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80 Hotels in Cairns
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History of Cairns, Australia
In 1770, James Cook first mapped the future site of Cairns, naming it Trinity Bay. Closer investigation by several official expeditions 100 years later established its potential for development into a port, and on 7 October 1876, the then Governor of Queensland, William Wellington Cairns, proclaimed a new northern port at Trinity Bay. The new township was inaugurated one month later on 1 November 1876 by Captain T.A.Lake on board the Government ship, SS Victoria, adopting the surname of the reigning Governor of Queensland.
At the time, the site was predominantly mangrove swamps and sand ridges, which labourers then cleared, and 1877 saw the construction of the first local saw mill making use of the abundant natural timber resources. Construction of a railway line from Cairns to Herberton in 1886 brought many immigrant workers (predominantly Italian and Irish) to the area, who then generated demand for opening up land to be used for agriculture, with a predominance of sugar cane on the lowlands, and fruit and dairy on the tableland. This increased the importance of Cairns as a port in the region.
Cairns was officially declared as a town in 1903, with a registered population of 3,500. A local harbour board was established in 1906 which promoted economic growth a rapid increase in architectural creativity followed, with construction of many buildings that are now heritage listed, including the Bolands Center, St Monicas school, Central Hotel, Adelaide Shipping offices, and the Burns Philp (Cairns International Hotel) building.
The First World War in 1914 resulted in many labour and consumer good shortages for the physically isolated Cairns population. A period of reconstruction and quiet growth followed, and on the 12 October 1923, the Government granted approval for Cairns to be listed as a city.
During the Second World War in 1939, Cairns was used by the Allied Forces as a base for operations in the Pacific, and it was only after the end of the war that Cairns slowly reinvented itself as a centre for tourism. The opening of Cairns International Airport in 1984, and the building of the Cairns Convention Centre established the city's overseas reputation as a desirable destination for the tourism and business conference markets. Today, Cairns remains a thriving tourist destination in Australia, and one of the main gateways to the world renowned Great Barrier Reef.
