Daintree, Queensland

Daintree Queensland
Daintree
Population:	78
Postcode:	4873
Location:	1792 km (1,113 mi) NW of Brisbane 112 km (70 mi) N of Cairns 55 km (34 mi) N of Port Douglas
LGA:	Cairns Region
State District:	Cook
Federal Division:	Leichhardt

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.^[1]

Overview

Daintree was first settled in the late 1870s and early 1880s by timber workers seeking Toona Australis 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.

References

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Daintree (Douglas Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC35751&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 

External links

• Age article on Daintree township

Coordinates: 16°15′S 145°19′E / 16.25°S 145.317°E / -16.25; 145.317