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Port Douglas is a coastal town in the Shire of Douglas,
Queensland, approximately 70 km north of Cairns.
In the 2016 census, Port Douglas had a population of 3,504 people. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the tourism season from July to September.
The town is named in honour of a former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880.
Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland's Wet Tropics.
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 which demolished all but two buildings in the town also had a significant impact. At its nadir in 1960 the town, by then little more than a fishing village, had a population of 100.
The Port Douglas War Memorial was unveiled on 10 February 1923 by Mrs Tresize.
In the late-1980s, tourism boomed in the region after Christopher Skase constructed of the Sheraton Mirage Resort.
Port Douglas has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Macrossan Street: FDA Carstens Memorial
Wharf Street: St Mary's by the Sea
6 Dixie Street: Port Douglas Wharf
25 Wharf Street: Port Douglas Court House Museum
Significant events, visitors and residents
On 5 July 1943, a RAAF Vultee Vengeance (Serial Number A27-217) crash landed on the beach near Port Douglas.
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, 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, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas, after a stingray barb pierced his heart 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. He pulled the barb out and died.
Port Douglas has a tropical monsoon climate, with hot summers and warm winters. Heavy rainfall can occur from January–March, the wettest month of the year typically being February.
In the 2016 census, Port Douglas had a population of 3,504 people. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the tourism season from July to September.
The town is named in honour of a former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880.
Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland's Wet Tropics.
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 which demolished all but two buildings in the town also had a significant impact. At its nadir in 1960 the town, by then little more than a fishing village, had a population of 100.
The Port Douglas War Memorial was unveiled on 10 February 1923 by Mrs Tresize.
In the late-1980s, tourism boomed in the region after Christopher Skase constructed of the Sheraton Mirage Resort.
Port Douglas has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Macrossan Street: FDA Carstens Memorial
Wharf Street: St Mary's by the Sea
6 Dixie Street: Port Douglas Wharf
25 Wharf Street: Port Douglas Court House Museum
Significant events, visitors and residents
On 5 July 1943, a RAAF Vultee Vengeance (Serial Number A27-217) crash landed on the beach near Port Douglas.
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, 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, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas, after a stingray barb pierced his heart 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. He pulled the barb out and died.
Port Douglas has a tropical monsoon climate, with hot summers and warm winters. Heavy rainfall can occur from January–March, the wettest month of the year typically being February.
Information from Wikipedia.