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CairnsWelcome to Cairns, Australia's premier regional city and one of the safest tropical cities in the world. We are extremely proud of our city, and are committed to making Cairns the best regional city in Australia and Asia Pacific. Many significant projects are underway or progressing towards completion, as we continue to deliver in all the key areas - environmental, economic, social and cultural. This website provides information on these projects, such as the massive upgrades of our wastewater treatment plants, our beautification and suburban enhancement efforts across the city, planning for future community needs in our growth areas, and the major redevelopment of the Cairns Botanic Gardens precinct. As you browse our website, you'll see why so many people call Cairns home and why it is such an attractive destination for visitors from Australia and around the world. About CairnsCairns is a regional city and Local Government Area located in Queensland, Australia. Originally settled in 1876, and named after William Wellington Cairns (the then Governor of Queensland) to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, the settlement declined when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. However, Cairns' future was secured as it developed into a railhead and major port for the exportation of sugar cane, gold, precious metals and agricultural industries from the surrounding coastal and Tableland regions. The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of 122,731 (as of 2006) and is reliant on the sugar and tourism industries.Carins FactsCairns City lies about 1,701 km (1,057 mi) from Brisbane and about 2,420 km (1,504 mi) from Sydney by road.Cairns is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat. The Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It is also a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland. The city has used its natural surroundings to its advantage with the construction of several small theme parks for tourists. Among them are Rainforestation nature park, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Kuranda Skyrail Gondola Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 mi) over World Heritage rainforest. A major attraction in Cairns is the lagoon. Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared in May, 2003 that topless sunbaking is permitted here as this area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so. 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 fertile flood plains. The Mulgrave River and Barron River flow within the city's boundary but not through the city itself. The city centre's foreshore is located on a mud flat. The highest mountain in Queensland, Mount Bartle Frere, is located within the city's boundaries. Urban layout Cairns is a provincial city and has a linear urban layout that runs from the south, at Aloomba, to the north, at Ellis Beach. The city is approximately 52 km (32 mi) from north to south. Cairns has experienced recent urban sprawl, with suburbs occupying land previously used for sugar cane farming. Many houses have also been built on hillsides, partly due to lack of space and partly due to a perception of prestige living. The population increase is so fast that the local phone book maps and other maps can not keep up with the amount of development. Regions of the city are:The Northern Beaches are low in elevation and 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 and against the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and serves as the main centre for the Northern Beaches. It is located between Yorkey’s Knob and Trinity Park. Smithfield is the main hub for the Northern Beaches with the large Smithfield Centre which has recently been refurbished for a more modern feel. The Kennedy Highway starts at the Kennedy Highway/Captain Cook Highway intersection which is currently a large roundabout but has plans for an overpass with the controversial Kennedy Range Motorway which will run from Smithfield to Kuranda. Located inland from the Northern Beaches along the edge of the Barron River flood plain are the suburbs of Caravonica, Lake Placid, Kamerunga, Stratford, and Freshwater. This area is sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley. Further up Freshwater Valley is Redlynch Valley. The suburb of Redlynch is located on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and Brinsmead lies on the eastern side. Stratford, Freshwater, Redlynch and Brinsmead are separated from Cairns city by Mount Whitfield (elevation 365m) and Whitfield Range. Crystal Cascades and Copperlode Dam are also located behind this range. This area is serviced by the Redlynch Central Shopping Centre, a new shopping centre with only Woolworths at the moment which is located in the fast growing area of the Redlynch Valley. This shopping centre is also due to be expanded in the future. Cairns City, located on what once was swamp, is in close proximity to the suburbs of Cairns North, Manunda, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla, Parramatta Park, Mooroobool, Manoora, Portsmith, Earlville, Westcourt, Bungalow, Woree and Bayview Heights. The small suburb of Aeroglen is pressed between Mount Whitfield and the airport on the Captain Cook Highway north of the CBD towards Smithfield. Southside Cairns, which is higher in elevation and is situated in a mountainous valley, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park, Wrights Creek, Edmonton and Centenary Heights, and the townships of Babinda, Goldsborough, Little Mulgrave, Aloomba and Gordonvale, which is located on the Mulgrave River. The southern strip of Cairns is populated along a small skinny area between the Trinity Inlet to the east and the Lamb Range to the west. It is serviced by the Bruce Highway which is also due to be developed into a motorway between Woree and Grodonvale due to increasing traffic congestion. The town of Kuranda is located upstream on the Barron River on the western side of the Kuranda Range, part of the Great Dividing Range. Kuranda is located in the Mareeba Shire local government area and, due to the geography of the Kuranda Range, is not part of the Cairns urban area, however it forms part of the Cairns economic catchment. In early 2007 the Cairns City Council expressed interest in assuming responsibility for the administration of Kuranda, as well as Port Douglas. Cairns HistoryMain article: History of Cairns, QueenslandCairns is situated on the Indigenous Australian people's tribal lands of the Irukandji. The future site of Cairns was first sighted by Captain James Cook in 1770 and closer investigation by several official expeditions 100 years later recognised its potential for development into a port. Hastened by the need to export gold discovered on the tablelands to the west of the inlet Cairns was founded in 1876. The land on which the settlement was hewn initially consisted of mangrove swamps which were gradually cleared by labourers and sand ridges which were slowly filled in with ballast from a quarry at Edge Hill, dried mud, sawdust from several local sawmills and debris collected from the construction of a railway to Herberton on the Atherton Tablelands, a project which started in 1886. The railway opened up land that was later used for agriculture on the lowlands (sugar cane, corn, rice, bananas, pineapples) and fruit and dairy on the Tablelands. The success of local agriculture helped Cairns come into its own as a port and the creation of a harbour board in 1906 meant its economic future was assured. During World War II, Cairns was used by the Allied Forces as a staging base for operations in the Pacific. After World War II, Cairns slowly reinvented itself as a centre for tourism. The opening of the Cairns International Airport in 1984 and the building of the Cairns Convention Centre established the city's overseas reputation as a desirable destination for the holiday and business conference markets. Cairns ClimateClimate chart Cairns experiences a warm tropical climate. It experiences a dry season between April and November and a wet season with tropical monsoons between November and March. Mean rainfall of Cairns is 2,002.9 millimetres (79 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 4,200 millimetres (165 in). It has hot humid summers and milder temperatures in winter. The temperature varies from a mean temperature of 25.7 °C (78 °F) in July to 31.4 °C (89 °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. |
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