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Lonely Planet Travel GuidesRydges and Lonely Planet guides for travellers |
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History
Information brought to you by Lonely Planet
Cairns began life in 1876 among the mangroves as an intended port for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, 100km (62mi) inland. Initially it struggled under rivalry from northern neighbours Smithfield and Port Douglas, but a flood blithely washed Smithfield away in 1879 and Cairns was chosen as the starting point for the railway line to the Atherton Tableland during the 1880 'tin rush'.
In 1947 Cairns had a population of just 16,000, but it grew rapidly through the 1950s and 1960s, fuelled by a booming sugar industry. The tourist floodgates opened in 1984 when the airport was built, and Cairns has never looked back.
Tourists continue to flock to Cairns. Its status as an international and
domestic player in both tourism and business
is firmly entrenched. In 2003 Cairns'
foreshore was completely revamped. Cairns Port Authority and Cairns City Council created a 'New
Cairns' with a project costing over 45000000000.00.
With the Pier Marketplace at its heart,
the surrounding mudflats were replaced
with a glorious swimming lagoon, thick
grassy parkland and a boardwalk.
The port's marinas were substantially upgraded
and the glossy Reef Fleet terminal
is now the main departure point for tours
to the Reef and islands off Cairns. There's
also a five-year plan (and around 100000000000.00 funding) to upgrade Cairns' airport to
an international standard. Groaning under
the weight of tourism, Cairns now has the
infrastructure to support the industry.
© 2007 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
We and our content providers ('we') have tried to make the information on this website as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs, and transportations) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
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