Kuranda, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Kuranda is a town on the Atherton Tableland
in Far North
Queensland
, Australia
, it is 25 kilometres from Cairns
, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by rainforest. At the 2006 census
, Kuranda had a population of 1,611.
to Myola (later Cairns to Herberton
) began in 1887 and the line reached Kuranda in 1891. The current railway station was built in 1915.
Although coffee was grown around Kuranda in the early twentieth century, timber was the town's primary industry for a number of years.
The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station was built nearby in the 1960s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Kuranda was popular with alternative lifestylers, and today is a thriving tourist town.
The town receives thousands of tourists each week who arrive on the Kuranda Scenic Railway
from Cairns, the Skyrail
gondola cableway, or by coach on the Kuranda Range road.
Kuranda is home to Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve
the only zoo in north Queensland to hold Big Cats and Ungulates.
Attractions in the town include a regular market, consisting of a range of arts and crafts stalls as well as restaurants. Kuranda is a major centre for opals and didgeridoos. It was also the first home of the Tjapukai Indigenous Dance Theatre, established by former New Yorkers Judy and Don Freeman, together with indigenous dancer and actor, David Hudson. The theatre is now located adjacent the Skyrail base station at Caravonica. Kuranda is home to a bird park, butterfly sanctuary
, a bat rehabilitation centre, snake and venom park and koala sanctuary. As mentioned, the town is surrounded by rainforest rich in wildlife, with numerous walks and lookouts, such as to the Barron Falls.
, Kuranda experiences only mild variations in temperature and its seasons consist of a dry season
and a wet season
. The weather is not as humid as the nearby coastal city of Cairns, as it is high in the hinterlands.
The coolest month is July, and the hottest January.
In July a light jacket may be needed on some cool days and evenings.
Division of Leichhardt
, the Queensland Legislative Assembly
electoral district of Barron River
and locally, in the Tablelands Region.
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
in Far North
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it is 25 kilometres from Cairns
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...
, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by rainforest. 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,...
, Kuranda had a population of 1,611.
History
The rainforest around Kuranda has been home to the Djabugay people for over 10,000 years. Europeans began to explore the area throughout the nineteenth century. It is believed a massacre of indigenous people took place at the location in Kuranda known as Skeleton Creek. Kuranda was first settled in 1885 and surveyed by Thomas Behan in 1888. Construction of the now famous railway from CairnsCairns, 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...
to Myola (later Cairns to Herberton
Herberton, Queensland
Herberton is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Herberton had a population of 974.-History:...
) began in 1887 and the line reached Kuranda in 1891. The current railway station was built in 1915.
Although coffee was grown around Kuranda in the early twentieth century, timber was the town's primary industry for a number of years.
The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station was built nearby in the 1960s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Kuranda was popular with alternative lifestylers, and today is a thriving tourist town.
Tourism
Kuranda Scenic Railway
The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a name for the railway line that runs from Cairns, Queensland, Australia to the nearby town of Kuranda. The tourist railway snakes its way up the Macalister Range and is no longer used for regular commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford,...
from Cairns, the Skyrail
Kuranda Skyrail
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a scenic cableway running above the Barron Gorge National Park from the Cairns suburb of Caravonica to Kuranda, Queensland. The development of Skyrail was controversial as some local residents believed that damage may be done to World Heritage listed rainforest...
gondola cableway, or by coach on the Kuranda Range road.
Kuranda is home to Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve is a zoological park outside Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. The park is privately owned and operated by Jenny Jattke, and is currently for sale...
the only zoo in north Queensland to hold Big Cats and Ungulates.
Attractions in the town include a regular market, consisting of a range of arts and crafts stalls as well as restaurants. Kuranda is a major centre for opals and didgeridoos. It was also the first home of the Tjapukai Indigenous Dance Theatre, established by former New Yorkers Judy and Don Freeman, together with indigenous dancer and actor, David Hudson. The theatre is now located adjacent the Skyrail base station at Caravonica. Kuranda is home to a bird park, butterfly sanctuary
Kuranda Butterfly Farm
The Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary is an Australian butterfly zoo and exhibit situated in the centre of Kuranda Village.Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as Australia’s largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit. The sanctuary was conceived, designed and built by...
, a bat rehabilitation centre, snake and venom park and koala sanctuary. As mentioned, the town is surrounded by rainforest rich in wildlife, with numerous walks and lookouts, such as to the Barron Falls.
Weather
Being situated in the tropicsTropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
, Kuranda experiences only mild variations in temperature and its seasons consist of a dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
and a wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
. The weather is not as humid as the nearby coastal city of Cairns, as it is high in the hinterlands.
The coolest month is July, and the hottest January.
In July a light jacket may be needed on some cool days and evenings.
Government
Kuranda is located in the (federal) Australian House of RepresentativesAustralian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Division of Leichhardt
Division of Leichhardt
The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was first proclaimed in 1949. It is one of Australia's largest electorates, covering an area stretching from Cairns to Cape York and the Torres Strait, including the Torres Strait Islands.-About the...
, the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
electoral district of Barron River
Electoral district of Barron River
-External links:*...
and locally, in the Tablelands Region.