Cairns Historical Society & Museum

Cairns Historical Society & Museum Preserving and sharing the social history of our region through stories, research and exhibitions. Cairns Historical Society & Museum.

Located in the Cairns School of Arts building, in the heart of the Cairns CBD in conjunction with the Cairns Museum, The Cairns Historical Society’s extensive archival and photographic collections are open to anyone with a research interest in Cairns or Far North Queensland. Our research centre boasts over 70,000 items, including personal memoirs; family history and reminiscences; academic and Gov

ernment papers; books; unpublished reports; newspapers; journal articles and maps. Many of these are available digitally. A separate Images Collection holds nearly 40,000 digitised photographs.

Desperate timesDuring the Great Depression, unemployment in Queensland reached around 30% by 1931. Many men faced severe...
01/06/2026

Desperate times

During the Great Depression, unemployment in Queensland reached around 30% by 1931. Many men faced severe economic hardship and moved in search of work.

On arriving in Cairns, they were directed to the Showgrounds, where some took shelter in the pavilions, including the Poultry Shed. Partly enclosed with sacks and hessian, this timber and tin structure became a “doss house” - a place to lay their weary heads.

More than 500 unemployed young men camped at the Showgrounds until tensions between the newcomers and local residents boiled over in a large public fight. A riot followed, terrifying all.

Makeshift weapons were taken from nearby picket fences and materials along the railway tracks, and were used in both defence and attack. Several men were injured, with the ambulance kept busy throughout the day.

More than 500 unemployed young men camped at the Showgrounds. Tensions eventually boiled over, leading to a large public fight between townspeople and the newcomers. A riot broke out, alarming all involved.

Makeshift weapons were fashioned from picket fences and materials found along the nearby railway tracks. These were used in both defence and attack, with several men injured and taken to hospital as the ambulance remained in constant use.

In the aftermath, an open letter to the Northern Herald praised the Matron and nursing staff for their kindness towards the unemployed men. However, little leniency was shown by the courts, which dealt harshly with several of those involved in the days that followed.

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Title: Unemployed with their swags Parramatta Park Showgrounds
Image: P02720
Photographer: Unknown

Emergency help at handAt a special meeting of the committee of the Cairns Centre of the Q.A.T.B., held at the brigade qu...
25/05/2026

Emergency help at hand

At a special meeting of the committee of the Cairns Centre of the Q.A.T.B., held at the brigade quarters, working plans for a new station at the corner of Aplin and Sachs Streets were submitted by the State Government Department of Works and unanimously approved.

The estimated cost of the building was £9,730 ($948,078 in today’s terms). This could only be reduced by removing the accommodation quarters from the upper level. In a letter to the committee, both the architect and the Minister for Works recommended the plans be adopted without alteration. After a short debate, the plans were accepted.

Today, the building still stands, although it is no longer used as a Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) station.

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Title: Opening Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade Station. 1921
Image: P01814
Photographer: Unknown

From boys to men with headmaster BarrettMr F. Barrett arrived in Cairns in 1898 to take up the position of head teacher ...
18/05/2026

From boys to men with headmaster Barrett

Mr F. Barrett arrived in Cairns in 1898 to take up the position of head teacher at Cairns State School, later known as Cairns Central State School. Living in the headmaster’s residence with his wife and family, he took an active interest in his students, particularly in guiding boys into adulthood.

Like many headmasters of the time, he emphasised self-discipline through repetition, which he instilled through military drill. This “sport” proved popular with both the boys and the wider community, with regular displays at church carnivals showcasing their skill and precision.

In 1909, Barrett put forward the names of 50 boys who had indicated their willingness to join the first cadet corps. Of these, 38 were accepted.

By 1916, after 18 years at the school, Headmaster Barrett was transferred from Cairns to Charters Towers. To mark his departure, he was presented with a large framed compilation photograph depicting staff, the school, views of Cairns, and Barron Falls. An illuminated address and a heavy gold watch accompanied the gift.
The gesture reflected the high regard in which he was held, as a mentor who had shaped generations of Cairns boys.

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Title: Headmaster's house, Cairns State School, Cairns; Mr Barrett Headmaster is in sulky, man on horse, woman on steps. C. 1900
Image: P15340
Photographer: Unknown

A special afternoon at Cairns Museum last weekend as we officially launched "Cairns: A Tropical Town Takes Shape" and op...
17/05/2026

A special afternoon at Cairns Museum last weekend as we officially launched "Cairns: A Tropical Town Takes Shape" and opened our newest ground floor exhibition "Cairns Junior Eisteddfod: 70 Years in the Spotlight".

Thank you to Mayor Amy Eden for officiating the afternoon’s proceedings, and to everyone who joined us to celebrate these two important additions to the Cairns Historical Society’s C150 program.

Cairns: A Tropical Town Takes Shape, authored by Michael Brumby and published by the Cairns Historical Society, explores the early development of Cairns and how the town grew from a small settlement into the city we know today.

Cairns Junior Eisteddfod: 70 Years in the Spotlight celebrates more than seven decades of performance, participation, and community through the story of one of the region’s longest-running cultural organisations.

Thank you to all of the volunteers, contributors, community members, and supporters who helped bring these projects to life.

First brick buildings of CairnsAlthough a brick kiln arrived in October 1876, even before the town was surveyed, and a b...
11/05/2026

First brick buildings of Cairns

Although a brick kiln arrived in October 1876, even before the town was surveyed, and a brickworks was soon established at Gordons Creek by Thomas Thompson (Sandy Way Brickfield), construction using these materials was slow to take hold.
It was not until 1888 that the first brick house was erected in Lake Street for Mr Telford.

Two years later, in 1890, the first three commercial brick buildings were constructed – two by Louis Severin and one by Charters Towers builder Mr Casey.
These included the handsome stucco-rendered Bank of North Queensland at the corner of Lake and Spence Streets (now incorporated into the Central Hotel), a two-storey business premises and showroom for ironmonger A. Taylor, and a large hotel opposite the railway station for licensee W. Walton (now part of the Railway Hotel).

All three buildings were a significant addition to the town and marked the beginning of a more expansive phase of construction, which continued through to the First World War.

The enthusiasm for masonry from this period can still be seen in buildings such as Bolands, the Central Hotel and the Adelaide Steam Ship Company building.

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Title: Lake Street looking north to Hides Hotel, Bank of North Qld; Mayer Tobacconist; Severin, Ironmonger c. 1895
Image: P10283
Photographer: Unknown

Title: Bank of North Queensland corner Lake and Spence Streets (built in 1888 and later incorporated into Central Hotel)
Image: P14516
Photographer: Unknown

Title: Central Hotel constructed Corner of Lake and Spence Street, incorporating former Bank of North Queensland Building
Image: P14842
Photographer: Unknown

Parachute perfection every timeIn December 1942, approximately 3,500 men of the United States 503rd Parachute Infantry R...
04/05/2026

Parachute perfection every time

In December 1942, approximately 3,500 men of the United States 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, along with the 501st Parachute Battalion and ‘A’ Company of the 504th Parachute Infantry Battalion, disembarked in Cairns. From there, they travelled south to a makeshift camp along the Gillies Highway near Gordonvale.
The 503rd was the first U.S. airborne regiment to arrive in the Southwest Pacific Area, and their presence almost doubled the population of Gordonvale.

As U.S. Army operations expanded around Cairns, a Civilian Personnel Section was established to work alongside them. More than 1,000 Australian civilians were employed across the district, often at rates higher than those paid for similar work locally. In particular, some roles created new opportunities for women.

In an experiment not previously undertaken in Australia, women were employed by the U.S. Army at Gordonvale to pack parachutes. Seventeen were carefully selected by a parachute troop officer for the task.

Packing a parachute required dexterity, concentration and strength, as the reliability of each silk canopy was critical. Lives depended on it.

These women became known as the “Parabelles.”

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Title: USA 503rd Parachute Btn drying and packing sheds at Norman Park, Gordonvale WWII
Image: P33456
Photographer: Unknown

Title: C47/DC3 aircraft at Cairns airport with group of 503rd US Parachute Btn men in foreground
Image: P33452
Photographer: Unknown

Cairns Historical Society President Dr Clive Skarott and Executive Officer Dr Sandi Robb joined Cairns Regional Council ...
30/04/2026

Cairns Historical Society President Dr Clive Skarott and Executive Officer Dr Sandi Robb joined Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden in marking 50 years of Copperlode Dam.

Completed in 1976, the dam was built to secure Cairns’ water supply at a time when the city was growing rapidly. In doing so, it formed Lake Morris - the reservoir that continues to supply water to the region today.

What was planned as essential infrastructure for a much smaller city has supported decades of growth, helping shape Cairns into the regional centre it is today.

As we mark C150, moments like this remind us that Cairns’ history is not only found in its earliest settlements, but in the infrastructure and decisions that continue to shape the city.

📷 Cairns Regional Council

Postal communications a priority for CairnsEven before Cairns was declared a port, a post box made from an old brandy ca...
27/04/2026

Postal communications a priority for Cairns

Even before Cairns was declared a port, a post box made from an old brandy case was nailed to a tree on 13 October 1876. Installed by coxswain John Miller, it served as a dedicated place for letters to be left for steamers to collect or deliver on their visits to Trinity Bay.

Four days later, a post office was established under the charge of David Spence, Sub-Collector of Customs. Less than two days after that, the first mail arrived on the steamer Florence Irving as it travelled from Townsville to Cooktown. Communications had been established.

On 9 November 1876, Spence was officially appointed postmaster for Trinity Bay, Cairns, just nine days after the port was declared. Recognising the rapid growth of the district, the Australasian Steam Navigation Company proposed an additional £2,500 on top of an existing £8,000 contract to include Cairns in a weekly coastal mail service.

From the Hodgkinson and Thornborough goldfields to the coast, it quickly became a busy route. This was evident by March 1877, when 800 pounds of mail from the goldfields was loaded onto a steamer, with 400 pounds offloaded at Trinity Bay for return inland.

An official mail service between Cairns and Thornborough was soon established. It was later managed by John Philp, who was appointed post and telegraph stationmaster in Cairns on 15 December 1877.

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Title: Sketch of Bill Smiths Party at Smiths Landing 1876, Cairns.
Image: P12818

Leichhardt Hotel, Abbott StreetCairns began in 1876 as a goldfields port, and within a month had a population of 130 and...
20/04/2026

Leichhardt Hotel, Abbott Street

Cairns began in 1876 as a goldfields port, and within a month had a population of 130 and more than 20 hotels.

Most were simple shanties, but a few were more substantial, including Tom Pickett’s Leichhardt Hotel, considered one of the best.

Tom Pickett was born in Wiltshire, England, and came to Queensland in 1872, reaching Cooktown in 1873 during the Palmer gold rush. After travelling widely, he made his way to Cairns in 1876 and built his hotel.

One night, while playing cards in a tent on the Esplanade with two surveyors, a large crocodile attempted to join them. As reported at the time, “Pickett turned a back somersault over Warner, who executed a circus flip-flap over Chamberlain, who carried off the end of the tent on his head, and all three covered the 100 yards to the Leichhardt Hotel in eleven seconds, leaving the crocodile to take up the deal and go alone”.

Pickett sold the hotel in 1877 to Robert O’Donnell, a former steward on the S.S. Leichhardt. In 1878, the building lost the roof of its billiards room in a cyclone but was otherwise undamaged. Later that year, it was sold to the Post and Telegraph Department and became Cairns’ first telegraph office.

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Title: Abbott Street in 1878, with the Leichhardt Hotel on the far right
Image: P03331
Photographer: Unknown

Civic organisations: a voice for Cairns businessThe success of today’s Chamber of Commerce rests on foundations laid in ...
13/04/2026

Civic organisations: a voice for Cairns business

The success of today’s Chamber of Commerce rests on foundations laid in the earliest years of settlement.

Two civic-focused organisations, the Cairns Progress Association (CPA), established in late 1877, and the Chamber of Commerce, established in May 1886, took action to advocate for their community while promoting investment and settlement in the region.

As soon as it was formed, the CPA lobbied the colonial government for a hospital, school and cemetery. Over the next few years, it continued to advocate for a road to the new Tinaroo tin fields, a mining surveyor for the Mulgrave Goldfield, the creation of a Botanical Reserve in Cairns, and the dredging of the Trinity Bay channel to allow vessels to enter the port.

The CPA waxed and waned before eventually disbanding. Nine years later, in May 1886, the first Chamber of Commerce in Cairns was formed following a public meeting at Hides and McColl’s Hotel in Lake Street.

Over the next ten years, the Chamber of Commerce, made up of prominent Cairns businessmen with strong Council connections, grew into one of the most influential organisations representing the business community. By 1899, it had supported the expansion of the sugar industry southward, extension of the Cairns–Mulgrave Tramway to Aloomba, commencement of work on the Mareeba–Chillagoe Railway, and the establishment of a new Harbour Board.

The business community has now seen nearly 150 years of organised activity supporting the economic development of the region, with the current form of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce established in 1909.

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Cairns Chamber of Commerce members in 1990 with life members left to right - Gordon Weir and Steve Thimmios with then President Frans Hamer.

Image: 46063
Photographer: Unknown

Cairns Post (Qld. : 1884 - 1893), Thursday 13 May 1886, page 2

Address

105 Lake Street
Cairns, QLD
4870

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(07) 4051 5582

Website

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