Mareeba, Queensland
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- Mareeba redirects here, for the WWII freighter, see SS Mareeba
| Mareeba Queensland |
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| Population: | 6883 (2001 census) |
| Postcode: | 4880 |
| LGA: | Tablelands Regional Council |
| State District: | Tablelands |
| Federal Division: | Kennedy |
Mareeba is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located at , 417 metres above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters[1]. Mareeba has a population of approximately 8,000.
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[edit] History
Prior to European settlement, the area around Mareeba was inhabited by the Muluridji people. They maintained a hunter/gatherer existence in the area between Mount Carbine, Mareeba, Rumula and Woodville, mainly concentrated between Bibhoora and Mount Molloy. In the local Aboriginal language, Mareeba means meeting of the waters - referring to the point at which the Barron River is joined by Granite Creek.
On May 26, 1875 James Venture Mulligan became the first European to officially see the future site of Mareeba when he rode up the eastern bank of the Barron River, and passed the junctions of Emerald Creek and Granite Creek.
The Mareeba area was first settled by Europeans in 1877 by John Atherton, who arrived with cattle at Emerald End, which is just north of the town today. Mareeba quickly became a busy coach stop for Cobb & Co on the road from Port Douglas to Herberton. When the railway arrived in 1893, Mareeba grew into a busy town.
On June 16 1941, the Australian freighter SS Mareeba was attacked and sunk by the HSK Kormoran. Her Captain and 47-man crew were taken on board Kormoran[2]. The Kormoran would eventually go on to sink the HMAS Sydney[3].
From 1942 to 1945, up to 10,000 Australian and US service personnel used Mareeba Airfield as a staging post for battles in New Guinea and the Pacific. The Americans referred to it as Hoevet Field in honour of Major Dean Carol "Pinky" Hoevet who was killed on 16 August 1942. Units that were based at Mareeba during World War 2 included 5 Squadron RAAF, 100 Squadron RAAF, Australian 33rd Light A-A Battery, 19th Bomb Group USAAC, 43rd Bomb Group USAAC and 8th Fighter Group USAAC.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Average temperatures
- January 20.9 – 31.2 °C
- July 11.0 – 25.4 °C
[edit] Average rainfall
- 918.7mm – (annual)
[edit] Size of Mareeba Shire
- 52,585 square kilometres (for comparison Tasmania is 68,300 square kilometres.)
[edit] Economy
Mareeba is fast becoming known for its horticulture industries. Numerous crops are grown throughout Mareeba Shire, including avocados, mangoes, lychees, longans, sugar cane, cashews, macadamias, pineapples, tea tree, coffee, and a variety of vegetables and tropical fruits. Poultry and cattle are also common. Tobacco, once a main-stay of the local economy, is no longer grown within the Mareeba shire, although Chop Chop can still be a problem[4].
Tourism is also contributing to the local economy. The town of Kuranda is located downstream along 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, even though it is part of the Cairns economic catchment.
The Lotus Glen Correctional Centre is located in Mareeba.
[edit] Education
Mareeba has two primary schools, two secondary schools and a TAFE campus. There are also several day care centres in the town.
- St Thomas of Villanova Catholic Primary School
- Mareeba State Primary School
- Mareeba State High School
- St. Stephen's Catholic College
- Tropical North Institute of TAFE
[edit] Government
Mareeba is in the Australian House of Representatives Division of Kennedy and the Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral district of Tablelands.
[edit] Health
Mareeba Hospital is in the Tablelands Health District. It provides 52 beds, with surgical, maternity/paediatric, outpatient/emergency and x-ray facilities.
[edit] Sport and Entertainment
[edit] Sporting Teams
Mareeba's local sporting teams are:
- Rugby league — Mareeba Gladiators: The Gladiators participate in the Cairns District Rugby League competition. They last won the Premiership in 2001, when they defeated Ivanhoes 21-18. In 2005 the Gladiators made the CDRL finals.
Mareeba Gladiators have just recently won the 2007 CDRL premiership to back up their great season (losing only three games in the season) where they took out the minor premiership. It was a great win against Brothers 54-26 in the grand final.
- Football (soccer) — The Mareeba United Football Club, known as the Mareeba Bulls: The Bulls have dominated the local football scene for the past decade. The Bulls were Grand Final winners in 2003, premiers, Grand Final Winners and NQ Champions in 2004 and again won the premiership and NQ Championship in 2005, and were crowned Grand Final Champions in 2006. The sustained success of the mighty Bulls has brought the title for Mareeba as "Football Capitol of North Queensland".
[edit] Rodeo
The Mareeba Rodeo takes place over a weekend each July. The first rodeo was held 1949 at Davies Park (which is now home to the Gladiators). On the Friday night, there is a parade through the town, and the Rodeo Princess is crowned (the first Princess was crowned in 1959). Over the rest of the weekend the rodeo proper is held at Kerribee Park. Other events taking place over the weekend include the ute muster.
[edit] Radio
Mareeba is serviced by the following radio stations:
[edit] Music
The Walkamin Country Music Association Festival is held at Kerribee Park, annually in October.
[edit] Hotels
Mareeba has three hotels:
- The Anthill
- The Graham
- The Peninsula
[edit] Religion
Mareeba has representatives from a large number of religions and has as many places of worship, including the region's only mosque.
Each year, on the first Sunday of September, St Thomas's Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Chain. The celebration begins with a procession through various streets of Mareeba and culminates in a fireworks display.
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
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