Daintree, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Daintree is a settlement in North Queensland located 111 kilometres north of Cairns
and 56 kilometres from Port Douglas, Queensland
. The McDowell Ranges are near the town while the Daintree River
flows nearby. It takes its name from Richard Daintree
, a pioneering geologist of British origin in North Queensland in the 1860s. At the 2006 census
, Daintree and the surrounding area had a population of 78.
commonly (if incorrectly) known as cedar in the nearby Daintree Rainforest
. There were sizeable stocks of "cedar" near the Daintree River. Loggers moved stock down the coast for transport using lashed rafts.
Dairy farms were later established allowing a butter factory to be opened in 1924. Beef farming later became a significant local employer.
As elsewhere in Queensland, tourism has become a dominant employer. To that end the nearby rainforest which was nominated for the World Heritage List in 1986, but was rejected.
Local tour operators offer trips through the rainforest especially in the Daintree National Park
. The Daintree Rainforest Environment Centre is located on the far side of the Daintree River from the township while a minor museum is dedicated to local timber.
Cairns, Queensland
Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was...
and 56 kilometres from Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
. The McDowell Ranges are near the town while the Daintree River
Daintree River
The Daintree River runs through the Daintree Rainforest in the Cape Tribulation region of Queensland in northern Australia. It is located about 100 kilometres northwest of Cairns in far north tropical Queensland and drains an area of 2,125 square kilometres. The river, along with the Daintree...
flows nearby. It takes its name from Richard Daintree
Richard Daintree
Richard Daintree was a pioneering Australian geologist and photographer. In particular, Daintree was the first Government geologist for North Queensland discovering gold fields and coal seams for future exploitation...
, a pioneering geologist of British origin in North Queensland in the 1860s. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Daintree and the surrounding area had a population of 78.
Overview
Daintree was first settled in the late 1870s and early 1880s by timber workers seeking Toona AustralisToona
Toona is a genus of five species of trees in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, native from Afghanistan south to India, and east to North Korea, Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia...
commonly (if incorrectly) known as cedar in the nearby Daintree Rainforest
Daintree Rainforest
The Daintree Rainforest is a tropical rainforest on the north east coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Mossman and Cairns. At around 1200 square kilometres the Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent...
. There were sizeable stocks of "cedar" near the Daintree River. Loggers moved stock down the coast for transport using lashed rafts.
Dairy farms were later established allowing a butter factory to be opened in 1924. Beef farming later became a significant local employer.
As elsewhere in Queensland, tourism has become a dominant employer. To that end the nearby rainforest which was nominated for the World Heritage List in 1986, but was rejected.
Local tour operators offer trips through the rainforest especially in the Daintree National Park
Daintree National Park
Daintree is a national park 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 was granted listing as a World Heritage List...
. The Daintree Rainforest Environment Centre is located on the far side of the Daintree River from the township while a minor museum is dedicated to local timber.