Babinda
| Babinda Queensland | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Babinda on a typical rainy day | |||||||
  Babinda | |||||||
| Coordinates | 17°20′42″S 145°55′30″E / 17.34500°S 145.92500°ECoordinates: 17°20′42″S 145°55′30″E / 17.34500°S 145.92500°E | ||||||
| Population | 1,068 (2011)[1] | ||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4861 | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| LGA(s) | Cairns Region | ||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mulgrave | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Kennedy | ||||||
| |||||||
Babinda is a small town 60 km south of Cairns, Queensland. It is located in the Cairns Region. At the 2011 Australian Census the town recorded a population of 1,068.[1]
The town is noted for its proximity to two of Queensland's highest mountains Mount Bartle Frere and Mount Bellenden Ker.
Babinda and Tully annually compete for the Golden Gumboot, an award for Australia's wettest town. Babinda is usually the winner, recording an annual rainfall of over 4,200 millimetres each year.
History
Babinda takes its name from the local Indigenous Australian language for mountain.[2] Other sources, however, claim it is a word for water, referring to the high rainfall of the area.[3]
In March 2006, Babinda was struck by Cyclone Larry, damaging up to 80% of buildings.[4]
Heritage listings
Babinda has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Demographics
The 2006 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 1,167 persons in Babinda on census night. Of these, 49.7% were male and 50.3% were female.[7]
The majority of residents (79.7%) are of Australian birth, with other common census responses being Italy (2.7%) and New Zealand (2.0%).[7]
The age distribution of Babinda residents is skewed slightly higher than the greater Australian population. 70.1% of residents were over 25 years in 2006, compared to the Australian average of 66.5%; and 29.9% were younger than 25 years, compared to the Australian average of 33.5%.[7]
Community
The local newspaper is the Innisfail Advocate.
Schools
Babinda is served by Babinda State School, on Boulders Road, and St Rita's School, on Church Street.
Attractions
The Boulders and Devil's Pool are popular tourist attractions. A picnic area is located nearby, beside Babinda Creek.
Transportation
Babinda is situated on the Bruce Highway. The town has a railway station for access to long-distance train services, namely The Sunlander and the Tilt Train.
Climate
Babinda is well known and recognised as the wettest town in Australia, with an annual average rainfall of 4279.4mm. Monthly totals over 1000mm are not uncommon, and sometimes, usually between January and April, whole months will go by without a single sunny day. The wet season lasts from December to May, while the 'dry season' occurs from June to November. During the wet season, heavy monsoonal downpours occur almost daily and occasionally even heavier rain from tropical lows or cyclones occurs. Rainfall still totals well over 100mm a month during the dry season, however is usually in the form of coastal showers, which can range from 1 or 2 millimeters, to brief 100mm+ downpours. Thunderstorms with dangerous lightning and damaging winds can be a threat from October to December, however this threat decreases when the monsoon begins to take over in January.
| Climate data for Babinda Post Office | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.6 (87.1) |
30.4 (86.7) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28.0 (82.4) |
26.1 (79) |
24.3 (75.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
26.5 (79.7) |
28.0 (82.4) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.4 (86.7) |
27.66 (81.77) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) |
23.3 (73.9) |
22.5 (72.5) |
21.0 (69.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
15.7 (60.3) |
16.2 (61.2) |
17.6 (63.7) |
19.6 (67.3) |
21.5 (70.7) |
22.7 (72.9) |
19.92 (67.87) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 644.9 (25.39) |
744.9 (29.327) |
801.0 (31.535) |
535.1 (21.067) |
348.2 (13.709) |
202.1 (7.957) |
143.9 (5.665) |
113.2 (4.457) |
123.5 (4.862) |
125.1 (4.925) |
190.6 (7.504) |
306.9 (12.083) |
4,279.4 (168.481) |
| Source: bom.gov.au[8] | |||||||||||||
See also
- Suburbs of Cairns
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Babinda (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ (31 October 2001). What's in a name? – 3. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ Babinda. Cairns Connect. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "Larry's catastrophic toll". The Courier-Mail. 20 March 2006. Retrieved 21 March 2006.
- ↑ "Babinda Hotel (entry 17009)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
- ↑ "Babinda Air Raid Shelter (entry 30110)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Babinda (Cairns City) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ↑ "Climate Statistics for Babinda, QL". Retrieved 9 October 2013.
External links
Media related to Babinda, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons
- University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Babinda
- Watch historical footage of Babinda, Cairns and Far North Queensland from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's collection.
- Cairns Regional Council
- "Babinda". The Age (Australia). 8 February 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2011.