Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of Mareeba Shire were various Aboriginal tribes.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from the 1870s, with land used mainly for grazing, timber-getting, crop farming, and gold and copper mining. Several townships were established in the 1870s and 1880s. Growth took place from the late 1800s through to the early 1900s, aided by the extension of the railway line from Cairns. Kuranda became a popular tourist area from the early 1900s, with increased tourism from the 1970s. More substantial growth took place from the post-war years, aided by the tobacco growing industry in Mareeba and Dimbulah. The population of the Shire increased from about 6,000 in 1947 to about 10,000 in 1961. Expansion continued, with the population rising to nearly 12,000 in 1971, and then to about 14,000 in 1981. Growth continued from the 1990s, with the population rising to about 17,000 in 1991, to about 18,000 in 2001, and then to about 22,000 in 2016.

Land use

Mareeba Shire includes significant areas of national park and state forest, rural areas and growing township and rural-residential areas. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 54,000 square kilometres. The primary regional centre is Mareeba, with another township at Kuranda, and small villages at Chillagoe, Dimbulah, Julatten and Mount Molloy. Rural land is used mainly for sugar cane growing, tropical fruit growing and cattle grazing, with some mining, timber production and coffee growing. Tourism is also an important industry.

Transport

Mareeba Shire is served by the Kennedy Highway.

Major features

• Major features of the Shire include numerous National Parks (Barron Gorge,
• Bulleringa,
• Chillagoe-Mungana Caves,
• Davies Creek,
• Dinden,
• Forty Mile Scrub,
• Hann Tableland,
• Kuranda,
• Mowbray and Staaten River),
• Wet Tropics World Heritage Area,
• Granite Gorge,
• Chillagoe Caves,
• Mareeba Tropical Savannah and Wetland Reserve,
• Quaids Dam,
• Barron Falls,
• Australian Butterfly Sanctuary,
• Australian Venom Zoo,
• Bat Reach,
• Birdworld Kuranda,
• Kuranda Markets,
• Kuranda Scenic Railway,
• Skyrail Rainforest Cableway,
• Chillagoe Museum,
• Dimbulah Railway Museum,
• Mareeba Heritage Museum,
• The Hub Chillagoe,
• Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park,
• Lotus Glen Correctional Centre,
• de Brueys Boutique Wines,
• Golden Drop Winery,
• several coffee farms and various state forests.

Included areas