| Tully Queensland |
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Tully's main street |
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Tully
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| Population: | 2,457 (2006 census))[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 4854 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 24 m (79 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Cassowary Coast Region | ||||||
| State District: | Hinchinbrook | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Division of Kennedy | ||||||
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Tully is a small town in Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Bruce Highway approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) south of Cairns by road and 210 kilometres (130 mi) north of Townsville. At the 2006 census, Tully had a population of 2,457.[1]
The Tully River (previously known as the Mackay River) was named after Surveyor-General William Alcock Tully in the 1870s. The town of Tully was then named after the river (previously it had been known as Banyan).
Tully is one of the larger towns of the Cassowary Coast Region. Prior to the shire's amalgamation in 2008, Tully was the administrative centre for the Shire of Cardwell. The economic base of the region is agriculture; sugar cane and bananas being the dominant crops grown. The sugar cane grown at the many farms in the district is processed locally at the Tully Sugar Mill to give raw sugar which is shipped elsewhere for refinement.
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With an average annual rainfall exceeding 4,000 millimetres (160 in), and the highest ever annual rainfall in a populated area of Australia (7,900 millimetres (310 in) in 1950), Tully is arguably the wettest town in Australia - a rivalry exists between Tully and the nearby town of Babinda for said title. In 2003 a giant gumboot (the "Golden Gumboot") was erected as a monument to the town's climate; it also serves as a museum documenting past floods, as well as displaying the current rainfall for the year.
Buildings in Tully were badly damaged by Cyclone Yasi on 3 February 2011.[2][3] According to residents, Tully was "...a scene of mass devastation". An unknown number of homes were completely destroyed as intense winds, estimated at 300 km/h (190 mph), battered the area. Many other homes not destroyed sustained severe facade and or roof damage.[4] As daybreak came, reports from the town stated that about 90 per cent of the structures along the main avenue sustained extensive damage.[5]
Tully is a prominent station on the main North Coast Railway Line, situated just over half-way between Townsville and Cairns. By 10 December 1924, Tully was connected with both Townsville and Innisfail.[6]
| Long Distance services | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound | Service | Outbound | ||
| Cardwell | The Sunlander | Innisfail | ||
| Cardwell | Diesel Tilt Train | Innisfail | ||
Tully State High School has serviced students in the Tully district (comprising Cardwell, Kennedy, Mission Beach, Wongaling Beach, Tully, Feluga, El Arish and various other small centres) since its establishment in 1964. Tully State High School has an enrolment of approximately 630 students. As of 2011, Ms Fox is the principal of the school.
Tully State High School has been accredited as a Centre of Excellence in Mathematics, Science and Technology and is also one of only a few Reef Guardian schools. The campus is situated on extensive grounds, 38 hectares, and includes an aquaculture centre, a worm farm, an arboretum, a banana crop, a herd of cattle and several sports fields.
The previously mentioned worm farm is managed by the school based company "Banyan Worms", which was founded in 2004 and comprises year 10 Business Education students. The company is a part of the Young Achievement Australia programme and enjoyed success at trade expositions at local, state and national levels in 2004.
In 2006, another Young Achievement Australia business was set up by the year 10 business students, "Yamanii boxer shorts".
Also, in 2007, there were two business classes who participated in YAA: Yanique, making environmentally-friendly cards and VouchYa, making coupon booklets. Both classes did extremely well and both went away and were successful at the local, state and national awards.
Three main sporting events are contested by the school's four sports houses (Walter Hill - green, Tyson - blue, Kirrima - yellow and Mackay - red) each year: a swimming carnival; an athletics carnival; and a cross country run (through the cane paddocks near the school and along the Banyan).
The events of the school are chronicled each year in the school's student-produced magazine - the "Waltykima" (the name an amalgamation of the initial letters of the names of the school's sports houses).
Tully State High School's motto is "Quanti est sapere", which means "How valuable is wisdom".
The high school was destroyed by Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and will need to be rebuilt.[7]
Tully State School caters to the educational needs of the town's primary school children. When erected in 1924, it was known as Banyan Provisional and has since gone through a number of name changes: Tully Provisional (1925); Tully State School (1926); Tully State Rural School (1934); Tully State Rural and High School (1951); and reverted to Tully State School in 1964. The school's current motto is "Work well and succeed".
St. Clare's Parish School is a Catholic primary school which was erected in 1928.
Tully Tigers, is the local Rugby League club. One of their most famous juniors is former Cowboys forward Peter Jones. Tully was once one of the biggest sporting hubs in Far North Queensland, but since the economic crisis has hit, they are looking for more and more ways to support their clubs. Stephen Cairns also played a grade Rugby League in North Queensland , Sydney , Goldcoast.
Tully is the last place reclusive All Black rugby player Keith Murdoch has been sighted.[8]