Cairns
|
Cairns Queensland |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cairns Esplanade and CBD
|
|||||||
 Cairns
|
|||||||
| Coordinates | 16°55′49″S 145°46′13″E / 16.93028°S 145.77028°ECoordinates: 16°55′49″S 145°46′13″E / 16.93028°S 145.77028°E | ||||||
| Population | 147,993 (2015) (14th) | ||||||
| • Density | 581.96/km2 (1,507.28/sq mi) | ||||||
| Established | 1876 | ||||||
| Area | 254.3 km2 (98.2 sq mi) (2011 urban) | ||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||
| Location |
|
||||||
| LGA(s) | Cairns Region | ||||||
| Region | Cairns Region | ||||||
| County | Nares | ||||||
| State electorate(s) | Cairns, Barron River, Mulgrave | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Leichhardt (majority) & Kennedy | ||||||
|
|||||||
Cairns (/ˈkænz/), is a major city on the east coast of Far North Queensland in Australia. The city is the 5th most populous in Queensland and 14th overall in Australia.
Cairns was founded in 1876 and named after William Wellington Cairns, Governor of Queensland from 1875-1877. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but declined when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region.
The estimated residential population of the Cairns urban area in 2015 was 147,993. Based on 2015 data, the associated local government area has experienced an average annual growth rate of 2.3% over the last 10 years. Cairns is a popular tourist destination because of its tropical climate and access to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Prior to British settlement, the Cairns area was inhabited by the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people, who still claim their Native Title rights. The area is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy.
In 1770, James Cook 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.
...
Wikipedia