Kimberley, Queensland

Kimberley Queensland
View from the Walu Wugirriga Lookout to the mouth of the Daintree River
Kimberley
Coordinates	16°16′29″S145°27′27″E / 16.2747°S 145.4575°E / -16.2747; 145.4575 (Kimberley (centre of locality))
Population	28 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.480/km2 (1.244/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4873
Area	58.3 km2 (22.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Shire of Douglas
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal division(s)	Leichhardt
Suburbs around Kimberley: Cow Bay Cow Bay Cow Bay Forest Creek Kimberley Coral Sea Lower Daintree Lower Daintree Coral Sea

Kimberley is a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Kimberley had a population of 28 people. ^[1]

Geography

The locality is bounded to the south by the Daintree River and to the south-east, east, and north-east by the Coral Sea. ^[3]

Cape Tribulation Road enters the locality from the west (Forest Creek) and meanders through the centre of the locality and then exits to the north-west (Cow Bay). ^[3]

Much of the locality is within the Daintree National Park. Other land uses includes grazing on native vegetation and horticulture. ^[3]

The locality has a number of coastal and off-shore features (from north to south):

• Cow Bay, a side bay of Tinity Bay, ^[4] named after the dugongs (also known as sea cows) which inhabit the bay ( 16°14′10″S145°28′23″E / 16.2360°S 145.4731°E / -16.2360; 145.4731 (Cow Bay) ) ^[4]
• Cape Kimberley, named after the first Earl of Kimberley who was Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1870 to 1874 and from 1880 1882 ( 16°16′38″S145°29′15″E / 16.2773°S 145.4876°E / -16.2773; 145.4876 (Cape Kimberley) ) ^{[5] [6]}
• Penguin Channel, probably named after HMS Penguin which did Great Barrier Reef hydrographic surveys in the late 1800s ( 16°17′03″S145°29′15″E / 16.2843°S 145.4876°E / -16.2843; 145.4876 (Penguin Channel) ) ^{[7] [8]}
• Halls Point (also known as Hells Point) ( 16°17′22″S145°27′31″E / 16.2895°S 145.4586°E / -16.2895; 145.4586 (Halls Point (Hells Point)) ) ^{[5] [9]}
• Snapper Island, a 59-hectare (150-acre) marine island ( 16°17′51″S145°29′56″E / 16.2974°S 145.4988°E / -16.2974; 145.4988 (Snapper Island) ) ^{[10] [11]}

History

The locality takes its name from Cape Kimberley, which in turn was named on 24 October 1873 after John Wodehouse, First Earl of Kimberley (Secretary of State for the Colonies) by explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple. ^{[2] [12]}

The town of Kimberley was surveyed in December 1886 and later renamed the town of Whitby, after the town in England from which James Cook set sail in HMS Endeavour. The town was abandoned in the late 1800s. It was located on the northern bank of the Daintree River ( 16°16′23″S145°26′39″E / 16.27306°S 145.44417°E / -16.27306; 145.44417 (Whitby (town)) ). ^{[13] [14]}

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Kimberley had a population of 33 people. ^[15]

In the 2021 census, Kimberley had a population of 28 people. ^[1]

Attractions

Walu Wugirriga Lookout (also known as Mount Alexandra Lookout) is on Cape Tribulation Road ( 16°14′45″S145°26′10″E / 16.2458°S 145.4362°E / -16.2458; 145.4362 (Walu Wugirriga (Mount Alexandra) Lookout) ). ^[16] It provides views across the mouth of the Daintree River and beyond to Snapper Island and the Low Isles. ^[17]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Kimberley (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Kimberley – locality in Shire of Douglas (entry 48702)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 24 May 2019.
3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 11 June 2023.
4. "Bays - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
5. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
6. "Cape Kimberley – cape in Douglas Shire (entry 18152)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
7. "Mountain ranges beaches and sea passages - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
8. "Penguin Channel – channel in the Shire of Douglas (entry 26386)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 26 January 2024.
9. "Halls Point – mountain in Douglas Shire (entry 15249)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
10. "Marine islands - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
11. "Snapper Island – island (entry 31323)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
12. "Cape Kimberley – cape in the Douglas Shire (entry 18152)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 4 June 2019.
13. "Whitby – town in the Shire of Douglas (entry 37251)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 January 2024.
14. "Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m428" (Map). Queensland Government. 1960. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Kimberley (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
16. "Tourist points - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
17. "Mount Alexandra lookout, Cape Tribulation | Daintree National Park (CYPAL)". Parks and forests. Queensland Government. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2023.