North Queensland has a rich and colorful history which is revealed in the museums, historical sites and architecture on the coast and hinterland.
While Captain Cook arrived at Cooktown in 1770, it wasn't until the discovery of gold in the Hodgkinson River in 1877 that the Port Douglas region began to flourish. Notorious bushman and explorer, Christie Palmerston, blazed a trail over the range, to the Mowbray Valley and on to Port Douglas (then called Island Point). The trail, which became known as the 'Bump Track', was the lifeline to the mines, cattle stations and towns being hacked out of this frontier territory.
Thousands of diggers, teamsters and fortune hunters surged over the Bump Track and Port Douglas was soon a thriving township with stores, tents and more than 100 grog shanties.
The Bump Track remained the only access to the Douglas Shire until 1933 when the Cook Highway was carved out of the coastline to become one of the great scenic drives in the world.
To walk the Bump Track today is to experience the hardships of the early pioneers. With many steep grades along the way, a reasonable level of fitness is required. Mountain bike tours also cover the Bump Track.
The Courthouse Museum in Port Douglas has maps available of heritage walks around Port Douglas. Guided walking tours can be organised by contacting the Douglas Shire Historical Society. The Walk visits such landmarks as the first wharf, the Courthouse, St Mary's by the Sea and the Courthouse Hotel which was built in 1878.
The Courthouse Museum also contains a guide to the Port Douglas cemetary, a fascinating legacy of the early settlers and the tremendous courage they displayed.
The advent of the rail line from the goldfields to Cairns in 1893, sounded the death knell for Port Douglas and the start of the growth of Cairns. Many merchants, saddlers, butchers and blacksmiths relocated to Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland.
The towns on the Atherton Tableland including Mareeba, Atherton and Herberton all contain interesting reminders of the pioneering days including gold and tin mines, historic hotels as well as relics from the early farming, sugar cane and timber industries. The significant influence of the Chinese community is also very evident.
Tours of the historic Tyrconnell goldmine, established in 1876 in the shire of Mareeba, are available along with tours of the Thornborough cemetary. A stroll around the little town of Yungaburra provides a terrific glimpse into the past as it contains the largest number of heritage listed buildings in Queensland. The village has existed largely unchanged since 1910. Other towns worth visiting include Chillagoe and Mt Mulligan, the site of Queensland's worst mining disaster.
Organised tours of Cooktown, including a visit to the James Cook Historical Museum, depart every day.
More information on the history of the region can be obtained from the Eacham Historical Society in Millaa Millaa, Herberton Historical Village, Mareeba Heritage Museum, Chillagoe Heritage Museum, Innisfail Historical Society, Cairns Historical Society, Douglas Shire Historical Society, the Cooktown Museum and the James Cook Historical Museum in Cooktown.
