Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland
Queensland

Queensland Regions
Population 280,638 (2010 est.)[1]
 • Density 0.7370696/km2 (1.909002/sq mi)
Area 380,748.3 km2 (147,007.7 sq mi)
LGA(s) Aurukun, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Croydon, Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee, Douglas, Etheridge, Hopevale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mareeba, Mapoon, Mornington, Napranum, Northern Peninsula Area, Pormpuraaw, Tablelands, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Weipa, Wujal Wujal, Yarrabah
State electorate(s) Electoral district of Barron River, Electoral district of Cairns, Electoral district of Cook, Electoral district of Dalrymple, Electoral district of Hinchinbrook, Electoral district of Mulgrave
Federal Division(s)
  • Division of Kennedy
  • Division of Leichhardt

Far North Queensland, or Tropical North Queensland, is the northernmost part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Centered on the city of Cairns, the region stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf Country. The region has Australia's only international border, with the independent nation of Papua New Guinea.

The region is home to three World Heritage Sites, the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland and Riversleigh Australia's largest fossil mammal site. Far North Queensland lays claim to over 70 national parks, including Mount Bartle Frere with a peak of 1,622 metres (5,322 ft) it is the highest peak in both Northern Australia and Queensland.

The Far North region is the only region of Australia that is home to the two oldest continuous cultures on the planet, the Aboriginal Australians and the Torres Strait Islanders.

Far North Queensland supports a significant agricultural sector, a number of significant mines and is home to Queensland's largest wind farm, the Windy Hill Wind Farm.

Extent

View from Daintree National Park, 2009

Various Government Departments and agencies have different definitions for the region. The Queensland Government department, Trade and Investment Queensland defines the region as an area comprising the following 25 local government areas; Aurukun, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Croydon, Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee, Douglas, Etheridge, Hopevale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mareeba, Mapoon, Mornington, Napranum, Northern Peninsula Area, Pormpuraaw, Tablelands, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Weipa, Wujal Wujal, Yarrabah.

Settlements

The main population and administrative centre of the region is the city of Cairns. Other key population centres include Cooktown, the Atherton Tableland, Weipa, Innisfail and the Torres Strait Islands. The region also consists of many Aboriginal and farming groups.

The north-eastern point of Highway 1 (Australia) passes through the region in the city of Cairns and connects the southern running Bruce Highway to the western running Savannah Way. Highway 1 (Australia) circumnavigates the continent at a length of approximately 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi) and is second longest national highway in the world after the Pan-American Highway. Despite being Highway 1 not all sections of the Savannah Way are designated as a federally funded National Highway and certain sections remain unsealed.

Industry

Bloomfield Track, 2003

Significant industries include tourism, cattle grazing, agriculture and mining of both sand and bauxite. Agricultural products generate between $600 and $700 million a year.[2] Sugar cane, tropical fruits including bananas, mangoes, papaya, lychees and coffee are grown in Far North Queensland.

Over the past few years, Far North Queensland has become increasingly known for its artistic and creative offerings, with experimental and contemporary projects happening through the work of The Upholstery, Merchants of Fine Objects, Cupcake Studio, KickArts, On Edge Festival, New Move Dance Network, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, and Cairns Festival. As the major urban centre in Far North Queensland, Cairns is home to cultural influences from Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait Islands, to inland communities and the Gulf of Carpentaria and South Pacific islands. Active arts organisation include End Credits Film Club, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns Civic Theatre, UMI Arts, JUTE Theatre, Centre of Contemporary Arts, Rondo Theatre, The Clink Theatre, Reggaetown, and Cairns Regional Gallery.

The region is home to the world's biggest silica mine at Cape Flattery.[3] The mine was established in 1967 and was severely damaged by Cyclone Ita in 2014. Rio Tinto Alcan operates a bauxite mine on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula near Weipa which contains one of the largest bauxite deposits in the world.[4]

Tourism

Barron Falls, 2005

The region supports a large tourism industry and is considered a premier tourist destination in Australia.[5] Nearly one third of international visitors to the state come to the region.[5] Attractions include the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and other Queensland tropical rain forests within the Wet Tropics of Queensland heritage area, the Atherton Tableland, Hinchinbrook Island and other resort islands such as Dunk Island and Green Island. Major attractions around and in Cairns include The Reef Hotel Casino, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Barron Falls and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Towns and localities attracting large numbers of tourists include Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, Mission Beach and Cardwell.

Demographics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the region's population at 280,638 in 2014.[1] The region contains 25.6% of the state's Indigenous population, or 28,909 people, making up 11.8% of the region's population.[6]

History

Far North Queensland is the location of the first amber fossils to be found in Australia. The four-million-year-old fossils were found on a beach in Cape York Peninsula but were probably washed ashore after drifting with the currents for about 200 km.[7] In the 1860s, Richard Daintree discovered gold and copper deposits along several rivers which led early prospectors to the area.[8]

Cyclones

South Sea Islander workers on the Lower Herbert around 1890

The region suffered Queensland's worst maritime disaster on 4 March 1899 when the Mahina Cyclone destroyed all 100 ships moored in Princess Charlotte Bay. The entire North Queensland pearling fleet was in the bay at the time of the cyclone. Approximately 100 Aboriginals assisting survivors and 307 men from the pearling fleet were drowned.[9] Its pressure was measured at 914 hPa with a recorded tidal surge of 13 m, the highest ever in Australia.[10] Cyclone Mackay hit the Queensland coast in 1918, killing 30 people.[11]

In March 1997, Cyclone Justin resulted in the deaths of seven people. In early 2000, Cyclone Steve caused major flooding between Cairns and Mareeba. Cyclone Larry crossed the Queensland coast near Innisfail in March 2006. The storm resulted in an estimated $1.5 billion worth of damage and damaged 10,000 homes.[11] 80% of Australia's banana crop was destroyed. Cyclone Monica was the most intense cyclone on record in terms of wind speed to cross the Australian coast. It impacted the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland in April 2006. In January 2011, Cyclone Yasi passed over Tully and resulted in an estimated $3.6 billion worth of damage, making it the costliest cyclone ever to hit Australia.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Regional Profile: Far North (Statistical Division). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved on 27 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Sam Davis (2 August 2012). "Queensland roads holding back nation's fresh fruit". ABC Far North Queensland. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Tony Moore (14 April 2014). "'World's biggest' silica mine damaged by Cyclone Ita". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bauxite and aluminia operations". Operations & financial report. Rio Tinto Alcan. 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  5. 1 2 "The economic and social impacts of tourism in the Far North Queensland planning region" (PDF). Planning Information and Forecasting Unit. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Office of economic and statistical research
  7. ↑ Anna Salleh (29 November 2006). "Amber fossils a first for Australia". ABC Science Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Daintree, Richard (1832–1878)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  9. ↑ Shilton, Peter (2005). Natural areas of Queensland. Mount Gravatt, Queensland: Goldpress. pp. 16, 17, 29, 32. ISBN 0-9758275-0-2.
  10. ↑ Jonathan Nott & Matthew Hayne (2000). "How high was the storm surge from Tropical Cyclone Mahina?" (PDF). Australian Emergency Management. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Marina Kamenev (2 February 2011). "Australia's worst cyclones: timeline". Australian Geographic. Retrieved 4 June 2014.

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