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| Geography | |
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Cairns, view of the foreshore.
The Mulgrave River running through the Goldsbrough Valley to the south of Gordonvale.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the rainforest.
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.
[edit] Tags:Cairn,Barron River,Cape York Peninsula,Coral Sea,Great Dividing Range,Trinity Bay,Trinity Inlet,Mulgrave River,Flood Plain,Gordonvale,Mulgrave, | |
| Urban layout | |
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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 sprawl, 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 (41.0 mi) south of Cairns city; the largest of these townships is Babinda, about 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the city.
[edit] Tags:Urban Sprawl,Captain Cook Highway,Machans Beach,Holloways Beach,Yorkeys Knob,Trinity Park,Trinity Beach,Kewarra Beach,Clifton Beach,Palm Cove,Smithfield,Caravonica,Kamerunga,Freshwater,Stratford,Redlynch,Crystal Cascades,Copperlode Dam,Kuranda,Parramatta Park,Bungalow,Portsmith,Westcourt,Manunda,Manoora,Edge Hill,Whitfield,Kanimbla,Mooroobool,Earlville,Woree,Bayview Heights,White Rock,Mount Sheridan,Bentley Park,Edmonton,Goldsborough,Little Mulgrave,Local Government Area, | |
| History | |
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Main article: History of Cairns
Prior to British settlement, the Cairns area was inhabited by the Walubarra Yidinji people,[6] who still recognise their indigenous property rights.[7] The area is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy.[6]
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,[8] 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,[9] 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.
[edit] Tags:Atherton Tableland,Indigenous Property Rights,Yidiny Language,Mangrove,Allied Forces,Us Army Air Force,Royal Australian Air Force,Us Navy,Paratroopers,Z Experimental Station, | |
| Climate | |
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Cairns experiences a warm tropical climate, specifically a Tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen climate classification.[10][11] A wet season with tropical monsoons runs from November to May, with a relatively dry season from June to October, though showers are frequent for most of this period.[12] Cairns' mean annual rainfall is 2,015.9 millimetres (79.4 in).[13] 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 (165.4 in). It has hot, humid summers and milder temperatures in winter.[12] 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.
Climate data for Cairns Aero AWS
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
40.4
(104.7)
38.9
(102.0)
37.7
(99.9)
36.8
(98.2)
31.3
(88.3)
30.8
(87.4)
30.1
(86.2)
31.4
(88.5)
33.9
(93.0)
36.0
(96.8)
37.2
(99.0)
40.5
(104.9)
40.5
(104.9)
Average high °C (°F)
31.4
(88.5)
31.2
(88.2)
30.6
(87.1)
29.2
(84.6)
27.6
(81.7)
26.0
(78.8)
25.7
(78.3)
26.6
(79.9)
28.1
(82.6)
29.5
(85.1)
30.6
(87.1)
31.4
(88.5)
29.0
(84.2)
Average low °C (°F)
23.7
(74.7)
23.8
(74.8)
23.0
(73.4)
21.6
(70.9)
19.9
(67.8)
17.9
(64.2)
17.1
(62.8)
17.4
(63.3)
18.7
(65.7)
20.6
(69.1)
22.3
(72.1)
23.4
(74.1)
20.8
(69.4)
Record low °C (°F)
18.2
(64.8)
17.9
(64.2)
17.7
(63.9)
13.0
(55.4)
10.1
(50.2)
6.2
(43.2)
7.3
(45.1)
7.8
(46.0)
11.1
(52.0)
12.4
(54.3)
14.6
(58.3)
17.1
(62.8)
6.2
(43.2)
Precipitation mm (inches)
396.9
(15.626)
458.0
(18.031)
425.9
(16.768)
197.1
(7.76)
89.4
(3.52)
45.9
(1.807)
29.1
(1.146)
27.3
(1.075)
34.0
(1.339)
41.8
(1.646)
95.0
(3.74)
181.2
(7.134)
2,015.9
(79.366)
Avg. precipitation days
18.3
19.1
19.2
17.8
13.6
9.6
8.8
7.9
7.6
8.3
10.3
13.8
154.3
Sunshine hours
192.1
172.3
183.6
189.3
189.3
203.4
206.2
223.2
243.0
248.6
237.3
217.5
2,701.0
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[13]
[edit] Tags:Climate,Tropical Monsoon Climate,Köppen Climate Classification,Wet Season,Monsoons,Dry Season,Flooding,Bureau Of Meteorology, | |
| Tropical cyclones | |
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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 Yasi, 2011
Cyclone Larry, 2006
Cyclone Abigail, 2001
Cyclone Steve, 2000
Cyclone Rona, 1999
Cyclone Justin, 1997
[edit] Tags:Queensland,Far North Queensland, | |
| Governance | |
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'The Lagoon' on Cairns Esplanade at sunset.
Cairns is part of the Cairns Region local government area 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,[14] 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.
[edit] Tags:Lga, | |
| Economy | |
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Cairns at night; the wharves. The casino's dome can be seen in the background.
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.
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| Tourism | |
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Tourism plays a major part in the Cairns economy. According to Tourism Australia, the Cairns region is the fourth-most popular destination for international tourists in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17][18]
[edit] Tags:Great Barrier Reef, | |
| Commercial | |
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Cairns Pier
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.[19][20] 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.[21]
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| Media | |
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The Cairns Post 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.[22]
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.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Industry and agriculture | |
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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 on the lower Barron River, and provides green power for some of the city's needs.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Transport | |
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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 Carpentaria regions, and the areas to the south of the state. Cairns International Airport is essential to the viability of the area's tourism industry.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Roads | |
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The Bruce Highway in Cairns southern suburbs at morning peak hour.
The Bruce Highway runs for 1,700 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.[23]
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.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Coaches | |
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Cairns is served by long-distance coaches to Brisbane, and regional cities to the south. Coaches also operate west to Mount Isa 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.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Public transport | |
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A public transport network is operated throughout the city by Marlin Coast Sunbus. 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'[24] 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.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Rail | |
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Railway workers on the Cairns Railway with a view of Glacier Rock in the background, ca. 1891.[25]
Cairns is the terminus for Queensland's North Coast railway line, 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.[26] 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 Tags: | |
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