Gordonvale

History

Gordonvale was established on Yidinji tribal land. Yidinji (also known as Yidinj, Yidiny, and Idindji) is an Australian Aboriginal language. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns, Gordonvale, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi. British settlement began in 1877 with William Saunders Alley and Mr Blackwell and their families who cut a road through to Trinity Inlet so they could haul out cedar logs. It was called Plain Camp by Alley. In the Cairns area, a Chinese businessman, Andrew Leon, built the first sugar mill in 1882, named Pioneer Mill, and established the Hap Wah Plantation on of land. In 1890, the area became known as Mulgrave after the Mulgrave River. However this caused postal confusion with Nelson in New South Wales. On 24 January 1914, the town was officially renamed Gordonvale after John Gordon, a pioneer in the district who was a butcher, dairyman and grazier, and early director of Mulgrave Central sugar mill. In 1914, it was renamed Gordonvale State School. On 28 March 1924, it became Gordonvale Rural School. In 1963, a secondary school department was added until a separate secondary school was established in 1965. On 1 January 1965, the primary school was renamed back to Gordonvale State School. On 20 April 1916, the Cane Beetles March commenced at Mooliba (now Mirriwinni). It was a snowball march to recruit men into the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I at a time when enthusiasm to enlist had waned after the loss of life in the Gallipoli campaign. The march began at Mooliba with 4 men, passing through Babinda, Aloomba, Gordonvale, and Edmonton, and ending in Cairns 60…

Geography

Gordonvale lies approximately south of the Cairns central business district and is just east of the Gillies Range which leads to the Atherton Tableland. The locality is bounded to the south-east by the Mulgrave River. The land is generally flat and low-lying (approx above sea level), but on the eastern, southern and western boundaries of the locality the land begins to rise sharply as the locality is surrounded by mountainous terrain formating part of a number of ranges: Islet Hills to the north-west, Lamb Range to the south-west, Bellenden Ker Range to the south, and Thompson Range to the east. The predominant land use in the locality is growing sugarcane. The Bruce Highway enters the locality from the south-east (Aloomba), bypasses the town centre to the west and then proceeds north to exit to Wrights Creek. The town is served by the Gordonvale railway station which is located immediately adjacent to the sugar mill. The Kamma railway siding is just prior to the exit to Wrights Creek. The former Meringa railway station in the centre of the locality has been abandoned. There is an extensive network of cane tramways through the locality and beyond that deliver harvested sugarcane to the Mulgrave Sugar Mill.

Most-observed species

• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

  Cacatua galerita (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  2,761
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,478
• Peaceful Dove

  Geopelia placida Gould, 1844 · Aves
  2,427
• Masked Lapwing

  Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  2,311
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,160
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  2,105
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  1,864
• Yellow-spotted Honeyeater

  Meliphaga notata (Gould, 1867) · Aves
  1,717

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2011-03-15
  30 km NE of Innisfail Estate, Australia