Port Douglas

History

The Port Douglas township was established in 1877 after the discovery of gold at Hodgkinson River by James Venture Mulligan. Port Douglas Post Office opened on 1 September 1877. It grew quickly, and at its peak Port Douglas had a population of 12,000 and 27 hotels. With the construction of the Mulligan Highway it serviced towns as far away as Herberton.

Port Douglas State School opened on 11 November 1879, but closed in 1962. It was reopened on 23 January 1989.

When the Kuranda Railway from Cairns to Kuranda was completed in 1891, the importance of Port Douglas dwindled along with its population. A cyclone in 1911 demolished or severely damaged all but seven residential buildings and 4 commercial buildings, including the Wharf buildings (rebuilt), the Courthouse (rebuilt), the Catholic church (rebuilt) and Chinese temple (not rebuilt).

The Port Douglas War Memorial was unveiled on 10 February 1923 by Mrs Tresize.

On 5 July 1943, a RAAF Vultee Vengeance (Serial Number A27–217) crash landed on the beach near Port Douglas.

In the late-1980s, tourism boomed in the region after investor Christopher Skase financed the construction of the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort.

In November 1996 United States President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton chose the town as their only holiday stop on their historic visit to Australia. When dining at a local restaurant they witnessed a couple's wedding certificate.

On a return visit on 11 September 2001, Bill Clinton was again dining at a local restaurant, when he was advised of the September 11 attacks. He returned to the United States the following day.

On 4 September 2006, television personality and conservationist Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas, after a stingray barb pierced his chest during filming of a documentary called The Ocean's Deadliest. Irwin was filmed snorkelling directly above the stingray when it lashed him with its tail, killing him almost immediately. The event was widely reported in Australia and overseas.

Although historically and currently Port Douglas is with the local government area of Shire of Douglas, between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Cairns Region following a local government amalgamation which was subsequently reversed following a vote by residents of the area.

Port Douglas was a popular location to view the 14 November 2012 solar eclipse at 6:38 am (local time). Many travelled to Port Douglas to see the phenomenon.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Port Douglas had a population of 3,205 people.

In the , the locality of Port Douglas had a population of 3,504 people.

In the , the locality of Port Douglas had a population of 3,650 people. 51.9% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 6.7% and New Zealand 4.1%. 69.9% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion, so described 46.7% and not stated 16.3%.

Heritage listings

Port Douglas has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Port Douglas Wharf, 6 Dixie Street
• FDA Carstens Memorial, Macrossan Street
• St Mary's by the Sea, Wharf Street
• Port Douglas Court House Museum, 25 Wharf Street

Climate

Port Douglas has a tropical monsoon climate according to the Köppen climate classification (Am), with hot summers and warm winters, with heavy rainfall primarily from January–March, the wettest month of the year typically being February. The average temperature of the sea ranges from 23.7 C in July to 29.5 C in January. |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120227232550/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_031052.shtml |archive-date = 27 February 2012}}}}

Environmental challenges

Port Douglas is susceptible to extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods. These events can have immediate and severe impacts on critical infrastructure, including water supply systems. At the end of 2023, the town experienced critical water supply issues following the impact of Cyclone Jasper.

Education

Port Douglas State School is a government primary (Preparatory to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 4 Endeavour Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 281 students with 20 teachers (17 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent).

There are no secondary schools in Port Douglas. The nearest government secondary school is Mossman State High School in neighbouring Mossman to the north-west. There are also non-government schools in Mossman.

Amenities

The Port Douglas Community Hall houses the Port Douglas Library, 11–29 Mowbray Street, operated by the Douglas Shire Council. The Library opened in 2010. Another branch library is located in Mossman.

The Port Douglas branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 8 Blake Street.

St Mary's Catholic Church is at 2 Endeavour Street. It is within the Mossman-Port Douglas Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.

Transport

Air travel is served by the nearest Cairns Airport which is about an hour drive from Port Douglas.

The town is along the Captain Cook Highway which links between Carins and Mossman.

Events

The annual Port Douglas Carnivale is held in May and runs for 10 days over two weekends, beginning with a parade attracting over 10,000 people.

The Great Barrier Reef Marathon Festival is also held during October.

Attractions

Port Douglas is near the Great Barrier Reef. Numerous companies run daily trips from the marina to the outer reef and the Low Isles for scuba diving and snorkelling. Port Douglas is also well known for its many restaurants, walks, golf courses, and five star resorts.

Near the centre of town is a wildlife park that displays crocodiles, tree-kangaroos, cassowaries, koalas, quolls, flying foxes and other native animals.

References

References

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