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80 KM S of Townsville
History – The Burdekin area was explored by Europeans in the 1840s. Settlement in the upper reaches of the valley took place almost immediately; however the coast was ignored until the 1870s. R.WGraham and A.C.Macmillan settled in the lower reaches of the valley to grow sugar cane. On the other side of the BurdekinRiver Inkerman Downs Cattle Station had already been established but it was converted into sugar cane in 1911. Ayr was the first town to be established in 1879, whilst Home Hill was developed following the introduction of sugar cane on the south side of the river. The region is most noted for its sugar cane but it’s also noticed for the BurdekinBridge – also called the “Silver Link”. The BurdekinBridge, built in 1958, is unusual because it’s 1097 miles long but it has no solid bottom in the river bed.
Indigenous Tribes – Juru people
Industries – Sugar and small crops such as capsicums, beans, melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplants and mangoes; grazing, and aquaculture
- Ayr , Home Hill
- Other small towns include Brandon, Giru, Jerona, Alva, Wunjunga, Clare, Dalbeg and Millaroo
135 KM SW of Townsville
(Formed after the amalgamation of Charters Towers City Council and Dalrymple Shire Council - 15 March 2008).
History – Ludwig Leichhardt was the first explorer to traverse through Dalrymple shire in 1845, but it was George Dalrymple who opened the area up for pastoralists in 1859. ChartersTowers was founded in 1871 when gold was discovered by a young aboriginal boy, Jupiter, whilst he was looking for horses which had bolted the night before during a storm. His employer Hugh Mosman immediately registered the claim at Ravenshoe and the gold rush in Charters Towers began. At one stage Charters Towers was referred to as “the world” as it attracted people from all over the globe. ChartersTowers was one of the richest regions in the country and in the late 1880s had a population of over 30,000 people. It was the second largest city in Queensland. The gold rush continued until the decline of mining after World War 1, which saw the population decrease and ChartersTowers became a hub centre for the surrounding Dalrymple Shire.
Indigenous Tribes – Gugu – Badhun and Kudjala people
Industries – Mining, grazing, beef, education, mining and tourism
- Charters Towers
- Ravenswood
- Mingela
110 KM N of Townsville
History – Explorer GeorgeDalrymple opened up Hinchinbrook Shire in the 1860s whilst searching for a port to service his Valley of Lagoons pastoral station. After his explorations, which founded Cardwell, he made a recommendation that the Hinchinbrook region would be an ideal place for the growth of sugar, cotton and coffee. The first settler to the region was HenryStone who established the “Vale of Herbert Station” at HerbertVale in 1865. Another early pioneer was WilliamIngham who took up a 700 acre sugar plantation called Ings in the early 1870s, which later became Ingham. WilliamIngham was the first person to plant sugar in the region. The region grew significantly over the years, partly due to an influx of Mediterranean immigrants who settled in the area in the 1890s.
Indigenous Tribes – Nwagi, Bandjin and Warakamai tribes
Industries – sugar, forestry, tourism, beef, aquaculture (prawn and finfish)
- Ingham – known for its large Italian community (more than half the population are of Italian descent) and the Italian festival held every year.
- Lucinda – a service town for Ingham, Lucinda has the world’s longest offshore loading facility.
- Other towns include Halifax, Trebonne, and Macknade
Palm Island Shire Council
65 KM N of Townsville
History – Palm Island was named by Captain James Cook in 1770 for the cabbage palm trees growing there. It was established in 1918 as an aboriginal penal area where aboriginals were sent if they were considered problematic and/or uncontrollable on other reserves. Others sent there included single mothers of mixed-race children and criminals released from prison. It replaced the HullRiverMission near Tully which was extensively damaged by a cyclone. In the first two decades, aboriginals from over 40 tribes were sent to the island by the State Government. Strict conditions were in place with aboriginals forbidden to speak their native language and forced to stick to a nightly curfew. Mail was also vetted and family members were required to gain permission before visiting the island. No one was allowed to leave the island unless under strict supervision. Conditions on the island were jail-like and it was only released by the State Government in 1986 when a council was formally established. PalmIsland has become well known for its history of violence with very little industry, agriculture and unemployment at 90%.
Indigenous Tribes – The original tribe on PalmIsland was the Manbarra people
Industries - Aquacuture
1500 KM N of Brisbane
(Formed after the amalgamation of the Townsville and Thuringowa City Councils - 15 March 2008).
History – Captain James Cook first described the Townsville region on his first voyage around Australia in 1770. He named the coastal features ClevelandBay; and MagneticIsland - the area where his compass started spinning out of control. However, he didn’t land and it was much later before settlers came to the region. The next European to visit the Townsville area was JamesMorrill who came ashore after being shipwrecked just south of CapeCleveland in 1846. He lived with the local indigenous people for 15 years before seeing other Europeans in the area. Townsville was first established in 1864 when John Melton Black sent out a small party of people, led by Andrew Ball, to find a suitable site where a port could be established. The establishment of Townsville was funded by entrepreneur and businessman RobertTowns, of which the town was named after. Townsville was declared a municipality in 1866 and John Melton Black was elected the first mayor. Over the ensuing years Townsville continued to grow and was proclaimed a city by 1902. It is now Queensland’s fourth largest city and is a major service area for the defence, mining, and major research facilities such as the CSIRO and is party to nine cooperative research centres. The local university – James Cook University – is renowned for its research into marine science.
Indigenous Tribes – Wulgurukaba, Bindal, Warakamai and Nawagi people.
Industries – Cattle, industrial, agriculture (lychees, mangoes, sugar), aquaculture, defence, manufacturing, mineral production and processing, tourism and tropical science.
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