Atherton is a rural town and locality in the

Tablelands Region The Tablelands Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia inland from the city of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns. Established in 2008, it was preceded by four previous local government areas ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , the locality of Atherton had a population of 7,724 people.

Geography

Atherton is on the

Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau, which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It has very deep, rich basaltic soils and the main industry is agriculture. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the B ...

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns, Queensland, Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stret ...

. Atherton is joined by the Gillies Highway to Yungaburra, the Kennedy Highway north to

Mareeba Mareeba is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia. Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ''meeting of the water ...

and south to Ravenshoe and Mount Garnet, the Malanda–Atherton Road to Malanda and the Atherton–Herberton Road to Herberton.

History

'' 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 The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. ...

and

, in such localities as

Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...

, Gordonvale, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the

including Atherton and Kairi. The town was named after John Atherton, a pioneer pastoralist who settled at

(then known as Emerald End) in 1875. The area was formerly known as Priors Pocket or Priors Creek. It was named ''Atherton'' by Falconer West Hutton, the surveyor who prepared the town layout on 11 May 1885. Atherton Provisional School opened on 2 March 1891 and closed in 1905. In 1906, it reopened as Atherton State School. Atherton Pioneer Cemetery opened in 1897 and closed in 1927 when the Rockley Road Cemetery was opened. Atherton Post Office opened by 1903 (a

receiving office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

had been open since 1889). Cairns Road State School opened on 18 July 1921 and closed in 1963. It was on Picnic Crossing Road South (approx ). St Joseph's School opened on 29 January 1923. The Atherton War Memorial commemorates local residents who died in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It was dedicated on 1 May 1924 by the Tinaroo Shire chairman, Frederick Grau. It is the only war memorial in Queensland of a digger in an animated pose, It was originally located in the middle of the street adjacent to where the ANZ bank is now located, but was later moved to the park outside the old Atherton RSL sometime after the 1950s. The Atherton Courthouse was used as a wartime hospital for officers during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and has air raid bunkers beneath the building. The Atherton Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns was established in 1949. William John Bock was an early pioneer in Atherton. He made an audio recording discussing the early town, prior to his death on 19 February 1953 (aged 95). Atherton State High School opened on 27 January 1959. The Atherton Public Library was opened in 1978. Jubilee Christian College opened on 1 July 1984.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Atherton had a population of 7,287 people. In the , the locality of Atherton had a population of 7,331 people. In the , the locality of Atherton had a population of 7,724 people.

Economy

Due to its moderate climate, cooler and less humid than the tropical coast, and its booming agricultural industries, Atherton has a busy and prosperous community, and a vibrant social and cultural life. Atherton is very attractive to retirees and " tree changers" due to the cool climate, fertile garden soils, housing prices significantly lower than the nearby coastal city of Cairns, and the vibrant cultural life (live music, visual arts, theatre and sport). The land around Atherton is used to grow a variety of crops, including

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

, tea,

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

es, maize (corn),

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es,

avocado The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...

s, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and

macadamia nuts ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia—specifically, northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland. Two species of the genus are comm ...

Dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

and

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

cattle are also reared in the area.

Culture

Each year towards the end of August, Atherton celebrates the Maize festival, which features a parade with decorated floats, the Maize Queen pageant, children's amusement rides and activities including tug of war and wood chopping. There are also shop window displays and artwork competitions, as well as a prize given to the best float. The annual Atherton Agricultural Show is held in the second week of July at Atherton Show grounds including Heritage Listed Merriland Hall. The Atherton Roosters field teams in the Cairns District Rugby League.

Education

Atherton State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 28 Armstrong Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 473 students with 45 teachers (37 full-time equivalent) and 35 non-teaching staff (22 full-time equivalent). It includes a

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

program. St Joseph's School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at the corner of Jack & Alice Streets (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 252 students with 19 teachers (16 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent). Jubilee Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep–12) school for boys and girls at 52 Grau Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 908 students with 47 teachers (37 full-time equivalent) and 45 non-teaching staff (26 full-time equivalent). Atherton State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Maunds Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 780 students with 82 teachers (78 full-time equivalent) and 42 non-teaching staff (34 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. It also has a virtual campus called the School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. Atherton has a

technical and further education Technical and further education or simply TAFE () is the common name in Australia for vocational education, as a subset of tertiary education. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational courses. Colloquially also known ...

(TAFE) campus, the Tropical North Institute of TAFE. There are also two day care centres in the town.

Amenities

The Tablelands Regional Council operates the Atherton Library on 16 Robert Street, Atherton. The library facility opened in 1978, with a major refurbishment in 2012. The Atherton branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall on the corner of Jack Street and Arnott Lane () St Joseph's Catholic Church is at 28 Mabel Street. It is within the Atherton Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. Atherton Uniting Church is on the corner of Jack Street and Victoria Street ().

Health

Atherton Hospital is in the Tablelands Health District. The hospital provides obstetric, medical, surgical, operating theatre, accident and emergency services.

Transport

Trans North offers a number of return bus services during a seven-day week between Atherton, Tolga, Walkamin, Mareeba, Kuranda, and Cairns including drop-offs to airport, railway station, hospitals and bus depots. There are connections available between Ravenshoe and Herberton and along the Wheelbarrow Way to Chillagoe. There is an Atherton

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

service.

Heritage listings

Atherton has a number of

heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...

sites, including: * Herberton Road:

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

* Herberton Road: Atherton Chinese Temple * Kennedy Highway: Atherton War Memorial * corner of Kennedy Highway and Rockley Road: Atherton War Cemetery * 42 Mable Street: Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence * 53 Main Street: Barron Valley Hotel * Mazlin Street: Merriland Hall * 6 Silo Street: Atherton Performing Arts Theatre (World War II igloo)

Notable residents

* Peter Beattie, who served as the 36th Premier of Queensland from 1998 to 2007 * Ron Grainer, composer, best known for composing the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' theme music * Rod Jensen, former

North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...

and

Huddersfield Giants The Huddersfield Giants are an English professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. Huddersfield play their home games at the John Smiths Stadium and compete in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league sy ...

player * Dallas Johnson,

lock forward and former

Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...

player and Queensland State of Origin representative * Elizabeth O'Conner, author * Ren Pedersen, children's brain cancer research advocate *

Alexander Prokhorov Alexander Mikhailovich Prokhorov (born Alexander Michael Prochoroff, ; 11 July 1916 – 8 January 2002) was an Australian-born Russian physicist and researcher on lasers and masers, in the former Soviet Union. He shared the Nobel Prize in P ...

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n physicist and

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

winner * Roberto Venturato, football coach and former player

Climate

Atherton has a warm

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cwa'') that differs from the surrounding tropical savannah climate due to the town's elevation, high on the Atherton Plateau, above sea level. Temperature extremes have ranged from . The average annual

rainfall Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. ...

is . The town is amongst the most northerly locations in Australia to record frost.

References

External links

Historical weather of Atherton
* *
Atherton Show

Annual reports Atherton Hospitals Board

State Library of Queensland State Library of Queensland (State Library) is the state public reference and research library of Queensland, Australia, operated by the Government of Queensland, state government. The Library is governed by the Library Board of Queensland, whi ...

{{authority control Towns in Queensland Populated places in Far North Queensland Tablelands Region Queensland in World War II Localities in Queensland