Cairns History
Way back in 1770 aboard his ship the HM Bark Endeavor, Captain James Cook sailed up the North Queensland coast, making he and his crew the first know Europeans to visit the site which is now know as Cairns.
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| Sugarcane, the crop which has helped build Cairns into the vibrant city it is today. |
This was a very dangerous journey with the coral of the Great Barrier Reef causing serious damage to the vessel. The crew beached the boat on what is now Endeavor River for repairs.
Although the Aboriginals had lived in the area for centuries, it took another 100 years for white settlement in the Cairns area due to the harsh environment. But with the discovery of Gold in the north of the region in Cooktown in 1872 the area started to boom.
Cairns was originally built on the banks of the Barron River amongst sandy mangrove swamps. Cairns was established to take advantage of the sheltered Trinity Bay where port facilities were established. Cairns was a lot flatter than much of the Northern Queensland coast and gave good access the the rich farming soils of the Atherton Tablelands.
Cairns started like many Australian towns as a tent city with a few structures and wharves. The population in those early days consisted of high percentages of Chinese and Malaysians who moved to the area in search of riches in the Gold Fields.
The development of this railway was a feat in its own right. Cairns is surrounded by a very steep and densely vegetated mountain range which made travel to and from the coast almost impossible.
The rail line ensured Cairns future as a major town in North Queensland, and once the gold rush finished the region looked at other ways to survive. Farming , especially Sugar Cane become a major industry. the region today still produces the largest sugar cane crop in the country.
Other crops like tobacco and cotton were tried but sugar was the most suitable and biggest money earner.
Later fishing and pearling industries were established before the tourist boom of the late 20th century.
Mid 1980’s tourism in North Queensland had become a major industry.
Now with an international airport, receiving flights from many destinations in Asia and most Australian capital cities. Cairns is booming. Casinos, resorts, festivals and many other attractions not forgetting the spectacular natural features of rainforests and Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is one of Australia’s favorite cities.
Cairns was named after Queensland’s first Irish born Governor, Sir William Wellington Cairns. There was
some debate about the naming of the town and in fact it was often called Thornton, Dickson, Newport and Trinity Bay.