Cow Bay is a coastal

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Shire of Douglas The Shire of Douglas is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Far North Queensland. It is located on the coast north of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, Queensland, Mos ...

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 , Cow Bay had a population of 220 people.

Geography

''Hutchinson Creek'' forms most of the northern boundary. The waters of the ''

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...

'' form the north-eastern boundary and most of the eastern. Cape Tribulation Road enters the locality from the south (

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia Queensland * Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas South Australia * County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia Ta ...

) and exits to the north ( Diwan). There are many sections of the

Daintree National Park The Daintree National Park is located in Far North Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane and northwest of Cairns. It was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988, it became a World Heritage Site. The park co ...

within the locality, particularly in the north-east, south and west of the locality. Bailey Point is a headline half-way along the Cow Bay coastline (). It was named by Commander

John Lort Stokes Admiral John Lort Stokes (1 August 1811 – 11 June 1885) was a Royal Navy officer who served onboard for almost eighteen years.Although 1812 is frequently given as Stokes's year of birth, it has been argued by author Marsden Hordern that Stok ...

HMS Beagle HMS ''Beagle'' was a 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class. The vessel, constructed at a cost of £7,803, was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames. Later reports say ...

on 30 July 1841, but the origin of the name is unknown. Offshore from the southern part of the locality's coastal is the waterbody Cow Bay, part of the Coral Sea () from which the locality presumably takes its name. Although the bay was not officially named until 1984, the name was in common use locally for many years, referring to the many

dugongs The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...

(also known as sea cows) in the waters of the bay. Alexandra Bay is offshore from the locality's northern coast (). Just inland from Bailey Point is Bailey Hill () at above sea level, while Flat Peak is in the south of the locality () at . Daintree Airstrip was at 1506 Cape Tribulation Road in the flatter northern part of the locality. It was repurposed for a plant nursery in 2022.

History

The area was named Cow Bay on 17 March 1984, becoming an official locality on 8 September 2000.

Demographics

In the , Cow Bay had a population of 202 people. In the , Cow Bay had a population of 220 people.

Education

There are no schools in Cow Bay. The nearest government primary school is Alexandra Bay State School in neighbouring Diwan to the north. The nearest government secondary school is Mossman State High School in Mossman to the south.

Attractions

The Daintree Discovery Centre is on Cape Tribulation Road (). Jindalba Boardwalk is nearby on Tulip Oak Road (). A number of walking tracks commence at the abandoned Daintree Airstrip.

References

{{Shire of Douglas Shire of Douglas Coastline of Queensland Localities in Queensland