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Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of
Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...
. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-populous in Queensland, and
15th 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...
in Australia. The city was founded in 1876 and named after Sir William Wellington Cairns, following the discovery of gold in the
Hodgkinson river Hodgkinson is an English language, English-language surname, and may refer to: *Alan Hodgkinson (1936–2015), English footballer *Albert Hodgkinson (1897–1975), English recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal *Alison Hodgkinson, South Africa ...
. Throughout the late 19th century, Cairns prospered from the settlement of Chinese immigrants who helped develop the region's agriculture. Cairns also served as a port for blackbirding ships, bringing slaves and indentured labourers to the sugar plantations of Innisfail. During World War II, the city became a staging ground for the Allied Forces in the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
. By the late 20th century the city had become a centre of international tourism, and in the early 21st century has developed into a major metropolitan city. Cairns is a popular tourist destination because of its tropical climate and access to tropical rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.


History

Prior to British settlement, the Cairns area was inhabited by the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people, who still claim their native title rights. Yidinji (also known as Yidinj, Yidiny, and Idindji) is an
Australian Aboriginal language The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns,
Gordonvale Gordonvale is a rural sugar-growing town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality situated on the southern side of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Gordonvale had a populati ...
, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the
Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...
including Atherton and Kairi. The area in which the city is located is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy, and the clan who inhabited the region before colonisation are the Gimuy-walubarra clan. From 1770 to the early 1870s the area was known to the British simply as Trinity Bay. The arrival of beche de mer fishermen from the late 1860s saw the first European presence in the area. On the site of the modern-day Cairns foreshore, there was a large native well which was used by these fishermen. A violent confrontation occurred in 1872 between local Yidinji people and Phillip Garland, a beche de mer fisherman, over the use of this well. The area from this date was subsequently called Battle Camp. In 1876, hastened by the need to export gold mined from the
Hodgkinson goldfields The Hodgkinson Mineral Area was a mining area near the Hodgkinson River about west of Cairns in the present-day Shire of Mareeba in Queensland, Australia. It was the site of a gold rush in the 1870s. History Prospector James Venture Mullig ...
on the tablelands to the west, closer investigation by several official expeditions established its potential for development into a port. Brinsley G. Sheridan surveyed the area and selected a place further up Trinity Inlet known to the diggers as Smith's Landing for a settlement which he renamed Thornton. However, after Native Police officers Alexander Douglas-Douglas and Robert Arthur Johnstone opened a new track from the goldfields to Battle Camp, this more coastal site became preferable. Battle Camp was renamed Cairns in late 1876 in honour of the then Governor of Queensland, William Cairns. The site was predominantly mangrove swamps and sand ridges. Labourers gradually cleared the swamps, and the sand ridges were filled with dried mud, sawdust from local sawmills, and ballast from a quarry at Edge Hill. The Cairns Parish of the Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown (now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns) was established in 1884. Debris from the construction of a railway to
Herberton Herberton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Herberton had a population of 855 people. Geography Herberton is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is situa ...
on the Atherton Tableland, a project which started in 1886, was also used. The railway opened up land later used for agriculture on the lowlands (sugar cane, corn, rice, bananas, pineapples), and for fruit and dairy production on the Tableland. The success of local agriculture helped establish Cairns as a port, and the creation of a harbour board in 1906 supported its robust economic future. The Wharf Estate Cairns went on sale in Brisbane via auction on 19 February 1889 by John Macnamara & Co. Land Auctioneers. The land was part of the place known as the Railway Reserve. The sale was described by the Auctioneers as the 'largest ever yet held in Northern Queensland'. On 25 April 1926 (
ANZAC Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...
), the Cairns Sailors and Soldiers War Memorial was unveiled by
Alexander Frederick Draper Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, the mayor of the
City of Cairns The City of Cairns was a local government area centred on the Far North Queensland city of Cairns. Established in 1885, for most of its existence it consisted of approximately around Cairns itself, with much of the metropolitan area being loc ...
. During World War II, the Allied Forces used Cairns as a staging base for operations in the Pacific, with United States Army Air Forces and
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
operational bases (now the airport), as well as a major military seaplane base,
Naval Base Cairns Naval Base Brisbane was a major United States Navy base built in the early part of World War II at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At first, operated as a base for patrol aircraft and convoy escort aircraft to protect the last leg of the Pacific ...
, in Trinity Inlet, and United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy bases near the current wharf. Combat missions were flown out of Cairns in support of the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
in 1942. Edmonton and White Rock south of Cairns were major military supply areas and U.S. Paratroopers trained at
Gordonvale Gordonvale is a rural sugar-growing town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality situated on the southern side of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Gordonvale had a populati ...
and the
Goldsborough Valley Goldsborough is a locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Goldsborough had a population of 929 people. Geography The Mulgrave River flows from the south to the north-east of the locality, forming its northern boundary. T ...
. A Special Forces training base was established at the old " Fairview" homestead on Munro's Hill, Mooroobool. This base was officially known as the
Z Experimental Station The Z Experimental Station (ZES) was established in July 1942 at Munro Terrace, Mooroobool, Queensland, Mooroobool, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, jointly by Secret Intelligence Australia and the Inter-Allied Services Department. The building ch ...
, but referred to informally as "The House on the Hill". After World War II, Cairns gradually developed into a centre for tourism. The opening of the
Cairns International Airport Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest ...
in 1984 helped establish the city as a desirable destination for international tourism. In the the urban area of Cairns had a population of 144,730 people. The population in June 2019 was 153,951. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2019.


Demographics

According to the
2016 census Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...
of population, there were 144,787 people in Cairns (Significant Urban Area). * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 8.9% of the population. * 67.9% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 4.0%, New Zealand 3.1%, Papua New Guinea 1.5%, Philippines 1.2% and Japan 1.1%. * 76.9% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Japanese 1.6%, Mandarin 0.8%, Italian 0.7%, Korean 0.7% and German 0.6%. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion 32.1%, Catholic 22.4%, Anglican 13.2%, Not stated 12.2% , Uniting Church: 3.6%. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


Geography

Cairns is located on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula on a coastal strip between the
Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...
and the
Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...
. The northern part of the city is located on Trinity Bay and the city centre is located on Trinity Inlet. To the south of the Trinity Inlet lies the
Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
community of Yarrabah. Some of the city's suburbs are located on flood plains. The Mulgrave River and Barron River flow within the greater Cairns area but not through the
Cairns CBD Cairns City is a coastal suburb at the centre of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It is also known as the Cairns Central Business District (CBD). In the , Cairns City had a population of 2,737 people. Geography The suburb ...
. The city's centre foreshore is located on a mud flat.


Urban layout

Cairns is a provincial city, with a linear urban layout that runs from the south at Edmonton to the north at
Ellis Beach Ellis Beach is a coastal locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Ellis Beach had a population of 24 people. Geography The five-kilometre strip of Ellis Beach is located aside the Coral Sea north of Cairns on the Captai ...
. The city is approximately from north to south; it has experienced a recent urban sprawl, with suburbs occupying land once used for sugar cane farming. The ''Northern Beaches'' consist of a number of beach communities extending north along the coast. In general, each beach suburb is at the end of a spur road extending from the Captain Cook Highway. From south to north, these are
Machans Beach Machans Beach is a beach and coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Machans Beach had a population of 1,051 people. Geography The Barron River and Barr Creek are respectively the southern and norther ...
, Holloways Beach,
Yorkeys Knob Yorkeys Knob is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yorkeys Knob had a population of 2,759 people. Geography The suburb is approximately north of the centre of Cairns, and is the third beach sub ...
, Trinity Park,
Trinity Beach Trinity Beach is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. At the , Trinity Beach had a population of 5,488. Geography Trinity Beach is approximately from the Cairns city centre and approximately 6.6 km f ...
,
Kewarra Beach Kewarra Beach is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Kewarra Beach had a population of 5,652 people. Geography Kewarra Beach is bordered by the Coral Sea to the east and Kuranda National Park to th ...
, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, and
Ellis Beach Ellis Beach is a coastal locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Ellis Beach had a population of 24 people. Geography The five-kilometre strip of Ellis Beach is located aside the Coral Sea north of Cairns on the Captai ...
. The suburb of Smithfield is inland against the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, between Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Park. It serves as the main hub for the Northern Beaches, with a modern shopping arcade, called Smithfield Shopping Centre. South of Smithfield and inland from the Northern Beaches along the edge of the Barron River
flood plain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
are the suburbs of
Caravonica Caravonica ( lij, Caironega) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about northwest of Imperia. Caravonica borders the following municipalities: Borgomaro, ...
, Kamerunga,
Freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
, and Stratford. This area is sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley, though it is actually the lower part of Redlynch Valley; further up the valley are the suburbs of Redlynch, on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and Brinsmead on the eastern side. Stratford, Freshwater, and Brinsmead are separated from Cairns city by Mount Whitfield (elevation ) and Whitfield Range.
Crystal Cascades The Crystal Cascades is a cascade waterfall on the Freshwater Creek in the Far North region of Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , sub ...
and
Copperlode Falls Dam Copperlode Falls Dam or Lake Morris is a fresh water reservoir dam in Lamb Range, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, servicing the city of Cairns. The dam is located in the range immediately west of Cairns. History Originally Cairns' wat ...
are also behind this range. ( Kuranda, a town on the Barron River on the western side of the Macalister Range, forms part of the Cairns economic catchment but is in the Tablelands local government area and is not part of the Cairns urban area.) The city centre of Cairns is adjacent to the suburbs of
Cairns North Cairns North is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Cairns North had a population of 5,191 people. Geography The suburb is bounded to the north by the Cairns Airport, to the east by Trinity Bay ( ...
, and Parramatta Park,
Bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
,
Portsmith Portsmith is a suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Portsmith was 195. History Portsmith is situated in the Yidinji traditional Aboriginal country. The origin of the suburb name is from ...
, and close to Westcourt, Manunda, Manoora, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla, City View, Mooroobool, Earlville,
Woree Woree is a suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Woree had a population of 4,821 people. Geography The Bruce Highway goes between Bald Hills in Brisbane to Woree and is long. The highway goes through Woree both ...
and Bayview Heights. The small suburb of
Aeroglen Aeroglen is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Aeroglen had a population of 403 people. It is approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the Cairns City centre. Geography The suburb is bounde ...
is pressed between Mount Whitfield and the airport, on the Captain Cook Highway between
Cairns North Cairns North is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Cairns North had a population of 5,191 people. Geography The suburb is bounded to the north by the Cairns Airport, to the east by Trinity Bay ( ...
and Stratford. ''Southside Cairns'', situated in a narrow area between Trinity Inlet to the east and Lamb Range to the west, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount Sheridan,
Bentley Park Bentley Park is a suburb of Cairns within the local government area of Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately south of the Cairns City. In the , Bentley Park had a population of 8,018 people. History Bentley Park i ...
and Edmonton. The townships of Goldsborough, Little Mulgrave, and Aloomba are near
Gordonvale Gordonvale is a rural sugar-growing town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality situated on the southern side of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Gordonvale had a populati ...
, on the Mulgrave River. This area is serviced by the Bruce Highway. Several other small towns and communities within Cairns' jurisdiction are sparsely located along the Bruce Highway, the furthest being
Bramston Beach Oundle School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been governed by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the C ...
, south of the
Cairns CBD Cairns City is a coastal suburb at the centre of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It is also known as the Cairns Central Business District (CBD). In the , Cairns City had a population of 2,737 people. Geography The suburb ...
; the largest of these townships is Babinda, about from the city.


Climate

Cairns experiences a tropical climate, specifically a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen climate classification. A wet season with heavy monsoonal downpours runs from November to May, with a relatively dry season from June to October, though light showers occur during this period. Cairns' mean annual rainfall is just under , although monthly totals in the wet season from December to April can exceed , with the highest monthly rainfall being recorded in January 1981, where over of rain fell. In contrast, as little as fell in the record dry calendar year of 2002. Babinda, a town to the south of the city, is Australia's wettest town, recording an annual rainfall of over . Cairns has hot, humid summers and very warm winters. Mean maximum temperatures vary from in July to in January. Monsoonal activity during the wet season occasionally causes major flooding of the Barron and Mulgrave Rivers, cutting off-road and rail access to the city. Cairns has 97.0 clear days, annually. Dewpoint in the wet season (summer) averages at . The average temperature of the sea ranges from in July to in January.


Tropical cyclones

Like most of North and Far North Queensland, Cairns is prone to tropical cyclones, usually forming between November and May. Notable cyclones that have affected the Cairns region include: * Cyclone Yasi, 2011 * Cyclone Larry, 2006 * Cyclone Abigail, 2001 * Cyclone Steve, 2000 *
Cyclone Rona Severe Tropical Cyclone Rona (JTWC designation: 20P) and Severe Tropical Cyclone Frank (JTWC designation: 22P; RSMC Nadi designation: 16F) were a pair of tropical cyclones that affected Queensland and New Caledonia during the 1998–99 Australian ...
, 1999 *
Cyclone Justin Cyclone Justin was a tropical cyclone of the 1996–97 Australian region cyclone season that caused seven deaths and had a major economic impact in northern Queensland, Australia. It had a long -week life from 6 March to 24 March 1997. Peaking a ...
, 1997


Facilities

The City Library, operated by the Cairns Regional Council, opened in 1979 and is situated at 151 Abbott Street. A major refurbishment was undertaken in 1999 and a further minor refurbishment was implemented in 2011. Public accessible wifi is available. Current Library services and collections can be accessed from the Cairns Libraries website.


Heritage listings

Cairns has a number of
heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and man-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In many ...
sites, including: *
Cairns-to-Kuranda railway line The Cairns-to-Kuranda Railway is a heritage-listed railway line from the Cairns Region to the Shire of Mareeba, both in Queensland, Australia. It commences at Redlynch, a suburb of Cairns and travels up the Great Dividing Range to Kuranda wi ...
* Abbott Street:
Dr EA Koch Memorial Dr EA Koch Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at Abbot Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Melrose & Fenwick and built in 1903. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 27 May 1 ...
* Abbott Street:
Barrier Reef Hotel Barrier Reef Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Lawrence and Lordan in conjunction with Richard Hill built in 1926 by Carl Peter Jorgensen. It wa ...
* Abbott Street: Bishop's House * Abbott Street:
St Monica's High School Administration Building St Monica's College Sr Cecilia Building is a heritage-listed part of the catholic school in Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Vibert McKirdy Brown and built in 1941 by VW Doyle. This building was o ...
* 6A-8A Abbott Street: former
Cairns Customs House Cairns Customs House is a heritage-listed former customs house and now restaurant at 6A-8A Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robert Henry Bowen and built from 1936 to 1937 by Watkin ...
* 38 – 40 Abbott Street:
Cairns Court House Cairns Court House Complex is a heritage-listed site incorporating a former courthouse and a former public administration building (now an art gallery) at 38–40 Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It ...
* 151 Abbott Street: Cairns City Council Chambers * 179 Abbott Street:
St Joseph's Convent ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
* 183 Abbott Street:
St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral St Monica's Cathedral (also known as St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral) is the cathedral church of the Catholic Diocese of Cairns. It is located at 183 Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The cathedral was designed by ...
* Collins Avenue, Edge Hill:
Flecker Botanical Gardens Flecker Botanic Gardens is a heritage-listed botanic garden at Collins Avenue, Edge Hill, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1886 to 1960s. It is now known as Cairns Botanic Gardens, and also known as Edge Hill Nursery, and Fitzalan's ...
* Collins Avenue, Edge Hill:
WWII RAN Fuel Installation WWII RAN Fuel Installation is a heritage-listed former fuel depot and now arts centre at Collins Avenue, Edge Hill, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1943. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 2 Febr ...
* Grafton Street:
Cairns Control Room Cairns Control Room is a heritage-listed military building at Grafton Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1942 by the Queensland Department of Public Works. It is also known as World War II Volunte ...
, World War II Volunteer Defence Corps * 99 Grafton Street: former
Cairns Chinatown The Cairns Chinatown Building is a heritage-listed commercial building at 99 Grafton Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from to and is one of the last remaining buildings from the Cairns Chinatown ...
*28D Grove Street, Parramatta Park:
Grove Street Pensioners' Cottages Grove Street Pensioners' Cottages is a heritage-listed house at 28D Grove Street, Parramatta Park, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. They were designed by the Cairns City Council and built from 1953 to 1958. They were added to the ...
* Lake Street:
Bolands Centre Bolands Centre is a heritage-listed department store at Lake Street, Cairns City, Queensland, Cairns City, Cairns, Queensland, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. Designed by Edward Gregory Waters and built in 1912, the Centre was ho ...
* 37 Lake Street: former
Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd Building Adelaide Steamship Company Ltd Building is a heritage-listed office building at 37 Lake Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1910 by Wilson & Baillie. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Regist ...
* 39 – 49 Lake Street: former Central Hotel * 87 Lake Street:
Hides Hotel Hides Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 87 Lake Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Sydenham Stanley Oxenham and built in 1928 by Michael Thomas Garvey. It is also known as Hides Cairns Ho ...
* 93–105 Lake Street: former
School of Arts School of Arts or school of arts may refer to: *Art school, an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts * Mechanics' institutes, Victorian-era educational establishments formed to provide education, particularly in technical ...
* 399 Kamerunga Road, Redlynch:
Xavier and Sadie Herbert's Cottage Xavier and Sadie Herbert's Cottage is a heritage-listed cottage at 399 Kamerunga Road, Redlynch, Queensland, Redlynch, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from to 1970s. It is also known as Sadie's House. It was added to ...
* 127–145 McLeod Street, Cairns North:
McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at 127-145 McLeod Street, Cairns North, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1877 to 1954. It is also known as Cairns General Cemetery and Cairns Pioneer Cemetery. ...
* 180 McLeod, Cairns North:
Herries Private Hospital Herries Private Hospital is a heritage-listed former maternity hospital and now private home at 180 McLeod, Cairns North, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1880s circa to 1920. It is now known as Herries House. It was add ...
* Minnie Street: St Monica's Old Cathedral * 8 Minnie Street:
Cairns Masonic Temple Cairns Masonic Temple is a heritage-listed former masonic temple at 8 Minnie Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1934 to 1935. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 August 1998. ...
* Sheridan Street, Cairns North:
Cairns Technical College and High School Building Cairns Technical College and High School Building is a heritage-listed state school at Sheridan Street, Cairns North, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Nigel Laman Thomas of the Department of Public Works (Que ...
* The Esplanade:
Cairns War Memorial Cairns War Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at The Esplanade, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1925. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. History The Cairns War ...
* 51 The Esplanade: former Mulgrave Shire Council Chambers * 183–185 The Esplanade, Cairns North: Floriana * Wharf Street: Cairns Wharf Complex * 29 Wharf Street: former
Jack and Newell Building Jack and Newell Building is a heritage-listed office building at 29 Wharf Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1911 by Hanson & Sons. It is also known as Bartlam's Ltd, Fearnley & Co. Ltd, and Nos ...


Governance

Cairns is part of the Cairns Region
local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
which is governed by a Regional Council. The Council consists of a directly elected mayor and 10 councillors, elected from 10 single-member divisions (or wards) using an optional preferential voting system. Elections are held every four years. The Cairns Region consists of three former local government areas. The first was the original
City of Cairns The City of Cairns was a local government area centred on the Far North Queensland city of Cairns. Established in 1885, for most of its existence it consisted of approximately around Cairns itself, with much of the metropolitan area being loc ...
, consisting of the Cairns City region as listed above. The second, which was amalgamated in 1995, was the Shire of Mulgrave (comprising the other areas, namely the Northern Beaches, Redlynch Valley and Southside). The town of Gordonvale was once called Nelson. The third area is the Shire of Douglas, which amalgamated in 2008 during major statewide local government reforms. At the time of the 1995 amalgamation, Cairns City had a population of approximately 40,000 and Mulgrave Shire had a population of approximately 60,000. Both local government authorities had chambers in the Cairns CBD. The old Cairns City Council chambers has been converted into a new city library. In a controversial decision, new Council chambers were constructed on previously contaminated land in the mainly industrial suburb of Portsmith. Cairns has three representatives in the Queensland Parliament, from the electoral districts of Barron River,
Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
and Mulgrave. The city is represented in the Federal Parliament by representatives elected from the districts of Leichhardt and
Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...
.


Economy

Cairns serves as the major commercial centre for the Far North Queensland and Cape York Peninsula Regions. It is a base for the regional offices of various government departments.


Tourism

Tourism plays a major part in the Cairns economy. According to Tourism Australia, the Cairns region is the fourth-most-popular destination for international tourists in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. While the city does not rank amongst Australia's top 10 destinations for domestic tourism, it attracts a significant number of Australian holiday makers despite its distance from major capitals. There is also a growing interest in Cairns from the Chinese leisure market with regular scheduled direct flights from Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou. During the 2013 Chinese Lunar New Year period alone, Cairns saw 20,000 Chinese holidaymakers flying in on chartered flights. The city is near the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland, and the
Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...
. Great Barrier Reef tours that operate from Cairns are very popular and hence Cairns is also considered as the gateway to Great Barrier Reef. The Cairns esplanade includes a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing is permitted here. Many leisure activities are conducted in this area, including flea market, sports classes and many more.


Commercial

Several shopping centres of various sizes are located throughout Cairns. The largest of these are
Cairns Central Cairns Central Shopping Centre is in Cairns City, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. It is Cairns' biggest shopping centre. The centre was opened in late 1997 and is the second multi-story shopping centre in northern Queensland. The sh ...
shopping centre, located in the central business district (CBD), and Stockland Cairns, located in the suburb of Earlville. In Westcourt, one of the city's oldest shopping centres has been refurbished, with the city's first DFO. To service the needs of suburbs further from the city centre, shopping complexes are also located at Mount Sheridan, Redlynch, Smithfield, and Clifton Beach. In 2010, the state government opened the second stage of William McCormack Place, an A$80 million office building credited as the first 6-star green star-rated building in the city.


Media

'' The Cairns Post'' is a daily newspaper published in the city; a weekly paper, ''The Cairns Sun'', is also published. '' The Courier-Mail'' is a daily Queensland-wide newspaper published in Brisbane. '' The Australian'' newspaper also circulates widely. The ''
Cairns Bulletin ''The Cairns Bulletin'' was an independent newspaper in circulation in Cairns. It covered the Cairns area from Palm Cove in the north to Gordonvale Gordonvale is a rural sugar-growing town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality si ...
'' is an independent newspaper in circulation in the Cairns area. Cairns is served by five television stations, three commercial television stations ( WIN Television, Seven Queensland and Southern Cross 10) which are regional affiliates of the three Australian commercial television networks ( 10,
Seven 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...
and Nine), and public broadcasters the ABC and SBS services. All three main commercial networks produce local news coverage - Seven Queensland and WIN Television both air 30-minute local news bulletins at 6pm each weeknight, produced from newsrooms in the city but broadcast from studios in Maroochydore and Wollongong respectively. Southern Cross 10 airs a regional Queensland news updates of ''
10 News First ''10 News First'' is an Australian television newscast, produced by Network 10. The network's ninety-minute long news program airs at 5pm each evening covering local, national and world news, including sport and weather. Weekend editions are p ...
''. Cairns radio stations include a number of public, commercial and community broadcasters. The ABC broadcasts
ABC Far North ABC Far North is an ABC Local Radio station based in Cairns. The station broadcasts to Far North Queensland. This includes the towns of Cooktown, Mossman, Innisfail, Weipa and up to the Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Island ...
,
ABC Radio National Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors an ...
, ABC NewsRadio,
ABC Classic FM ABC Classic, formerly ABC-FM (also ABC Fine Music), and then ABC Classic FM, is an Australian classical music radio station available in Australia and internationally. Its website features classical music news, features and listening guides. ...
and the Triple J youth network. Commercial radio stations include Star 102.7, 4CA 846 AM, Hot FM, Sea FM and 104.3 4TAB sports radio, while the community radio stations are 4CCR-FM, 101.9 Coast FM, Orbit FM 88.0FM & 87.8FM and 4CIM 98.7FM.


Industry and agriculture

The land around Cairns is still used for sugar cane farming, although this land is increasingly under pressure from new suburbs as the city grows. The
Mulgrave Sugar Mill The Mulgrave Sugar Mill is a sugar mill in Gordonvale, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It commenced operations in 1896. It is operated by MSF Sugar, a subsidiary of the Mitr Phol Group. It is also known as Mulgrave Central Mill. History ...
is located in Gordonvale (). The
Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station (or Barron Gorge Hydro) in Queensland, Australia is an electricity power station commissioned in 1963 with a maximum capacity of . It is located in the locality of Barron Gorge in the Wet Tropics Wor ...
is located nearby on the lower Barron River, and provides green power.


Transport

Cairns is an important transport hub in the Far North Queensland region. Located at the base of Cape York Peninsula, it provides important transport links between the Peninsula and
Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...
regions, and the areas to the south of the state.
Cairns International Airport Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest ...
is essential to the viability of the area's tourism industry.


Roads

The Bruce Highway runs for from Bald Hills on the City of Brisbane's northern boundary, and terminates in
Woree Woree is a suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Woree had a population of 4,821 people. Geography The Bruce Highway goes between Bald Hills in Brisbane to Woree and is long. The highway goes through Woree both ...
, a southern suburb in Cairns. The Captain Cook Highway (also referred as the Cook Highway) commences at
Aeroglen Aeroglen is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Aeroglen had a population of 403 people. It is approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the Cairns City centre. Geography The suburb is bounde ...
, a northern suburb of Cairns, and runs for approximately northwest to Mossman. A need for future upgrades to the Bruce Highway to motorway standards through the southern suburbs to Gordonvale has been identified in regional planning strategies to cope with increasing congestion from rapid population growth. This will result in overpasses at all major intersections from Woree to Gordonvale. The motorway will divert from Bentley Park to Gordonvale, bypassing Edmonton to reduce the effects of road noise on residential areas. The Kennedy Highway commences at Smithfield on the Barron River flood plain north of Cairns, and ascends the Macalister Range to the township of Kuranda. The highway then extends to the town of Mareeba on the
Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...
, and continues to communities of Cape York Peninsula. The Gillies Highway commences at the township of Gordonvale, and ascends the
Gillies Range The Gillies Range is a mountain range in Queensland, Australia. It is a chain of summits south of Cairns that separate the Far North Queensland coastal plain from the interior Atherton Tableland. At the foot of the range is the town of Gordon ...
(part of the Great Dividing Range) to the town of Atherton on the Atherton Tableland, passing through the township of Yungaburra on the way. The controversial private road, Quaid Road, was constructed in 1989 through what is now a
Wet Tropics The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km2 of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range. The Wet Tropics of Queensland meets all f ...
World Heritage Area, and links Wangetti, on the coast just north of Cairns, to
Southedge Southedge is a rural locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the Southedge had a population of 21 people. Geography The major road thoroughfare in Southedge is the Mulligan Highway. The Southedge-Wangetti Road, also know ...
, just south of Mount Molloy. The road is not open to the public and is not used for general traffic.


Bus

A public bus transit network exists within the city, with two transit hubs located within the CBD: the
Cairns Central Cairns Central Shopping Centre is in Cairns City, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. It is Cairns' biggest shopping centre. The centre was opened in late 1997 and is the second multi-story shopping centre in northern Queensland. The sh ...
Railway Station precinct, and the Cairns City Bus Station located within the Lake street and Shield street area, through which all bus lines operate and provide linkage to taxi, ride share and intercity rail services. The transit network includes most parts of the city, from Palm Cove in the north,
Gordonvale Gordonvale is a rural sugar-growing town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality situated on the southern side of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Gordonvale had a populati ...
in the south and Redlynch to the west. It is managed throughout the city by
Translink Translink (or TransLink) may refer to: * TransLink (British Columbia), the public transport operator in Vancouver, Canada * Translink (Northern Ireland) Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), a ...
: through a service contract with the
Sunbus Cairns Sunbus Cairns, previously Marlin Coast Sunbus, was the principal bus operator in Cairns, Queensland operating services under the TransLink (Queensland) scheme in the Cairns region. It is one of Sunbus' operations. As of late 2022, Sunbus has ch ...
company, however the Go Card ticketing system has not been implemented in the region. A smaller shuttle bus service, ''Jon's Kuranda Bus'' runs between Cairns and Kuranda alongside other private coach services. The main bus hubs in the Cairns CBD are the Cairns City bus station, opened in 2014, and at
Cairns Central Cairns Central Shopping Centre is in Cairns City, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. It is Cairns' biggest shopping centre. The centre was opened in late 1997 and is the second multi-story shopping centre in northern Queensland. The sh ...
, the former servicing almost all bus lines in Cairns. Cairns is served by long-distance coaches to Brisbane, and regional cities to the south. Coaches also operate west to Mount Isa via Townsville, and to
Alice Springs Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
and
Darwin Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...
in the Northern Territory.


Taxis and transportation network companies

Cairns also has a major taxi company, Cairns Taxis, which services the Cairns region. Uber was introduced to the region in March 2017, servicing the greater region.
Ola Ola may refer to: Places Panama *Olá, a subdistrict in Coclé Province *Olá District Russia *Ola, Russia, an urban settlement in Magadan Oblast *Ola District, an administrative division in Magadan Oblast *Ola (river), a river in Magadan Obla ...
launched in February 2020.


Rail

Cairns railway station is the terminus for Queensland's North Coast railway line, which follows the eastern seaboard from Brisbane. Services are operated by Queensland Rail (QR) and include the high-speed Diesel Tilt Train. Freight trains also operate along the route, with a QR Freight handling facility located at Portsmith. Pacific National Queensland (a division of Pacific National, owned by Asciano Limited) operates a rail siding at Woree. It runs private trains on the rail network owned by the Queensland State Government and managed by QR's Network Division. The Kuranda Scenic Railway operates from Cairns. The tourist railway ascends the Macalister Range and is not used for commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford, Freshwater (stopping at Freshwater Station) and Redlynch before reaching Kuranda. Freight services to
Forsayth Forsayth is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the , Forsayth had a population of 129 people. Geography Forsayth is in Far North Queensland approximately by road from Cairns. The town is the terminu ...
were discontinued in the mid-1990s. These were mixed freight and passenger services that served the semi-remote towns west of the Great Dividing Range. There is now a weekly passenger-only service, ''The Savannahlander'', that leaves Cairns on Wednesday mornings. The Savannahlander is run by a private company, Cairns Kuranda Steam Trains. Cairns is served by a narrow gauge cane railway (or cane train) network that hauls harvested sugar cane to the
Mulgrave Sugar Mill The Mulgrave Sugar Mill is a sugar mill in Gordonvale, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It commenced operations in 1896. It is operated by MSF Sugar, a subsidiary of the Mitr Phol Group. It is also known as Mulgrave Central Mill. History ...
located in Gordonvale. The pressure of urban sprawl on land previously cultivated by cane farmers has seen this network reduced over recent years.


Airport

Cairns International Airport Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest ...
is north of Cairns City between the CBD and the Northern Beaches. The domestic terminal at Cairns Airport underwent an extensive redevelopment which began in 2007 and was completed in 2010. The airport has a domestic terminal, an international terminal, and a general aviation area. The airport handles international flights, and flights to major Australian cities, tourist destinations, and regional destinations throughout North Queensland. It is an important base for general aviation serving the Cape York Peninsula and Gulf of Carpentaria communities. The Cairns airport is also a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.


Port

The Cairns Seaport, located on Trinity Inlet, is operated by the Cairns Port Authority. It serves as an important port for tourist operators providing daily reef trips. These consist of large catamarans capable of carrying over 300 passengers, as well as smaller operators that may take as few as 12 tourists. Cairns Port is also a port of call for cruise ships, such as Captain Cook Cruises, cruising the South Pacific Ocean. It also provides freight services to coastal townships on Cape York Peninsula, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Yearly cargo through the port totals 1.13 million tonnes. Almost 90% of the trade is bulk cargoes – including petroleum, sugar, molasses, fertiliser and LP gas. A large number of fishing trawlers are also located at the port. There is also a marina that houses private yachts and boats used for tourist operations. The Trinity Wharf has recently been the subject of a major redevelopment to improve the area for tourist and cruise ship operations. The freight wharves are located to the south of Trinity Wharf further up Trinity Inlet.


Defence facilities

The Royal Australian Navy has a base in Cairns (). The base has a complement of 900 personnel, and supports nine vessels, including: *Three ''Armidale''-class patrol boats of ''Ardent'' Division. *Two ''Cape''-class patrol boats. Four ships of the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service. *Two ''Leewin''-class hydrographic ships. *Two ''Paluma''-class survey ships. Previously four of the six ''Balikpapan''-class landing craft where based before their decommissioning
Porton Barracks Porton Barracks was founded in 1971 as the home of the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment. Porton Barracks was named after the Battle of Porton Plantation. A battle during the Second World War that involved the 31st/51st Battalion, ...
, in the outlying suburb of Edmonton, is home to the Australian Army's
51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment The 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (51 FNQR) is an Australian Army Regional Force Surveillance Unit headquartered at Porton Barracks in Cairns. The battalion's primary role is to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance tasks in ...
. Delta Company from the Townsville based
31st/42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment The 31st/42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (31/42 RQR) is a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. One of three battalions of the Royal Queensland Regiment, it was formed in early 2008 through the amalgamation of the 31st Batta ...
is also based here. Both units are components of the
Australian Army Reserve The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...
.


Sister cities

* Lae, Papua New Guinea ( Morobe Province) since 1984 * Minami, Japan (
Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the north, E ...
) since 1969 * Oyama, Japan ( Tochigi Prefecture) since 15 June 2006 *
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, Latvia since 1990 * Scottsdale, Arizona (USA) since 1987 * Sidney, British Columbia (Canada) since 1984 * Zhanjiang, People's Republic of China (
Guangdong province Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
) since 2005 A selection of memorabilia and artefacts relating to Cairns Sister Cities is displayed at Cairns City Library.


Education

Cairns has numerous primary and secondary schools. Separate systems of private and public schools operate in Queensland. There are 20 state primary schools and 16 state high schools operated by the Queensland state government Department of Education within the
Cairns City Council The City of Cairns was a local government area centred on the Far North Queensland city of Cairns. Established in 1885, for most of its existence it consisted of approximately around Cairns itself, with much of the metropolitan area being l ...
area, including 6 schools in the predominantly rural areas south of Gordonvale. Catholic schools are operated by Catholic Education Cairns. The Catholic system encompasses nineteen primary schools, six secondary colleges and one P-12 college. The oldest Marist Brothers college in Cairns is St Augustine's, which is a secondary college. there were almost 6,700 primary students and 4,000 secondary students enrolled in the Roman Catholic school system. There are also four other independent schools –
Peace Lutheran College Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
,
Trinity Anglican School Trinity Anglican School (TAS) is an Independent Anglican School in Far North Queensland, Australia which opened on 25 May 1983. It has three campuses set over two grounds. TAS White Rock caters for students from Kindergarten through to Year 12, ...
,
Freshwater Christian College Freshwater Christian College is a private Christian school located in the suburb of Brinsmead, in Cairns, in Far North Queensland, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country c ...
and
Redlynch State College Redlynch may refer to: *Redlynch, Queensland, Australia * Redlynch, Somerset, England, United Kingdom * Redlynch, Wiltshire Redlynch is a village and civil parish about southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the villa ...
. There is also
Hinterland Cairns Steiner School Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...
, which is independent. The Cairns Campus of
James Cook University James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cairn ...
is located at Smithfield. CQUniversity Australia has established a study centre in Cairns. The city also hosts a
TAFE Technical and further education or simply TAFE (), is the common name in English-speaking countries in Oceania for vocational education, as a subset of tertiary education. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational cours ...
college, and a School of the Air base, both located in the inner suburb of Manunda.


Health

The
Cairns Hospital Cairns Hospital, known as the Cairns Base Hospital between 1932 and 2013, is the largest major hospital in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located at 165 The Esplanade, Cairns North, Cairns. The hospital offers general services to Cair ...
is situated on the Cairns Esplanade and is the major hospital for the Cape York Peninsula area. The smaller Cairns Private Hospital is located nearby. A new building was completed in 2015 to provide up to 168 more beds. Cairns is a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which operates clinics and provides MEDEVAC, emergency evacuations in remote communities throughout the region.


Sport and recreation


Association football, Australian rules football, and rugby

Cairns is home to Cairns FC, Far North Queensland Heat, who play in the 2nd tier of association football in Australia. They compete in the National Premier Leagues Queensland, NPL Queensland which is one tier under the A-League. The team has represented the city nationally previously at the 2014 FFA Cup. The team competes at Barlow Park. The Cairns region has a large association football community with a local competition which spans from Port Douglas, Queensland, Port Douglas to Innisfail and west to Dimbulah, Queensland, Dimbulah. Notable association football players from the region include Australian national association football team, Socceroos Frank Farina, Steve Corica, Shane Stefanutto and Michael Thwaite. Cairns has a seven-team Australian rules football competition between teams from the Cairns and Port Douglas region. AFL Cairns currently hosts one AFL game each season. There is also an AFL Masters team that is based in Cairns, they are known as the Cairns Stingers. The Northern Pride RLFC, Northern Pride Queensland Cup rugby league team played their first season in 2008, and act as a feeder team to the North Queensland Cowboys who play in the National Rugby League. Cairns is represented by 11 Senior clubs, most notably ''Brothers Cairns'', ''Ivanhoes Knights,'' ''Cairns Kangaroos, Edmonton Storm'' and ''Southern Suburbs Cockatoos'' in the Cairns District Rugby League. Cairns also hosts growing bases for Rugby union.


Other sports

There is a baseball league at Trinity Beach. Cairns also has a National Basketball League (Australasia), National Basketball League (National Basketball League (Australasia), NBL) team, the Cairns Taipans whose home court is the Cairns Convention Centre, known as ''The Snakepit'' during Taipans home games. In 1965 the City of Cairns Open, a professional golf tournament, was inaugurated. Significant golfers like Randall Vines and Vic Bennetts won the event. In the mid-1970s it evolved into an amateur event. In modern times, the week-long event encompasses four tournaments, including a mixed team event and separate men's and women's tournaments. Cairns is a major international destination for water sports and scuba diving due to its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Other recreational activities popular with tourists include whitewater rafting, skydiving, hang gliding, kitesurfing and snorkelling.


Sporting facilities

Notable sporting grounds include Barlow Park, Parramatta Park, Cazaly's Stadium, the Cairns Convention Centre, and the Cairns Field hockey, Hockey Centre. The Cairns Showground is used for sports as well, as the Cairns Show and funfairs.


Amenities

Established in 1978, the Cairns & District Chinese Association is an arts and heritage organisation seeking to preserve the Chinese culture and heritage of Cairns and North Queensland and enriching the contemporary cultural, social and economic diversity of the community. The society organises events such as the Chinese New Year Festival, organises Lion dancers and dragon boat racing, maintains the Lit Sung Goong Temple, and offers Chinese language classes and social group activities. Established in 1989, the Cairns and District Family History Society maintains a library of world-wide genealogy material at 271 Gatton Street, Westcourt. The society publishes new genealogical resources based on collecting and indexing family information relating to Far North Queensland. The Cairns Historical Society operates the Cairns Museum and Cairns Historical Society Resource Centre at the former Cairns School of Arts building on the corner of Lake and Shields Streets in Cairns City, Queensland, Cairns City. The Cairns branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 264 Grafton Street,
Cairns North Cairns North is a coastal suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Cairns North had a population of 5,191 people. Geography The suburb is bounded to the north by the Cairns Airport, to the east by Trinity Bay ( ...
. St Monica's Catholic Cathedral is at 183 Abbott Street. It is within the Cairns Cathedral Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.


Indigenous languages and representation

The Yidiny language is a prominent language of the Cairns area. Irukandji language (also known as Yirrgay, Yurrgay, Yirrgandji, Djabuganjdji and Yirgay) is a language of
Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...
, particularly the area around the Macalister Range, Queensland, Kuranda Range and Barron River (Queensland), Lower Barron River. The Irukandji language region includes the landscape within Cairns Regional Council. Yumplatok (also known as Torres Strait Creole and Broken) is a contemporary Torres Strait Island languages, Torres Strait Island language originating in the Torres Strait. The contact with missionaries and others since the 1800s has led to the development of a pidgin language, which transitioned into a creole language and now has its own distinctive sound system, grammar, vocabulary, usage and meaning. Torres Strait Creole is spoken by most Torres Strait Islanders and is a mixture of Standard Australian English and traditional languages. It is an English-based creole; however, each island has its own version of creole. Torres Strait Creole is also spoken on the Australian mainland, including Northern Peninsula Area Region and coastal communities such as Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Queensland, Mackay, Rockhampton and Brisbane. There are four Traditional Owner groups representing the rights and interests of the peoples of the Cairns region. The Dawul Wuru (Yirrganydji) Aboriginal Corporation represents Traditional Owners in the area between Cairns and Port Douglas. Native title rights have been granted to the Djabugay people over land and waters within the Barron Gorge National Park near Kuranda. The Gunggandji people hold rights over more than on the Yarrabah, Queensland, Yarrabah Peninsula. The fourth group represents the Yidinji clans, and comprises Gimuy Walubara Yidinji, Dulabed Malanbarra and Yidinji, Mandingalbay Yidinji and Wadjanbarra Tableland Yidinji.


Notable people

* Gavin Allen, Queensland and Brisbane Broncos Rugby League player * Christine Anu, pop singer and actress * Aron Baynes, basketball player in the National Basketball Association, NBA * Daniel Boyd (artist), Daniel Boyd, contemporary artist * Leonard John Brass, botanist * Mark Cantoni, Mark 'Yank' Cantoni, rugby league player * Kev Carmody, singer-songwriter, born in Cairns * Terence Cooper, film actor, artist * Courtenay Dempsey, AFL footballer, Essendon Football Club * Charlie Dixon (Australian footballer), Charlie Dixon, AFL footballer, Port Adelaide Football Club * Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2018, Miss Universe winner * Ben Halloran, footballer for Adelaide United * Ken Ham, creationist and religious activist * Tracey Hannah, downhill mountain biker * Jarrod Harbrow, AFL footballer, Gold Coast Football Club * Xavier Herbert, writer * Justin Hodges, international Rugby League player * Erin Holland, an Australian singer and Television Host * Nathan Jawai, professional basketball player, first indigenous Australian to play in NBA * Danilo Jovanovitch, poet * Susan Kiefel, Chief Justice, High Court of Australia * Richard Ash Kingsford, Mayor of Brisbane, first Mayor of Cairns * Emma Louise, musician * Rayleen Lynch, retired Australian basketball player * Rhyse Martin, Rugby League player, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs * Grant McLennan, musician, The Go-Betweens * Isabel Lucas, actress * Ryan McGoldrick, Rugby League player, Castleford Tigers * Nate Myles, international Rugby League player * Johnny Nicol, musician * DMo (artist), Danielle Oke, artist * Wilma Reading, singer * Adam Sarota, international football player * Xavier Savage, Rugby League player * Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Rugby League player * Michael Thwaite, footballer for Liaoning Whowin F.C., Liaoning Whowin, and occasional Australia national soccer team, Socceroo * Brenton Thwaites, actor * Rhys Wakefield, actor * Naomi Wenitong, member of former pop and R&B duo Shakaya. * Shim Jake, member of the South Korean group Enhypen * Grant Patterson, Paralympic swimmer


Gallery

File:Dawn, the Esplanade, Cairns, QLD.JPG, View of the pier and Esplanade at dawn File:Esplanade, Cairns, 2015 (02).JPG, City centre File:Glass bottom boats & Semi sub.JPG, Glass bottom boats and a Semi submarine at Green Island (Queensland), Green Island, Great Barrier Reef, outer Cairns File:Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk.jpg, Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk File:Great Barrier Reef Ferry.JPG, A Great Barrier Reef ferry, Green Island (Queensland), Green Island, outer Cairns File:Kuranda Scenic Railway Cairns.JPG, Kuranda scenic railway, Kuranda File:Mossman River and Gorge.JPG, Mossman river and Gorge, Daintree National Park, outskirts of Cairns File:Moved Termite Mounts Mareeba.JPG, Moved termite mounds, Mareeba, Queensland, outskirts of Cairns File:QLD Rescue Helicopter.JPG, Queensland rescue Helicopter, Green Island (Queensland), Green Island, Great Barrier Reef, outskirts of Cairns File:Marine Stingers Sign Cairns.JPG, Marine stingers sign, Trinity Beach, Queensland, Trinity beach, Cairns File:Hastings Reef.jpg, Hastings Reef Cairns-copperlode.JPG, City landscape


See also


Notes


References


External links


Cairns City Council Website

University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Cairns

Cairns Local Information Website

Watch historical footage of Cairns and Far North Queensland
from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's collection.
Cairns
– Tourism Australia * * Freeman, Jennifer
The Collinson Index
State Library of Queensland [blog post, 2 September 2011] {{Authority control 1876 establishments in Australia Cairns, Queensland, Cairns Region Coastal cities in Australia Fishing communities in Australia Populated places established in 1876 Port cities in Queensland Queensland in World War II