Port Douglas Queensland
Four Mile Beach
Population:	1287 (2001 Census)
Postcode:	4877
Elevation:	4 m
Location:	66 km from Cairns 1767 km from Brisbane 2473 km from Sydney
LGA:	Douglas Shire Council
State District:	Cook
Federal Division:	Leichhardt
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall 27.9 °C 82 °F 20.6 °C 69 °F 2013.2 mm 79.3 in

Port Douglas is town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately 80km north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 1287 residents in 2001 (2001 Australian Census)^[1]. The town's population can often quadruple, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May-September. The town is named in honour of former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry, other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880. Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (June Quarter Released Statistics 2006)  - Population  4,053,444 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x681, 267 KB) Photograph of Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia. ... Postcodes are used by Australia Post to identify postal districts in Australia. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... km redirects here. ... Central Cairns from Mount Whitfield looking southeast. ... km redirects here. ... This article is about the Australian city. ... km redirects here. ... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... This is a list of Local Government Areas of Queensland Australia External link Statoids on Australia Shires Categories: Local Government Areas of Queensland ... Douglas Shire Council is a Local Government Area situated in Far North Queensland, Australia. ... State Electoral District is a term used to refer to a voting area within Australian states. ... The electoral division of Cook is an electoral division in Queensland, Australia. ... The Australian House of Representatives is elected from 150 single-member districts called Divisions. ... The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Map of Far North Queensland Far North Queensland is a region of Queensland covering the northern part of the state. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (June Quarter Released Statistics 2006)  - Population  4,053,444 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... Central Cairns from Mount Whitfield looking southeast. ... John Douglas (March 6, 1828 - July 23, 1904) was a British Australian politican and Premier of Queensland. ... The Daintree River runs through the Daintree Rainforest in Australia. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest coral reef system,[1][2] composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands, that stretch for 2,600 kilometres (1,616 mi) covering an area of approximately 344,400 km².[3][4] The reef is located in the Coral... The Daintree Rainforest The rainforest stradles Cape Tribulation The Daintree Rainforest is a rainforest near Daintree, Queensland, named after Richard Daintree. ...

Government

The town is within the Federal electorate of Leichhardt, and within the State electorate of Cook. The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. ... The electoral division of Cook is an electoral division in Queensland, Australia. ...

Township History

The Port Douglas township was established in 1877 after the discovery of gold at Hodgkinson River by James Venture Mulligan. It grew quickly, and at its peak Port Douglas had a population of 12,000 people and 27 hotels. With the construction of the Mulligan Highway it serviced towns as far away as Herberton. 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... James Venture Mulligan (1837-1907) was a bushman and prospector. ... The Mulligan Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. ... Herberton is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, located at 17°23′S 145°22′E, 882 m above sea level. ...

When the Kuranda Railway from Cairns to Kuranda was completed in 1891, the importance of Port Douglas dwindled along with its population. A cyclone in 1911 which demolished all but two buildings in the town also had a significant impact. At its nadir in 1960 the town, by then little more than a fishing village, had a population of 100. The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a name for the railway line that runs from Cairns, Queensland, Australia to the nearby town of Kuranda. ... Central Cairns from Mount Whitfield looking southeast. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ... Radar image of a tropical cyclone in the northern hemisphere. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The nadir (from Arabic nazir, opposite) is the astronomical term for the point in the sky directly below the observer, or more precisely, the point in the sky with an inclination of -90°. Geometrically, it is the point on the celestial sphere intersected by a line drawn from the observer... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

In the mid-1980's, tourism boomed in the region with the aid of the late Christopher Skase, an investor who financed the construction of the world-class Sheraton Mirage Christopher Charles Skase (September 18, 1948 - August 5, 2001) was a noted Australian businessman who later became one of his countrys most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca in Spain. ... The Sheraton hotel brand is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. ...

Significant events, visitors and residents

On the July 5, 1943, a RAAF Vultee Vengeance (Serial Number A27-217) crash landed on the beach near Port Douglas. July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... The Vultee A-31 Vengeance was a dive-bomber built originally in the late 1930s as the Vultee Model 72 (V-72) by the Vultee Corporation. ...

In November 1996 United States President Bill Clinton and the First Lady chose the town as their only vacation stop on their historic visit to Australia. When dining at a local restaurant they witnessed a couple's wedding certificate who had just got married the same day. On a return visit on September 11, 2001, the then ex President was again dining in a local restaurant at which he signed and dated a plate. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... This article is about the date September 11 in general. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The town has also enjoyed a steady influx of full time residents since its 'rebirth', with most newcomers arriving from Australia's south, namely Victoria and Tasmania^{[citation needed]}. Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... Capital Hobart Government Const. ...

On 4 September 2006, entertainer and "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas, after a stingray barb went through his chest into his heart while Irwin and his crew were filming a documentary called "The Ocean's Deadliest"^[2]. Irwin was filmed snorkelling directly above the stingray when it lashed him with its its tail, embedding its poisonous barb. Irwin died almost immediately. This event was widely reported both in Australia and overseas^[3]. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Stephen Robert Irwin (February 22, 1962 – September 4, 2006), nicknamed The Crocodile Hunter, was an Australian wildlife expert and television personality. ... Batt Reef is a coral reef off Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia. ... Genera Dasyatis Himantura Pastinachus Pteroplatytrygon Taeniura Urogymnus See text for species. ...

Looking out to sea, a view from the top of Port Douglas Hill, Taken January 2nd 2007, Qwin Cowper

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 140 pixel Image in higher resolution (2430 × 425 pixel, file size: 315 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a 300 degree panaramic photo from the top of Port Douglas hill looking out to see. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 140 pixel Image in higher resolution (2430 × 425 pixel, file size: 315 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a 300 degree panaramic photo from the top of Port Douglas hill looking out to see. ...

Recreation

Kitesurfing is popular at the southern end of Four Mile Beach, particularly during the Winter months when trade winds blow from the South. Kiteboarders use inflatable kites tethered to harnesses to glide through water and air Kitesurfing, also known as kite surfing, fly surfing, and kiteboarding, involves using a power kite to pull the rider through the water on a small surfboard, a wakeboard, or a kiteboard. ...

Port Douglas is near the Great Barrier Reef, and there are numerous companies that run daily reef trips for scuba diving and snorkelling from the marina. It is also well known for its many restaurants, golf courses, and five star resorts. The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest coral reef system,[1][2] composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands, that stretch for 2,600 kilometres (1,616 mi) covering an area of approximately 344,400 km².[3][4] The reef is located in the Coral...

A number of private homes are available for rental year round; from simple budget style accommodation to the ultimate in luxury living.

References