Far North Queensland History

Towns and Places

History of the Atherton Tablelands: From the dreamtime to the present. A tropical paradise and racial battleground. From frontier warfare to the battle for the Pacific.
History of Atherton: At first a camp for timbermen, 'Priors Pocket' progressed to a Cobb and Co. staging station, and eventually a prosperous agricultural town.
History of Cairns: As settlers from the southern colonies and overseas rushed to Far North Queensland to exploit the resources of the hinterland, the Queensland Government declared Trinity Inlet to be a settlement named 'Cairns'.
History of Chillagoe: Named after a nonsense-word from a sea shanty, Chillagoe began as a cattle station, developed into a mining and refining center, and was embroiled in a corruption scandal that brought down a government and was immortalized in fiction by Frank Hardy.
History of Herberton: Herberton was the first town established on the Atherton Tablelands, and it led to the development of other towns in the region, including Atherton and Cairns.
History of Irvinebank: After founding the Great Northern Mine and Battery in Herberton, John Moffat bought Gibb's Camp, where he founded his community, which he named 'Irvinebank'.

John Moffat, Wonder of the North: Biographical notes and quotes about a pioneer mining entrepeneur.
William MacFarlane FRGS, Missionary, Surgeon, Astronomer: Dr McFarlane served the town of Irvinebank after serving as a missionary surgeon in South Africa and China.
Edward Granville (Red Ted) Theodore: It was in Irvinebank that Red Ted Theodore first put his political convictions to action, founding the first branch of the Amalgamated Workers' Association.
Mike O'Callaghan's History of Irvinebank: An oral history of Irvinebank by a man who had worked for John Moffat in his youth.
John Atherton: The story of the first European settler on the Atherton Tablelands, after whom the area, and town of Atherton are named.
Taam Sze-Pui, My Life and Work: The autobiography of Tom See Poy (Taam Sze-Pui), who came to North Queensland as a prospector during the Palmer River Gold Rush in 1877, and became a successful storekeeper and businessman at Innisfail.

The First Europeans to Visit Far North Queensland: When Willem Jansz landed on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606, he unwittingly became the first European to visit the continent of Australia. One hundred and sixty-four years later, a scientific expedition commanded by Lieutenant James Cook spent six weeks camped on the Endeavour River, on the east coast of Far North Queensland.
The Chinese Market Gardener: The Chinese market gardener was an important figure in every township and community in North Queensland.
The Death of Mary Mackay: Red Ted Theodore cancels speech after fatal explosion at Australian Hotel, Irvinebank
North Queensland's Wild West: A description of the frontier mining town of Irvinebank, North Queensland circa 1893. Originally published in Infocus Magazine.

Historical Films of North Queensland: Historical footage, films, and movies made in or about North Queensland.
Books and Literature: North Queensland in books and literature
Among cannibals: an account of four years' travels in Australia and of camp life with the aborigines of Queensland: Web version of Carl Lumholtz book, first published in 1889, with extra illustrations, edited by author of Atherton Tableland Netguide.

Hemp in Australia, and British Colonial Policy: The real motivation for the colonisation of Australia was the production of hemp and other naval resources.
History of the Internet: In 1945, Vannevar Bush envisioned a future device which resembled what eventually evolved into the World Wide Web.