio National
, ABC Local
, ABC Classic FM
and the Triple J
youth network. Commercial radio stations include Zinc 102.7 FM, 4CA 846 AM, Hot FM
, Sea FM
and 104.3 4TAB sports radio, while the community radio stations are 4CCR-FM, 101.9 Coast FM, Orbit FM 88.0FM & 87.8FM and 4CIM 98.7FM.
The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station is located nearby in Kuranda, and provides green power
for some of the city's needs.
regions, and the areas to the south of the state. Cairns International Airport
is essential to the viability of the area's tourism industry.
The Bruce Highway
runs for 1700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane, and terminates in the Cairns CBD. From there the Captain Cook Highway
(also referred to as the Cook Highway) commences, and runs for approximately 76 km (47 mi) northwest to Mossman
.
A need for future upgrades to the Bruce Highway to motorway standards through the southern suburbs to Gordonvale has been identified in regional planning strategies to cope with increasing congestion from rapid population growth. This will result in overpasses at all major intersections from Woree to Gordonvale. The motorway will divert from Bentley Park to Gordonvale, bypassing Edmonton to reduce the effects of road noise on residential areas.
The Kennedy Highway
commences at Smithfield on the Barron River flood plain north of Cairns, and ascends the Macalister Range to the township of Kuranda. The highway then extends to the town of Mareeba
on the Atherton Tableland
, and continues to communities of Cape York Peninsula.
The Gillies Highway commences at the township of Gordonvale, and ascends the Gillies Range
(part of the Great Dividing Range) to the town of Atherton
on the Atherton Tableland, passing through the township of Yungaburra
on the way.
The controversial private road, Quaid Road
, was constructed in 1989 through what is now a Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and links Wangetti, on the coast just north of Cairns, to Southedge, just south of Mount Molloy
. The road is not open to the public and is not used for general traffic.
via Townsville, and to Alice Springs and Darwin
in the Northern Territory
. The longest running locally owned Coach company is Tropic Wings Coach Tours, originally established in 1981 and operated under the name of "Blue Wings Coaches" changing to "Tropic Wings Coach Tours" in 1984. Tropic Wings Coach Tours was the first local company to service Kuranda on a regular basis and has continued to service North Queensland to this day.
. A transit mall is located in the CBD, through which all services operate. Services include most parts of the city, from Palm Cove in the north, to Gordonvale in the south. Bus services operated by 'Trans North' run to Kuranda and to the Atherton Tableland
. A smaller minibus service, Jon's Kuranda Bus runs between Cairns and Kuranda. Cairns also has one major taxi company, Black and White Cabs, which services the Cairns region.
, which follows the eastern seaboard from Brisbane. Services are operated by Queensland Rail
(QR). In April 2009, the high speed tilt train service from Brisbane to Cairns was suspended due to safety concerns but resumed service on 4 May. Freight trains also operate along the route, with a QR Freight handling facility located at Portsmith.
Pacific National Queensland (a division of Pacific National
, owned by Asciano Limited
) operates a rail siding at Woree. It runs private trains on the rail network owned by the Queensland State Government and managed by QR's Network Division.
The Kuranda Scenic Railway
operates from Cairns. The tourist railway ascends the Macalister Range and is not used for commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford, Freshwater (stopping at Freshwater Station) and Redlynch before reaching Kuranda.
Freight services to Forsayth
were discontinued in the mid-1990s. These were mixed freight and passenger services that served the semi-remote towns west of the Great Dividing Range. There is now a weekly passenger-only service, The Savannahlander
, that leaves Cairns on Wednesday mornings. The Savannahlander is run by a private company, Cairns Kuranda Steam Trains.
Cairns is served by a narrow gauge cane railway (or cane train) network that hauls harvested sugar cane to the Mulgrave Mill located in Gordonvale. The pressure of urban sprawl on land previously cultivated by cane farmers has seen this network reduced over recent years.
The use of the existing heavy rail line for commuter services between Redlynch and Gordonvale is occasionally discussed; however this is not a favoured option under the FNQ 2010 Regional Plan, which recommends the use of buses.
Cairns International Airport
is located 7 km (4 mi) north of Cairns City between the CBD and the Northern Beaches. It is Australia's seventh busiest domestic airport and sixth busiest international airport. In 2005/2006 there were 3.76 million international and domestic passenger movements.
The airport has a domestic terminal, a separate international terminal, and a general aviation area. The airport handles international flights, and flights to major Australian cities, tourist destinations, and regional destinations throughout North Queensland. It is an important base for general aviation serving the Cape York Peninsula and Gulf of Carpentaria communities. The Cairns airport is also a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
It serves as an important port for tourist operators providing daily reef trips. These consist of large catamarans capable of carrying over 300 passengers, as well as smaller operators that may take as few as 12 tourists. Cairns Port is also a port of call for cruise ships, such as Captain Cook Cruises, cruising the South Pacific Ocean. It also provides freight services to coastal townships on Cape York Peninsula, the Torres Strait
and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Yearly cargo through the port totals 1.13 million tonnes. Almost 90% of the trade is bulk cargoes – including petroleum, sugar, molasses, fertiliser and LP gas. A large number of fishing trawlers are also located at the port. There is also a marina that houses private yachts and boats used for tourist operations.
The Royal Australian Navy
has a base in Cairns (HMAS Cairns
). The base has a complement of 900 personnel, and supports fourteen warships, including the four Armidale class patrol boats
of Ardent Division, four of the six Balikpapan class landing craft, and all six ships of the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service
.
The Trinity Wharf has recently been the subject of a major redevelopment to improve the area for tourist and cruise ship operations. The freight wharves are located to the south of Trinity Wharf further up Trinity Inlet.
, Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province
) since 1984 Minami
, Japan (Tokushima Prefecture
) since 1969 Oyama
, Japan (Tochigi Prefecture
) since 15 June 2006 Riga
, Latvia since 1990 Scottsdale, Arizona
(USA) since 1987 Sidney, British Columbia
(Canada) since 1984 Zhanjiang
, People's Republic of China (Guangdong province
) since 2005
A selection of memorabilia and artefacts relating to Cairns Sister Cities is displayed at Cairns City Library.
operate in Queensland. There are 20 state primary schools
and 16 state high schools
operated by the Queensland state government Department of Education within the Cairns City Council area, including 6 schools in the predominantly rural areas south of Gordonvale.
Roman Catholic schools are operated by Catholic Education Cairns. The Roman Catholic system encompasses nineteen primary schools, six secondary colleges and one P-12 college. There are almost 6,000 primary students and 3,250 secondary students enrolled in the Roman Catholic school system.
The Cairns Campus of James Cook University
is located at Smithfield. The city is also home to a TAFE college, and a School of the Air
base, both located in the inner suburb of Manunda.
The Cairns Base Hospital is situated on the Cairns Esplanade and is the major hospital for the Cape York Peninsula Region. The smaller Cairns Private Hospital is located nearby. On the north side of the Base hospital is located the Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Cairns is a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which operates clinics and provides emergency evacuations
in remote communities throughout the region.
, the Cairns Convention Centre
(basketball), and the Cairns Hockey
Centre.
Cairns has a National Basketball League
(NBL
) team, the Cairns Taipans
. The Skill360 Australia Northern Pride
Queensland Cup
rugby league team played their first season in 2008, and act as a feeder team to the North Queensland Cowboys
who play in the National Rugby League
. The Cairns region has a large association football (soccer) community with a local competition which spans from Port Douglas
to Innisfail
and west to Dimbulah
. Notable association football (soccer) players from the region include Socceroos Frank Farina
, Steve Corica
, Shane Stefanutto
and Michael Thwaite
. Cairns also hosts growing bases for Rugby union
, and a local league
of Australian rules football
.
Cairns is represented by Brothers Cairns, Cairns Kangaroos and Southern Suburbs in the Cairns District Rugby League.
Cairns is a major international destination for scuba diving
due to its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Other recreational activities popular with tourists include whitewater rafting, skydiving, kitesurfing
and snorkelling.
is a regional city in Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns
William Cairns
Sir William Wellington Cairns, KCMG was a British colonial administrator, born in County Down, Ireland. He served in various senior colonial civil service posts in the British Empire before being appointed Governor of Queensland in January 1875. He held the post for two years before becoming...
, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
region. As of 2010, the population is approximately 150,920.
Cairns is located about 1700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and about 2420 km (1,504 mi) from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate. It serves as a starting point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
and Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
.
Geography
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
on a coastal strip between the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
and the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
. The northern part of the city is located on Trinity Bay and the city centre is located on Trinity Inlet
Trinity Inlet
The Trinity Inlet is an estuary which serves as the port for the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The city centre is on the western bank where the inlet meets the sea.In prehistoric times, the Trinity Inlet was the river mouth of the Mulgrave River...
. Some of the city's suburbs are located on flood plains. The Mulgrave River
Mulgrave River
The Mulgrave River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. It flows in a northerly direction through Gordonvale and the southern outskirts of Cairns, after rising in the Bellenden Ker Range...
and Barron River flow within the greater Cairns area but not through the CBD. The city centre's foreshore is located on a mud flat.
Urban layout
Cairns is a provincial city, with a linear urban layout that runs from the south, at Edmonton, to the north, at Ellis Beach. The city is approximately 52 km (32 mi) from north to south. Cairns has experienced recent urban sprawlUrban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, with suburbs occupying land previously used for sugar cane farming.
The Northern Beaches consist of a number of beach communities extending north along the coast. In general, each beach suburb is located at the end of a spur road extending from the Captain Cook Highway
Captain Cook Highway
Captain Cook Highway is a short Queensland highway that starts in Cairns and ends in Mossman, where it joins Mossman-Daintree Road, which continues to Daintree.Captain Cook Highway is used by many tourists to travel to Port Douglas north of Cairns...
. From south to north, these are Machans Beach, Holloways Beach
Holloways Beach, Queensland
Holloways Beach is a 12 minute drive north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The population is about 3,000. It has a lifeguard for much of the year....
, Yorkeys Knob
Yorkeys Knob, Queensland
Yorkeys Knob is one of the beach suburbs of Cairns, the regional capital of Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 13 km north of the centre of Cairns, and is the third beach suburb after Machans Beach and Holloways Beach....
, Trinity Park, Trinity Beach
Trinity Beach, Queensland
Trinity Beach is a suburb of Cairns approximately from the city centre. Trinity Beach is also a beach stretching for about a mile on the eastern coast of Australia. The suburb itself is approximately 1 and a half miles wide....
, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach
Clifton Beach, Queensland
Clifton Beach is a dormitory suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia located on the shores of the Coral Sea.- External links :*...
, Palm Cove
Palm Cove, Queensland
Palm Cove is a beach community in Far North Queensland, Australia located north of the city of Cairns. It is named for the palm trees that line the beach. At the 2006 census, Palm Cove had a population of 1,215.-History:...
, and Ellis Beach.
The suburb of Smithfield
Smithfield, Queensland
Smithfield, about 15 km to the north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia that was first established in 1876, was a rival for dominance of the area to Cairns at that time...
is located inland against the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, between Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Park. It serves as the main hub for the Northern Beaches, with a modern shopping arcade, called Smithfield Shopping Centre.
Located south of Smithfield and inland from the Northern Beaches along the edge of the Barron River flood plain are the suburbs of Caravonica
Caravonica, Queensland
Caravonica is a suburb of Cairns, Queensland approximately 7 miles from the City Centre. Caravonica lies in the foothills of the Australian Rainforest. The actual village itself is 0.75 miles in length from its most northern point to its most southern point...
, Kamerunga, Freshwater, and Stratford
Stratford, Queensland
Stratford is a suburb 7 kilometres north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The population is about 2,000. It is at the base of Mount Whitfield and Lumley Hill and on the banks of the Barron River....
. This area is sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley, though it is actually the lower part of Redlynch Valley; further up the valley are the suburbs of Redlynch, on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and Brinsmead on the eastern side. Stratford, Freshwater, and Brinsmead are separated from Cairns city by Mount Whitfield (elevation 365 m (1,198 ft)) and Whitfield Range. Crystal Cascades
Crystal Cascades
The Crystal Cascades is a relatively unspoilt section of Freshwater Creek, with numerous waterfalls and swimming holes popular with locals and tourists...
and Copperlode Dam
Copperlode Dam
Copperlode Dam or Lake Morris is a fresh water reservoir dam servicing the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The dam is located in the range immediately west of the city.-History:...
are also located behind this range. (Kuranda
Kuranda, Queensland
Kuranda is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, it is 25 kilometres from Cairns, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by rainforest. At the 2006 census, Kuranda had a population of 1,611.-History:...
, a town on the Barron River on the western side of the Macalister Range, forms part of the Cairns economic catchment but is located in the Tablelands local government area and is not part of the Cairns urban area.)
The city centre of Cairns is adjacent to the suburbs of Cairns North, and Parramatta Park, Bungalow, Portsmith, and close to Westcourt, Manunda, Manoora, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla, Mooroobool
Mooroobool, Queensland
Mooroobool is a suburb of Cairns Region local government area. It is located 5.4 km west of the central business district of Cairns, Australia. At the 2006 census, Mooroobool had a population of 6,618....
, Earlville, Woree
Woree, Queensland
Woree is a southern suburb of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia.The population in 2006 was 4372 people. Woree is next to the Bruce Highway. Schools located in Woree are Woree State School, Woree State High School, Saint Mary’s College and St Gerard Majella Catholic School...
and Bayview Heights
Bayview Heights, Queensland
Bayview Heights is a southern suburb of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia.-External links:*...
. The small suburb of Aeroglen
Aeroglen, Queensland
Aeroglen is a suburb approximately 3 miles north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It is located on a slope at the foot of the Mount Whitfield Conservation Park and adjacent to Cairns International Airport. There is also a village opposite the airport, on the western side of the Captain Cook...
is pressed between Mount Whitfield and the airport, on the Captain Cook Highway between Cairns North and Stratford.
Southside Cairns, situated in a narrow area between Trinity Inlet to the east and Lamb Range to the west, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park
Bentley Park, Queensland
Bentley Park is a suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately 9km south of the Cairns CBD . At the 2006 census, Bentley Park had a population of 5,378.-External links:* *...
and Edmonton
Edmonton, Queensland
Edmonton used to be an independent township supporting a sugar mill, but in recent times has become a suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 10 km south of the centre of Cairns on the Bruce Highway and within the Cairns Region local government area...
. The townships of Goldsborough, Little Mulgrave, and Aloomba are near Gordonvale
Gordonvale, Queensland
Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns on the Mulgrave River. At the 2006 census, Gordonvale had a population of 4,420....
, located on the Mulgrave River. This area is serviced by the Bruce Highway
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
. Several other small towns and communities within Cairns' jurisdiction are sparsely located along the Bruce highway, the furthest being Mirriwinni, 66 kilometres (41 mi) south of Cairns city; the largest of these townships is Babinda, about 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the city.
History
Prior to British settlementColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
, the Cairns area was inhabited by the Walubarra Yidinji people, who still recognise their indigenous property rights
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
. The area is known in the local Yidiny language
Yidiny language
Yidiny is a nearly extinct Australian Aboriginal language, spoken by the Yidindji tribe of northern Queensland.-Vowels:-Consonants:-Grammar:...
as Gimuy.
In 1770, James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
first mapped the future site of Cairns, naming it Trinity Bay. Closer investigation by several official expeditions 100 years later established its potential for development into a port.
Cairns was founded in 1876, hastened by the need to export gold discovered on the tablelands to the west of the inlet. The site was predominantly mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
swamps and sand ridges. The swamps were gradually cleared by labourers, and the sand ridges were filled in with dried mud, sawdust from local sawmills, and ballast from a quarry at Edge Hill. Debris collected from the construction of a railway to Herberton
Herberton, Queensland
Herberton is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Herberton had a population of 974.-History:...
on the Atherton Tableland, a project which started in 1886, was also used. The railway opened up land that was later used for agriculture on the lowlands (sugar cane, corn, rice, bananas, pineapples), and for fruit and dairy production on the Tableland. The success of local agriculture helped Cairns to establish itself as a port, and the creation of a harbour board in 1906 helped to support its economic future.
During World War II, Cairns was used by the Allied Forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
as a staging base for operations in the Pacific, with US Army Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
operational bases (now the airport), as well as a major military seaplane base in Trinity Inlet, and US Navy and Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
bases near the current wharf. Combat missions were flown out of Cairns in support of the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
in 1942. Edmonton and White Rock south of Cairns were major military supply areas and US Paratroopers trained at Gordonvale and the Goldsborough Valley.
A Special Forces training base was established at the old "Fairview" homestead on Munro's Hill, Mooroobool. This base was officially known as the Z Experimental Station
Z Experimental Station
The Z Experimental Station , Cairns was set up in July 1942, jointly by Secret Intelligence Australia and the Inter-Allied Services Department....
, but referred to informally as "The House on the Hill".
After World War II, Cairns gradually developed into a centre for tourism. The opening of the Cairns International Airport in 1984 helped establish the city as a desirable destination for international tourism.
Climate
Cairns experiences a warm tropical climateClimate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, specifically a Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...
(Am) under the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. A wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
with tropical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
s runs from November to May, with a relatively dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
from June to October, though showers are frequent for most of this period. Cairns' mean annual rainfall is 2015.9 millimetres (79.4 in). The township of Babinda
Babinda, Queensland
Babinda is a small town 60 km south of Cairns, Queensland. It is located in the Cairns Region.The town is noted for its proximity to two of Queensland's highest mountains Mount Bartle Frere and Mount Bellenden Ker....
at the southern end of the city is one of Australia's wettest towns, recording an annual rainfall of over 4200 millimetres (165.4 in). It has hot, humid summers and milder temperatures in winter. Mean temperatures vary from 25.7 °C (78.3 °F) in July to 31.4 °C (88.5 °F) in January. Monsoonal activity during the wet season occasionally causes major flooding of the Barron and Mulgrave Rivers, cutting off road and rail access to the city.
Tropical cyclones
Like most of North and Far North Queensland, Cairns is prone to tropical cyclones, usually forming between November and May.Notable cyclones that have affected the Cairns region include:
- Cyclone YasiCyclone YasiSevere Tropical Cyclone Yasi was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia in the early hours of Thursday, 3 February 2011. Yasi originated from a tropical low near Fiji. The system intensified to a Category 3 cyclone at about 5pm AEST on 31 January 2011...
, 2011 - Cyclone LarryCyclone LarrySevere Tropical Cyclone Larry was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005-06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season. Larry originated as a low pressure system over the eastern Coral Sea on 16 March and was monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in...
, 2006 - Cyclone Abigail, 2001
- Cyclone SteveCyclone SteveSevere Tropical Cyclone Steve was a tropical cyclone that affected northern Australia from 27 February 2000 until 11 March 2000. Cyclone Steve was noted for its longevity and traversal of northern and western Australia. It impacted on regions of northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and...
, 2000 - Cyclone RonaCyclone RonaSevere Tropical Cyclone Rona-Frank was a damaging tropical cyclone that made landfall on Queensland, Australia on February 11, 1999, before dissipating and reforming to hit New Caledonia nine days later.Forming during the second week of February, Rona rapidly intensified just before making...
, 1999 - Cyclone Justin, 1997
Governance
Cairns is part of the Cairns Region local government areaLocal Government Areas of Queensland
This is a list of local government areas in Queensland, sorted by region. For the history and responsibilities of local government in that state, see Local government in Queensland.-LGAs sorted by region:...
which is governed by a Regional Council. The Council consists of a directly elected mayor and 10 councillors, elected from 10 single-member divisions (or wards) using an optional preferential voting
Preferential voting
Preferential voting is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank candidates in order of relative preference. For example, the voter may select their first choice as '1', their second preference a '2', and so on...
system. Elections are held every four years.
The Cairns Region consists of three former local government areas. The first was the original City of Cairns
City of Cairns
The City of Cairns was a Local Government Area centred on the Far North Queensland city of Cairns. Established in 1885, for most of its existence it consisted of approximately around Cairns itself, with much of the metropolitan area being located in the Shire of Mulgrave...
, consisting of the Cairns City region as listed above. The second, which was amalgamated in 1995, was the Shire of Mulgrave
Shire of Mulgrave (Queensland)
The Shire of Mulgrave was a Local Government Area surrounding the City of Cairns in the Far North region of Queensland. The shire, administered from Cairns, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1995, when it was dissolved and amalgamated into the City of...
(comprising the other areas, namely the Northern Beaches, Redlynch Valley and Southside). The town of Gordonvale was once called Nelson. The third area is the Shire of Douglas
Shire of Douglas
The Shire of Douglas was a Local Government Area in Far North Queensland. It was located on the coast north of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1880 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the City...
, which amalgamated in 2008 during major statewide local government reforms.
At the time of the 1995 amalgamation, Cairns City had a population of approximately 40,000 and Mulgrave Shire had a population of approximately 60,000. Both local government authorities had chambers in the Cairns CBD. The old Cairns City Council chambers has been converted into a new city library. In a controversial decision, new Council chambers were constructed on previously contaminated land in the mainly industrial suburb of Portsmith.
Cairns has three representatives in the Queensland Parliament, from the electoral districts of Barron River
Electoral district of Barron River
-External links:*...
, Cairns
Electoral district of Cairns
The electoral district of Cairns is an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the state of Queensland, Australia.The division encompasses the central business district and inner-suburbs of Cairns, in Far North Queensland...
and Mulgrave
Electoral district of Mulgrave (Queensland)
The district of Mulgrave is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district in its present form is a narrow coastal strip running from the southern suburbs of Cairns at its northern end to Innisfail at its southern end. Mulgrave also includes the...
. The city is represented in the Federal Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
by representatives elected from the districts of Leichhardt
Division of Leichhardt
The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was first proclaimed in 1949. It is one of Australia's largest electorates, covering an area stretching from Cairns to Cape York and the Torres Strait, including the Torres Strait Islands.-About the...
and Kennedy
Division of Kennedy
The Division of Kennedy is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The division is notable for its size, relative to other electoral divisions...
.
Economy
Tourism
Tourism plays a major part in the Cairns economyEconomic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...
. According to Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Government of Australia, with responsibility for tourism marketing within Australia and internationally, as well as research and forecasting of domestic and global tourism trends...
, the Cairns region is the fourth-most popular destination for international tourists in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. While the city does not rank amongst Australia's top 10 destinations for domestic tourism, it attracts a significant number of Australian holiday makers given its distance from major capitals. The city is in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland, and the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
.
Cairns esplanade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
includes a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing is permitted here, as the area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so.
Commercial
Cairns Central
Cairns Central Shopping Centre in north Queensland, Australia and is Cairns' biggest shopping centre. The centre was opened in late 1997 and is the second multi-story shopping centre in northern Queensland. The shopping centre is built over the Cairns Railway Station, which is incorporated with the...
shopping centre, located in the central business district, and Stockland Cairns, located in the suburb of Earlville. In Westcourt, one of the city's oldest shopping centres has been refurbished, with the city's first DFO. To service the needs of suburbs further from the city centre, shopping complexes are also located at Mount Sheridan, Redlynch, Smithfield, and Clifton Beach.
In 2010, the state government opened the second stage of William McCormack Place, an AU$80 million office building credited as the first 6-star green star rated
Green Star (Australia)
Green Star is a voluntary environmental rating system for buildings in Australia. It was launched in 2003 by the Green Building Council of Australia....
building in the city.
Media
The Cairns PostThe Cairns Post
The Cairns Post is a major News Corporation newspaper in Far North Queensland that exclusively serves the Cairns area. It has daily coverage on local, state, national and world news, plus a wide range of sections and liftouts covering health, beauty, cars and lifestyle.It is the oldest business in...
is a daily newspaper published in the city; a weekly paper, The Cairns Sun, is also published. The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
is a daily Queensland-wide newspaper published in Brisbane. The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
newspaper also circulates widely.
Cairns is served by five television stations, three commercial television stations (WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
, Seven Queensland
Seven Queensland
Seven Queensland is an Australian television station, licensed to, and serving the regional areas of Queensland. The station is owned and operated by the Seven Network from studios located in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, using the callsign STQ, which stands for Sunshine Television,...
and Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
) which are regional affiliates of the three Australian commercial television networks (Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
and Ten), and public broadcasters the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC1) and SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(SBS ONE). Each broadcasts television services in both analogue and digital formats, with analogue transmissions to be deactivated in the second half of 2011.
Ten extra digital-only channels from these networks are also available: ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, ABC3
ABC3
-Future shows:Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:* After School Care * Bindi's Boot Camp * Bushwacked! * Dance Academy * Dancing Down Under...
, ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
, GEM
GEM (Australian TV channel)
GEM is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 26 September 2010 at 6am...
, GO!
Go! (Australian TV channel)
GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
, One HD, Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
, SBS Two, 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
and 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
. SBS offers digital high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
simulcasts of their main channel, SBS ONE on SBS HD. Austar Limited
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
provides subscription satellite television services.
Of the three main commercial networks, Seven Queensland and WIN produce 30-minute local news bulletins each weeknight (both produced from local newsrooms, but broadcast from studios elsewhere in the state - Maroochydore and Toowoomba respectively) with WIN also producing a state-wide late news bulletin for regional Queensland. Southern Cross Ten also provides short local news updates throughout the day.
Cairns radio stations include a number of public, commercial and community broadcasters. The ABC broadcasts ABC Radio National
Radio National
ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
, ABC Local
ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
, ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
and the Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
youth network. Commercial radio stations include Zinc 102.7 FM, 4CA 846 AM, Hot FM
Hot FM (Australian radio network)
Hot FM is an Australian radio network, consisting of stations in north and central Queensland and Western Australia.The brand was created by DMG Radio Australia, before they sold their regional stations to Macquarie Regional RadioWorks in 2004.Hot 91.1 is not owned by Southern Cross Austereo; DMG...
, Sea FM
Sea FM (Australian radio network)
Sea FM is a commercial Australian radio network, consisting of stations in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania and is owned by Southern Cross Austereo. Some Sea FM stations were later sold to meet media ownership requirements...
and 104.3 4TAB sports radio, while the community radio stations are 4CCR-FM, 101.9 Coast FM, Orbit FM 88.0FM & 87.8FM and 4CIM 98.7FM.
Industry and agriculture
The land around Cairns is still used for sugar cane farming, although this land is increasingly under pressure from new suburbs as the city grows. Within the Cairns City Council area, sugar mills operate in Gordonvale and Babinda.The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station is located nearby in Kuranda, and provides green power
Green Power
Green Power is a Hong Kong-based non-governmental organization concerned with the city's environmental issues. The NGO was founded in 1988 by a group of volunteers who made environmental education the foremost priority of the organization....
for some of the city's needs.
Transport
Cairns is an important transport hub in the Far North Queensland region. Located at the base of Cape York Peninsula, it provides important transport links between the Peninsula and Gulf of CarpentariaGulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
regions, and the areas to the south of the state. Cairns International Airport
Cairns International Airport
Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located north of...
is essential to the viability of the area's tourism industry.
Roads
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
runs for 1700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane, and terminates in the Cairns CBD. From there the Captain Cook Highway
Captain Cook Highway
Captain Cook Highway is a short Queensland highway that starts in Cairns and ends in Mossman, where it joins Mossman-Daintree Road, which continues to Daintree.Captain Cook Highway is used by many tourists to travel to Port Douglas north of Cairns...
(also referred to as the Cook Highway) commences, and runs for approximately 76 km (47 mi) northwest to Mossman
Mossman, Queensland
For the collection of Horsedrawn Carriages see Mossman CollectionMossman is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, on the Mossman River...
.
A need for future upgrades to the Bruce Highway to motorway standards through the southern suburbs to Gordonvale has been identified in regional planning strategies to cope with increasing congestion from rapid population growth. This will result in overpasses at all major intersections from Woree to Gordonvale. The motorway will divert from Bentley Park to Gordonvale, bypassing Edmonton to reduce the effects of road noise on residential areas.
The Kennedy Highway
Kennedy Highway
The Kennedy Highway is a highway in northern Queensland, Australia. It runs for approximately 250 km from Smithfield, on the northern outskirts of Cairns, to the Gulf Development Road in the vicinity of Forty Mile Scrub and Undara Volcanic national parks, about 40 kilometres south of Mount...
commences at Smithfield on the Barron River flood plain north of Cairns, and ascends the Macalister Range to the township of Kuranda. The highway then extends to the town of Mareeba
Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The town is above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters...
on the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
, and continues to communities of Cape York Peninsula.
The Gillies Highway commences at the township of Gordonvale, and ascends the Gillies Range
Gillies Range
The Gillies Range is a section of the chain of summits south of Cairns that separate the Far North Queensland coastal plain from the interior Atherton Tableland...
(part of the Great Dividing Range) to the town of Atherton
Atherton, Queensland
Atherton is a town on the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Atherton had a population of 7,068.-Roads:...
on the Atherton Tableland, passing through the township of Yungaburra
Yungaburra, Queensland
Yungaburra is a town located on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, not far from Cairns. At the 2006 census, Yungaburra had a population of 932.-History:...
on the way.
The controversial private road, Quaid Road
Quaid Road
Quaid Road is a 32 km long stretch of private road in Far North Queensland. The road was given corridor approval and completed in early 1989 through rainforest that was later declared Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in late 1989 and links Wangetti, on the coast just north of Cairns, to...
, was constructed in 1989 through what is now a Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and links Wangetti, on the coast just north of Cairns, to Southedge, just south of Mount Molloy
Mount Molloy, Queensland
Mount Molloy is a historic mining and timber town lying 160 kilometres north of Cairns. At the 2006 census, the town and surrounding area had a population of 276.At its height it was a copper mine in the 1890s...
. The road is not open to the public and is not used for general traffic.
Coaches
Cairns is served by long-distance coaches to Brisbane, and regional cities to the south. Coaches also operate west to Mount IsaMount Isa, Queensland
-Culture and sport:The local theatre group, the Mount Isa Theatrical Society, or MITS, often holds plays and musicals, at least once every few months or so....
via Townsville, and to Alice Springs and Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. The longest running locally owned Coach company is Tropic Wings Coach Tours, originally established in 1981 and operated under the name of "Blue Wings Coaches" changing to "Tropic Wings Coach Tours" in 1984. Tropic Wings Coach Tours was the first local company to service Kuranda on a regular basis and has continued to service North Queensland to this day.
Public transport
A public transport network is operated throughout the city by Marlin Coast SunbusMarlin Coast Sunbus
Sunbus is the principal provider of public transportation at Cairns in Queensland, Australia. It operates bus routes under the new QConnect scheme in Regional Queensland.- Service Area :...
. A transit mall is located in the CBD, through which all services operate. Services include most parts of the city, from Palm Cove in the north, to Gordonvale in the south. Bus services operated by 'Trans North' run to Kuranda and to the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
. A smaller minibus service, Jon's Kuranda Bus runs between Cairns and Kuranda. Cairns also has one major taxi company, Black and White Cabs, which services the Cairns region.
Rail
Cairns is the terminus for Queensland's North Coast railway lineNorth Coast railway line, Queensland
The North Coast railway line is a narrow gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It runs from Brisbane, along the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton...
, which follows the eastern seaboard from Brisbane. Services are operated by Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
(QR). In April 2009, the high speed tilt train service from Brisbane to Cairns was suspended due to safety concerns but resumed service on 4 May. Freight trains also operate along the route, with a QR Freight handling facility located at Portsmith.
Pacific National Queensland (a division of Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
, owned by Asciano Limited
Asciano Limited
Asciano Limited is an Australian transport infrastructure and operations company. It was split out of Toll Holdings in June 2007. The incoming CEO is John Mullen who will begin on 14 February 2011. The outgoing CEO Mark Rowsthorn will be with the company until mid 2011...
) operates a rail siding at Woree. It runs private trains on the rail network owned by the Queensland State Government and managed by QR's Network Division.
The Kuranda Scenic Railway
Kuranda Scenic Railway
The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a name for the railway line that runs from Cairns, Queensland, Australia to the nearby town of Kuranda. The tourist railway snakes its way up the Macalister Range and is no longer used for regular commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford,...
operates from Cairns. The tourist railway ascends the Macalister Range and is not used for commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford, Freshwater (stopping at Freshwater Station) and Redlynch before reaching Kuranda.
Freight services to Forsayth
Forsayth, Queensland
Forsayth is a town in Etheridge Shire, Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately 415km by road from Cairns. At the 2006 census, Forsayth had a population of 101....
were discontinued in the mid-1990s. These were mixed freight and passenger services that served the semi-remote towns west of the Great Dividing Range. There is now a weekly passenger-only service, The Savannahlander
The Savannahlander
The Savannahlander is a railmotor service that operates in Queensland, Australia. The train travels from the coastal town of Cairns to Forsayth. The service was once operated by QR Traveltrain but is now run under contract by a private operator...
, that leaves Cairns on Wednesday mornings. The Savannahlander is run by a private company, Cairns Kuranda Steam Trains.
Cairns is served by a narrow gauge cane railway (or cane train) network that hauls harvested sugar cane to the Mulgrave Mill located in Gordonvale. The pressure of urban sprawl on land previously cultivated by cane farmers has seen this network reduced over recent years.
The use of the existing heavy rail line for commuter services between Redlynch and Gordonvale is occasionally discussed; however this is not a favoured option under the FNQ 2010 Regional Plan, which recommends the use of buses.
Airport
Cairns International Airport
Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located north of...
is located 7 km (4 mi) north of Cairns City between the CBD and the Northern Beaches. It is Australia's seventh busiest domestic airport and sixth busiest international airport. In 2005/2006 there were 3.76 million international and domestic passenger movements.
The airport has a domestic terminal, a separate international terminal, and a general aviation area. The airport handles international flights, and flights to major Australian cities, tourist destinations, and regional destinations throughout North Queensland. It is an important base for general aviation serving the Cape York Peninsula and Gulf of Carpentaria communities. The Cairns airport is also a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Sea port
The Cairns Seaport, located on Trinity Inlet, is operated by the Cairns Port Authority.It serves as an important port for tourist operators providing daily reef trips. These consist of large catamarans capable of carrying over 300 passengers, as well as smaller operators that may take as few as 12 tourists. Cairns Port is also a port of call for cruise ships, such as Captain Cook Cruises, cruising the South Pacific Ocean. It also provides freight services to coastal townships on Cape York Peninsula, the Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Yearly cargo through the port totals 1.13 million tonnes. Almost 90% of the trade is bulk cargoes – including petroleum, sugar, molasses, fertiliser and LP gas. A large number of fishing trawlers are also located at the port. There is also a marina that houses private yachts and boats used for tourist operations.
The Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
has a base in Cairns (HMAS Cairns
HMAS Cairns (naval base)
HMAS Cairns is a naval base of the Royal Australian Navy located in Cairns, Queensland. Although used regularly as a port-of-call since before World War II, a permanent RAN presence was not established until 1971, when a maintenance and support base for patrol boats was set up...
). The base has a complement of 900 personnel, and supports fourteen warships, including the four Armidale class patrol boats
Armidale class patrol boat
The Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy . Planning for a class of twelve vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle class patrol boats began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malaysia pulled out of the process...
of Ardent Division, four of the six Balikpapan class landing craft, and all six ships of the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service
Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service
The Australian Hydrographic Service is the Australian Commonwealth Government agency responsible for providing hydrographic services that meet Australia's obligations under the SOLAS convention and the national interest; enabling safe navigation, maritime trade and supporting protection of the...
.
The Trinity Wharf has recently been the subject of a major redevelopment to improve the area for tourist and cruise ship operations. The freight wharves are located to the south of Trinity Wharf further up Trinity Inlet.
Sister cities
LaeLae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province
Morobe Province
Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital, and largest city, is Lae. The province covers 34,500 km², including 719 km² maritime area, with a population of 539,725...
) since 1984 Minami
Minami, Tokushima
is a town located in Kaifu District, Tokushima, Japan.It was founded on March 31, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Hiwasa and Yuki, both from Kaifu District....
, Japan (Tokushima Prefecture
Tokushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
) since 1969 Oyama
Oyama, Tochigi
is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.As April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 163,954, with 62,714 households, and a population density of 955.39 persons per km²...
, Japan (Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
) since 15 June 2006 Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia since 1990 Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
(USA) since 1987 Sidney, British Columbia
Sidney, British Columbia
Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is one of the 13 Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,300. Sidney is located just east of Victoria International Airport,...
(Canada) since 1984 Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang , formerly known as Tsamkong, Tsankiang, Fort-Bayard, and Kwang-Chou-Wan, is a prefecture-level city at the southwestern end of Guangdong province of Southern China, facing the island of Hainan to the south....
, People's Republic of China (Guangdong province
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
) since 2005
A selection of memorabilia and artefacts relating to Cairns Sister Cities is displayed at Cairns City Library.
Education
Cairns has numerous primary and secondary schools. Separate systems of private and public schoolsPublic and private education in Australia
Schools in Australia can be classified according to sources of funding and administrative structures. There are two broad categories of school in Australia: Public schools and Private schools, the latter of which can be further subdivided into Catholic schools and Independent...
operate in Queensland. There are 20 state primary schools
Queensland State Schools
Queensland State Schools are schools that are part of the Queensland, Australia State Government provided universal free education system.Primary Schools cater for Preparatory Year and Years 1 to 7 . PY, Years 1, 2 and 3 are sometimes known as Infants. Highschools cater for Years 8 to 12...
and 16 state high schools
Queensland State High Schools
Queensland State High Schools cater for Years 8 to 12 . Years 8 and 9 are known as Junior and Years 10, 11 and 12 are known as Senior. The term "Senior" is widely applied to those in Years 11 and 12...
operated by the Queensland state government Department of Education within the Cairns City Council area, including 6 schools in the predominantly rural areas south of Gordonvale.
Roman Catholic schools are operated by Catholic Education Cairns. The Roman Catholic system encompasses nineteen primary schools, six secondary colleges and one P-12 college. There are almost 6,000 primary students and 3,250 secondary students enrolled in the Roman Catholic school system.
The Cairns Campus of James Cook University
James Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
is located at Smithfield. The city is also home to a TAFE college, and a School of the Air
School of the Air
School of the Air is a generic term for correspondence schools catering for the primary and early secondary education of children in remote and outback Australia.-History:...
base, both located in the inner suburb of Manunda.
Health
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is a branch of the Australian Red Cross. It is the body primarily responsible for blood donation and related services in Australia.-History:...
Cairns is a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which operates clinics and provides emergency evacuations
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
in remote communities throughout the region.
Sport and recreation
Notable sporting grounds include Barlow Park, Parramatta Park, Cazaly's StadiumCazaly's Stadium
Cazaly's Stadium, also known by its sponsorship name as Bundaberg Rum Stadium, is a sports stadium in Cairns, Australia, that is named after former VFL legend Roy Cazaly....
, the Cairns Convention Centre
Cairns Convention Centre
Cairns Convention Centre, which opened in 1997, is a multi-purpose arena, located in Cairns, Australia. The capacity is 5,300 people.It is the home arena of the Cairns Taipans basketball team. The record crowd is 5,500 for an NBL Finals game in 2004 between Cairns Taipans and Perth Wildcats...
(basketball), and the Cairns Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
Centre.
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
(NBL
NBL
NBL may refer to:* Any of several basketball leagues named National Basketball League** National Basketball League , the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia** National Basketball League...
) team, the Cairns Taipans
Cairns Taipans
The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns. The Taipans, named after a species of venomous snake native to Australia, entered the NBL in the 1999/2000 season...
. The Skill360 Australia Northern Pride
Northern Pride RLFC
The Northern Pride RLFC is a Queensland rugby league club founded in 2007. Based in Cairns, Queensland they compete in the Queensland Cup.-History:...
Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
rugby league team played their first season in 2008, and act as a feeder team to the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
who play in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. The Cairns region has a large association football (soccer) community with a local competition which spans from Port Douglas
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
to Innisfail
Innisfail, Queensland
Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the major township of the Cassowary Coast and is well renowned for its sugar and banana industries, as well as for being one of Australia's wettest towns...
and west to Dimbulah
Dimbulah, Queensland
Dimbulah is a town located in Far North Queensland, Australia, 114 kilometres from Cairns by road, on the Atherton Tableland. The town was established in 1876 to service the Tyrconnell Gold Mine, one of the richest mines on the Hodgkinson Gold Fields...
. Notable association football (soccer) players from the region include Socceroos Frank Farina
Frank Farina
Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team....
, Steve Corica
Steve Corica
Stephen Christopher Corica is a former Australian football player who last played for Australian A-League team Sydney FC. A technically gifted and skillful player playing primarily as an attacking midfielder, he is very versatile, able to play both centrally or out wide, or even pushed up as a...
, Shane Stefanutto
Shane Stefanutto
Shane Stefanutto is an Australian football defender who plays for .-Club career:Stefanutto trained at the Queensland Academy of Sport before playing for the Brisbane Strikers in the defunct National Soccer League from 1998–2004, before transferring Lillestrøm S.K. in Norway...
and Michael Thwaite
Michael Thwaite
Michael Errol Thwaite is an Australian football player from Cairns who plays for Gold Coast United.-Club career:His career began at Sydney University in the New South Wales Winter Super League...
. Cairns also hosts growing bases for Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, and a local league
AFL Cairns
The Australian Football League Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia...
of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
.
Cairns is represented by Brothers Cairns, Cairns Kangaroos and Southern Suburbs in the Cairns District Rugby League.
Cairns is a major international destination for scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
due to its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Other recreational activities popular with tourists include whitewater rafting, skydiving, kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
and snorkelling.
Notable residents (past and present)
- Courtenay DempseyCourtenay DempseyCourtenay Dempsey is a professional Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club of the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
, AFL footballer, Essendon Football ClubEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... - Jarrod HarbrowJarrod HarbrowJarrod Harbrow is a professional Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League currently contracted to the Gold Coast Suns.-Early life:...
, AFL footballer, Gold Coast Football Club - Justin HodgesJustin HodgesJustin Hodges is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
, International rugby league player - Isabel LucasIsabel LucasIsabel Lucas is an Australian actress and model perhaps best known for her role as Tasha Andrews on the Australian television soap opera Home and Away...
, Actress - Ryan McGoldrickRyan McGoldrickRyan McGoldrick is a professional rugby league footballer for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League. He has previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks as well as representing the New South Wales Waratahs in rugby union...
, rugby league player, Castleford TigersCastleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'... - ShakayaShakayaShakaya were a two-piece girl group from Australia, that consisted of Simone Stacey and Naomi Wenitong, two Cairns, North Queensland based songwriters and performers. The two met at the Atsic Music College in 1999 while studying an Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander music course and they had...
, Cairns-based R&B duo - Rhys WakefieldRhys WakefieldRhys Wakefield is an Australian actor. He is best known for portraying the main character Thomas in the 2008 film The Black Balloon., for the 2011 film Sanctum, and portraying Lucas Holden in the long-running TV series Home and Away.-Biography:Before appearing as Lucas in Home and Away, Wakefield...
, actor - Nate MylesNate MylesNate Myles is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he previously played for the Bulldogs club...
, International rugby league player - Terence CooperTerence CooperTerence Cooper was a film actor.Born in 1933 at Carnmoney, today an area within the borough of Newtownabbey near Belfast, Northern Ireland, Cooper is most famous for appearing in the 1967 film, Casino Royale, a James Bond satire based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel of the same name...
, Film actor, artist - Wilma ReadingWilma ReadingWilma Reading is a singer from Cairns, Queensland.Reading begun her singing career in 1959 after singing for friends in a Brisbane jazz club. She has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, had a residency at New York's Copacabana nightclub, and toured with Duke Ellington...
, Singer