Far North Queensland

Last updated

Far North Queensland
Queensland
Qld-regions-map.gif
Queensland regions
Population280,638 (2010 est.) [1]
 • Density0.7370696/km2 (1.909002/sq mi)
Area380,748.3 km2 (147,007.7 sq mi)
LGA(s) Aurukun, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Croydon, Doomadgee, Douglas, Etheridge, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Mareeba, Mornington, Napranum, Northern Peninsula Area, Pormpuraaw, Tablelands, Torres Strait Islands (not autonomous), Torres Strait Islands (autonomous), Weipa, Wujal Wujal, Yarrabah
State electorate(s) Electoral district of Barron River, Electoral district of Cairns, Electoral district of Cook, Electoral district of Dalrymple, Electoral district of Hinchinbrook, Electoral district of Mulgrave
Federal division(s)
Localities around Far North Queensland:
Gulf of Carpentaria Torres Strait Coral Sea
North West Queensland Far North Queensland Coral Sea
North West Queensland North Queensland North Queensland

Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf Country. The waters of Torres Strait include the only international border in the area contiguous with the Australian mainland, between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Contents

The region is home to three World Heritage Sites, the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland and Riversleigh, Australia's largest fossil mammal site. Far North Queensland lays claim to over 70 national parks, including Mount Bartle Frere; with a peak of 1,622 metres (5,322 ft) it is the highest peak in both Northern Australia and Queensland.

The Far North region is the only region of Australia that is the indigenous country of both Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.

Far North Queensland supports a significant agricultural sector, a number of significant mines and is home to Queensland's largest wind farm, the Windy Hill Wind Farm.

Extent

View from Daintree National Park, 2009 Viewpoint Daintree National Parc - Aussichtspunkt (22792907499).jpg
View from Daintree National Park, 2009

Various government departments and agencies have different definitions for the region. The Queensland Government department of Trade and Investment Queensland defines the region as an area comprising the following 25 local government areas; Aurukun, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Croydon, Doomadgee, Douglas, Etheridge, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Mareeba, Mornington, Napranum, Northern Peninsula Area, Pormpuraaw, Tablelands, Torres Strait Islands (not autonomous), Torres Strait Islands (autonomous), Weipa, Wujal Wujal, Yarrabah.

Settlements

The main population and administrative centre of the region is the city of Cairns. Other key population centres include Cooktown, the Atherton Tableland, Weipa, Innisfail and the Torres Strait Islands. The region also consists of many Aboriginal and farming groups.

The northeastern point of Highway 1 passes through the region in the city of Cairns and connects the southern-running Bruce Highway to the western-running Savannah Way. Highway 1 circumnavigates the continent at a length of approximately 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi) and is the longest national highway in the world. Despite being Highway 1, not all sections of the Savannah Way are designated as a federally funded National Highway and certain sections remain unsealed.

Despite being in a housing crisis, the region has a very high unoccupied house rate. [2] In the 2021 Australian census in Douglas Shire the rate of empty homes was 18%. [2]

Industry

Crops near Cardwell, Far North Queensland CSIRO ScienceImage 3712 Rural scene in far north Queensland Melon crop in foreground banana plantation behind with pine forest and rainforest in the background 15 Kms north of Cardwell QLD.jpg
Crops near Cardwell, Far North Queensland

Significant industries include tourism, cattle grazing, agriculture and mining of both sand and bauxite. Agricultural products generate between $600 and $700 million a year. [3] Sugar cane, tropical fruits including bananas, mangoes, papaya, lychees and coffee are grown in Far North Queensland.

The region is home to the world's biggest silica mine at Cape Flattery. [4] The mine was established in 1967 and was severely damaged by Cyclone Ita in 2014. Rio Tinto Alcan operates a bauxite mine on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula near Weipa which contains one of the largest bauxite deposits in the world. [5]

In recent years, Far North Queensland has become increasingly known for its artistic and creative offerings, with the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, and Cairns Festival both held annually. Active arts organisation include the Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns Civic Theatre, and Cairns Art Gallery.

Tourism

Bloomfield Track in the Daintree Rainforest Emmagen Creek crossing.JPG
Bloomfield Track in the Daintree Rainforest

The region supports a large tourism industry and is considered a premier tourist destination in Australia. [6] Nearly one third of international visitors to the state come to the region. [6] Attractions include the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and other Queensland tropical rain forests within the Wet Tropics of Queensland heritage area, the Atherton Tableland, Hinchinbrook Island and other resort islands such as Dunk Island and Green Island. Major attractions around and in Cairns include Cairns Aquarium, Cairns Botanic Gardens, The Reef Hotel Casino, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Barron Falls and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Towns and localities attracting large numbers of tourists include Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, Mission Beach and Cardwell.

Demographics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the region's population at 280,638 in 2014. [1] The region contains 25.6% of the state's Indigenous population, or 28,909 people, making up 11.8% of the region's population. [7]

History

Yalanji (also known as Kuku Yalanji, Kuku Yalaja, Kuku Yelandji, and Gugu Yalanji) is an Australian Aboriginal language of Far North Queensland. The traditional language region is Mossman River in the south to the Annan River in the north, bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the east and extending inland to west of Mount Mulgrave. This includes the local government boundaries of the Shire of Douglas, the Shire of Cook and the Aboriginal Shire of Wujal Wujal and the towns and localities of Cooktown, Mossman, Daintree, Cape Tribulation and Wujal Wujal. It includes the head of the Palmer River, the Bloomfield River, China Camp, Maytown, and Palmerville. [8]

Kuku Yalanji (also known as Gugu Yalanji, Kuku Yalaja, and Kuku Yelandji) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Mossman and Daintree areas of North Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Shire of Douglas and Shire of Cook, particularly the localities of Mossman, Daintree, Bloomfield River, China Camp, Maytown, Palmer, Cape Tribulation and Wujal Wujal. [9]

Warungu (also known as Warrungu, Warrongo, and Waroongoo.) is an Australian Aboriginal language in North Queensland. The language region includes areas from the Upper Herbert River to Mount Garnet. [10]

Yir Yiront (also known as Yiront, Jirjoront, Yir-yiront, and Kokomindjan) is an Australian Aboriginal language. Its traditional language region is in Western Cape York within the local government areas of Aboriginal Shire of Kowanyama and Shire of Cook, in the catchments of the Coleman River and Mitchell River. Following the removal of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands, it is also spoken in Pormpuraaw and Kowanyama. [11]

Yidinji (also known as Yidinj, Yidiny, and Idindji) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North Queensland. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns, Gordonvale, the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi. [12]

Far North Queensland is the location of the first amber fossils to be found in Australia. The four-million-year-old fossils were found on a beach in Cape York Peninsula but were probably washed ashore after drifting with the currents for about 200 km. [13] In the 1860s, Richard Daintree discovered gold and copper deposits along several rivers which led early prospectors to the area. [14] Many mining towns have come and gone, going through a boom and bust cycle as mines were depleted. [15]

The Mount Mulligan mine disaster occurred on 19 September 1921. [16] Seventy-five workers were killed, making it the third-worst coal mining accident in Australia. [16]

Cyclones

The region suffered Queensland's worst maritime disaster on 4 March 1899 when the Mahina Cyclone destroyed all 100 ships moored in Princess Charlotte Bay. The entire North Queensland pearling fleet was in the bay at the time of the cyclone. Approximately 100 Aboriginals assisting survivors and 307 men from the pearling fleet were drowned. [17] Its pressure was measured at 914 hPa with a recorded tidal surge of 13 m, the highest ever in Australia. [18] The 1918 Mackay cyclone hit the Queensland coast in January of that year, killing 30 people. [19]

In March 1997, Cyclone Justin resulted in the deaths of seven people. In early 2000, Cyclone Steve caused major flooding between Cairns and Mareeba. Cyclone Larry crossed the Queensland coast near Innisfail in March 2006. The storm resulted in an estimated $1.5 billion worth of damage and damaged 10,000 homes. [19] 80% of Australia's banana crop was destroyed. Cyclone Monica was the most intense cyclone on record in terms of wind speed to cross the Australian coast. It impacted the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland in April 2006. In January 2011, Cyclone Yasi passed over Tully and resulted in an estimated $3.6 billion worth of damage, making it the costliest cyclone ever to hit Australia. [19]

In December 2023, Cyclone Jasper crossed the Far North Queensland coast south of Cooktown as a category two cyclone. It later stalled over the southern York Peninsula resulting in record rainfall along the eastern coast that lead to the 2023 Cairns floods. Port Douglas received more than a metre of rain in a few days. [20]

Fauna

The region has many unique native animal species such as crocodile, endangered southern cassowary, koala, waddling wombat, flying possum, python, water dragon, wallabie, flying fox, tree kangaroo, platypus, leaf-tailed gecko and bandicoot. [21] [22] [23]

Tropical North Queensland

Far North Queensland has a tropical climate and as such, the name Tropical North Queensland is also used as the name for the region, mostly due to the tourism industry. Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) defines its area from Cardwell in the south up to the Torres Strait in the north and west to the Queensland border with the Northern Territory. However, the phrase Tropical North Queensland is ambiguous and may be used to name a wider area including parts of North Queensland, or even Mackay. [24] [25] [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape York Peninsula</span> Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia

Cape York Peninsula is a peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest wilderness in northern Australia. The land is mostly flat and about half of the area is used for grazing cattle. The relatively undisturbed eucalyptus-wooded savannahs, tropical rainforests and other types of habitat are now recognised and preserved for their global environmental significance. Although much of the peninsula remains pristine, with a diverse repertoire of endemic flora and fauna, some of its wildlife may be threatened by industry and overgrazing as well as introduced species and weeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daintree, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Daintree is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Daintree had a population of 129 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wujal Wujal</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Wujal Wujal, sometimes spelt Wudjil Wudjil, is a rural town and locality in the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire, Queensland, Australia. It is an Aboriginal community. In the 2021 census, the locality of Wujal Wujal had a population of 276 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daintree River</span> River in Queensland, Australia

The Daintree River is a river that rises in the Daintree Rainforest near Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland, Australia. The river is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Cairns in the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Wet Tropics of Queensland. The area is now primarily a tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maytown, Queensland</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Maytown was the main township on the Palmer River Goldfields in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is now a ghost town within locality of Palmer in the Shire of Cook, having been active from c. 1874 to the 1920s. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 1 June 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Tribulation, Queensland</span> Suburb of Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Cape Tribulation is a headland and coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas in northern Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Cape Tribulation had a population of 123 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmer River</span> River in Queensland, Australia

The Palmer River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. The area surrounding the river was the site of a gold rush in the late 19th century which started in 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mossman Gorge, Queensland</span> Suburb of Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Mossman Gorge is a rural locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Mossman Gorge had a population of 246 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuku Yalanji</span> Aboriginal Australian people of Far North Queensland rainforest region

The Kuku Yalanji, also known as Gugu-Yalanji, Kuku Yalandji or Kokojelandji, are an Aboriginal Australian people originating from the rainforest regions of Far North Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mossman, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Mossman is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre for the Douglas Shire Council In the 2016 census, the locality of Mossman had a population of 1,937 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Douglas</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Douglas is a local government area in Far North Queensland. It is located on the coast north of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, covers an area of 2,428 square kilometres (937.5 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1880 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Cairns to become the Cairns Region. Following a poll in 2013, the Shire of Douglas was re-established on 1 January 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Cook</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Cook is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Shire covers most of the eastern and central parts of Cape York Peninsula, the most northerly section of the Australian mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomfield River</span> River in Far North Queensland, Australia

The Bloomfield River is a river in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, Australia, noted for its Bloomfield River cod fish species, found only in the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooktown, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. Both the town and Mount Cook which rises up behind the town were named after James Cook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is managed as a Deed of Grant in Trust under the Local Government Act 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomfield, Queensland</span> Suburb of Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia

Bloomfield is a town in the Shire of Cook and a coastal locality which is split between the Shire of Cook and the Shire of Douglas in Queensland, Australia. The neighbourhood of Ayton is within the locality. In the 2016 census, Bloomfield had a population of 204 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmer, Queensland</span> Suburb of Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia

Palmer is a rural locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Palmer had a population of 46 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mossman River</span> River in Far North Queensland, Australia

The Mossman River is a river in lower Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.

The Wulpura were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland. Their language, Kuku Waldja, has been listed as a dialect of Kuku Yalanji, but there does not appear to be any data available.

Mount Mulgrave is a rural locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Mount Mulgrave had a population of 0 people.

References

  1. 1 2 National Regional Profile: Far North (Statistical Division) Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine . Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved on 27 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 Testa, Christopher (29 June 2022). "Far North Queensland has a housing crisis but the census found more than 11,000 empty homes". ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Sam Davis (2 August 2012). "Queensland roads holding back nation's fresh fruit". ABC Far North Queensland. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  4. ↑ Tony Moore (14 April 2014). "'World's biggest' silica mine damaged by Cyclone Ita". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Bauxite and aluminia operations". Operations & financial report. Rio Tinto Alcan. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  6. 1 2 "The economic and social impacts of tourism in the Far North Queensland planning region" (PDF). Planning Information and Forecasting Unit. Queensland Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Office of economic and statistical research [ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yalanji". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  9. ↑ CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Kuku Yalanji". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  10. ↑ CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Warungu". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  11. ↑ CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yir Yiront". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  12. ↑ CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yidinji". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  13. ↑ Anna Salleh (29 November 2006). "Amber fossils a first for Australia". ABC Science Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  14. ↑ "Daintree, Richard (1832–1878)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Brandel, Phil (8 September 2023). "Abandoned boom-and-bust mining towns of far north Queensland measured by how many pubs they had". ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Mount Mulligan mine disaster". Australasian Mine Safety Journal. 24 June 2019. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Shilton, Peter (2005). Natural areas of Queensland. Mount Gravatt, Queensland: Goldpress. pp. 16, 17, 29, 32. ISBN   0-9758275-0-2.
  18. ↑ Jonathan Nott & Matthew Hayne (2000). "How high was the storm surge from Tropical Cyclone Mahina?" (PDF). Australian Emergency Management. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 Marina Kamenev (2 February 2011). "Australia's worst cyclones: timeline". Australian Geographic. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  20. ↑ Readfearn, Graham (19 December 2023). "Cyclone Jasper: how did it cause so much rain and could global heating be to blame?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Wildlife Tropical North Queensland - Unequalled Wildlife Experiences". wildlifetropicalnorthqueensland. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  22. ↑ "Iconic Australian fauna in Far North Queensland · iNaturalist". iNaturalist. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  23. ↑ "Native animals of Cairns local government area". Wetland Info. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  24. ↑ "Tropical Queensland's Number 1 Events Calendar showcasing the region". www.tnqevents.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  25. ↑ "Tropical North Queensland - No Place Like it on Earth". Tropical North QLD. Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  26. ↑ Amey, Andrew (29 April 2019). "Wildlife of tropical North Queensland : Cooktown to Mackay". Queensland Museum. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2019– via Trove.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.