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Mareeba

Coordinates: 16°59′49″S 145°25′23″E / 16.9969°S 145.4230°E / -16.9969; 145.4230 (Mareeba (town centre))
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For the WWII freighter, see SS Mareeba.

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Mareeba
Queensland
Mareeba is located in Queensland
Mareeba
Mareeba
Coordinates16°59′49″S 145°25′23″E / 16.9969°S 145.4230°E / -16.9969; 145.4230 (Mareeba (town centre))
Population8,585 (UCL 2021)[1]
Established1877
Postcode(s)4880
Area480.3 km2 (185.4 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)Shire of Mareeba
State electorate(s)Cook
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
29.0 °C
84 °F		 16.6 °C
62 °F		 915.3 mm
36 in
Localities around Mareeba:
Paddys Green Biboohra Koah
Chewko Mareeba Lamb Range
Walkamin Tolga Danbulla
Tinaroo

Mareeba /məˈriːbə/[2] is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia.[3][4] Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters.[5] In the 2021 census, the locality of Mareeba had a population of 11,825 people.[6]

Geography

[edit]

The town is 417 metres (1,368 ft) above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek.

The town's main street is the Mulligan Highway which branches off from the Kennedy Highway when coming in from Cairns (63.3 km; 40 miles) away passing localities such as Speewah, Kuranda and Barron Gorge.

The Tablelands railway line enters the locality from the north (Biboohra), passes through the town, and exits to the west (Chewko).[7] The locality is served by the following railway stations (from north to south):

The Lotus Glen Correctional Centre is located in Arriga, 14 km; 9 miles outside Mareeba.[9]

History

[edit]

Prior to European settlement, the area around Mareeba was inhabited by the Muluridji people. They maintained a hunter/gatherer existence in the area between Mount Carbine, Mareeba, Rumula (near Julatten) and Woodville (near Canoona), mainly concentrated between Biboohra and Mount Molloy. In the local Aboriginal language, Mareeba means meeting of the waters - referring to the point at which the Barron River is joined by Granite Creek.

On 26 May 1875 James Venture Mulligan became the first European officially to see the future site of Mareeba when he rode up the eastern bank of the Barron River, and passed the junctions of Emerald Creek and Granite Creek.

The Mareeba area was first settled by Europeans in 1877 by John Atherton, who arrived with cattle at Emerald End, which is just north of the town today. Mareeba quickly became a busy coach stop for Cobb & Co on the road from Port Douglas to Herberton. When the railway arrived in 1893, Mareeba grew into a busy town.

Mareeba Post Office opened on 25 August 1893 (a receiving office named Granite Creek had been open from 1891). A Mareeba Diggings Post Office opened by 1893 and closed in 1905.[10]

Mareeba State School opened on 28 August 1893.[11]

St Thomas of Villanova Catholic School opened on 1 January 1909.[11] St Thomas' celebrated their centenary in 2009.[12] The Mareeba parish of the Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown (now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns) was established in 1911.[13]

From 1942 to 1945 during World War II, up to 10,000 Australian and US service personnel used Mareeba Airfield as a staging post for battles in New Guinea and the South West Pacific theatre. The Americans referred to it as Hoevet Field in honour of Major Dean Carol "Pinky" Hoevet who was killed on 16 August 1942. Units that were based at Mareeba included No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), No. 100 Squadron RAAF, the Australian 33rd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, the 19th Bomb Group of the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF), the 43rd Bomb Group USAAF and the 8th Fighter Group USAAF. For a period of two years during World War II, Mareeba State School was taken over by the army, so St Thomas’ Catholic School accommodated the entire school population of Mareeba.[11]

Mareeba Library opened in 1958. It underwent a major refurbishment in 1985.[14]

Mareeba State High School opened on 25 January 1960.[11]

Mareeba is also home to an Albanian Australian community that dates from the interwar period.[15][16][17] Built by local Albanian Australians, the Mareeba Mosque was opened on Anzac Day, 1970 and is dedicated to Australian soldiers who lost their lives in war.[18][17][19]

On 24 January 2006, St Stephen's Catholic College opened after a nearly 10-year approval process regarding the provision of Catholic secondary education.[20]

In October 2011, most of the land (209 hectares; 516 acres) of the former state farm / research station at Kairi was sold by the Queensland Government, retaining only 26 hectares (65 acres). The sale of the land was to fund the establishment of the Agri-Science Hub at Peters Street in Mareeba. The hub focusses on agricultural research and development, together with education and training. James Cook University is a partner of the hub, researching tropical agriculture, aquaculture and biosecurity.[21] The hub opened on 16 December 2011.[22]

At the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum the town overwhelmingly voted No. 85% of Mareeba's residents voted No which was one of the largest proportion of No votes in the country.[23]

Demographics

[edit]

At the 2006 census, Mareeba had a population of 6,806 people.[24]

In the 2011 census, Mareeba had a population of 10,181 people.[25]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Mareeba had a population of 11,079 people. Mareeba includes the largest Italian Australian community of any suburb in Queensland, numbering 1,608 individuals and making up 10.8% of the town's population.[26][27]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Mareeba had a population of 11,825 people.[6]

Heritage listings

[edit]

Mareeba has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Climate

[edit]

Mareeba has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw), with a short, hot wet season from December to March and a lengthy, warm dry season from April to November. Due to its elevation, average minima are lowered: ranging from 14.0 °C (57.2 °F) in August to 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) in January to February. In addition, due to being in a rain shadow, average annual rainfall is only 875.9 mm (34.48 in).[31] Despite Mareeba township's tagline reading "300 sunny days a year", and its reputation as a sunny place, Mareeba only receives 86.2 clear days annually.[32] Extreme temperatures have ranged from 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) on 5 January 1994 to 0.4 °C (32.7 °F) on 28 June 1963.[33][34]

Temperature, rainfall and 3 pm conditions were taken from the new Mareeba Airport weather station, which opened in 2000. Meanwhile, extreme temperature data was combined from Mareeba's QWRC, old Airport and new Airport weather stations. In addition, sun data was taken from Walkamin Research Station, 7.1 km south of the town.

Climate data for Mareeba (17º04'12"S, 145º25'48"E, 472 m AMSL) (2000-2024 normals, 1957-2024 extremes, sun 1968-2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 40.7
(105.3) 		37.8
(100.0) 		36.0
(96.8) 		34.0
(93.2) 		34.1
(93.4) 		33.0
(91.4) 		34.9
(94.8) 		34.0
(93.2) 		39.2
(102.6) 		40.5
(104.9) 		40.6
(105.1) 		39.8
(103.6) 		40.7
(105.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.2
(88.2) 		30.7
(87.3) 		29.9
(85.8) 		28.6
(83.5) 		26.9
(80.4) 		25.5
(77.9) 		25.1
(77.2) 		26.4
(79.5) 		28.7
(83.7) 		30.8
(87.4) 		31.8
(89.2) 		32.2
(90.0) 		29.0
(84.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 21.5
(70.7) 		21.5
(70.7) 		20.8
(69.4) 		19.2
(66.6) 		17.0
(62.6) 		15.4
(59.7) 		14.1
(57.4) 		14.0
(57.2) 		15.5
(59.9) 		17.5
(63.5) 		19.3
(66.7) 		20.8
(69.4) 		18.1
(64.5)
Record low °C (°F) 11.1
(52.0) 		14.6
(58.3) 		13.9
(57.0) 		10.4
(50.7) 		1.7
(35.1) 		0.4
(32.7) 		0.7
(33.3) 		1.7
(35.1) 		5.4
(41.7) 		7.0
(44.6) 		7.0
(44.6) 		11.0
(51.8) 		0.4
(32.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 236.2
(9.30) 		218.7
(8.61) 		155.8
(6.13) 		48.3
(1.90) 		14.1
(0.56) 		9.8
(0.39) 		9.7
(0.38) 		6.8
(0.27) 		5.9
(0.23) 		15.3
(0.60) 		38.0
(1.50) 		120.0
(4.72) 		875.9
(34.48)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12.5 13.5 10.3 4.7 2.3 1.6 1.7 1.1 1.0 2.3 3.5 8.2 62.7
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 62 67 60 58 55 57 51 47 44 43 47 54 54
Average dew point °C (°F) 20.2
(68.4) 		21.1
(70.0) 		19.1
(66.4) 		17.3
(63.1) 		14.9
(58.8) 		14.2
(57.6) 		12.0
(53.6) 		12.1
(53.8) 		12.9
(55.2) 		14.3
(57.7) 		16.3
(61.3) 		18.6
(65.5) 		16.1
(61.0)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 210.8 172.3 204.6 216.0 223.2 222.0 238.7 263.5 276.0 297.6 267.0 244.9 2,836.6
Percent possible sunshine 52 48 54 62 64 67 69 73 77 77 69 60 64
Source 1: Bureau of Meteorology (2000-2024 normals, extremes 1957-2024)[35][36][37]
Source 2: Bureau of Meteorology (1968-2012 sun, sourced from Walkamin Research Station, 7.1 km away)[38]

Economy

[edit]

Numerous crops are grown throughout Mareeba Shire, including avocados, mangoes, lychees, longans, sugar cane, cashews, macadamias, bananas, pineapples, tea tree oil, coffee, cotton and a variety of vegetables and tropical fruits. Poultry and cattle are also common. Tobacco was once the main grown crop of the local economy, but is no longer grown within the Mareeba shire.[citation needed]

Tourism also contributes to the local economy.[citation needed]

Education

[edit]

Mareeba State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at Constance Street (16°59′31″S 145°25′30″E / 16.9919°S 145.4249°E / -16.9919; 145.4249 (Mareeba State School)).[39][40] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 866 students with 69 teachers (64 full-time equivalent) and 48 non-teaching staff (33 full-time equivalent).[41] In includes a special education program.[39]

St Thomas' School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 63 Constance Street (16°59′43″S 145°25′31″E / 16.9952°S 145.4254°E / -16.9952; 145.4254 (St Thomas' School)).[39][42] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 426 students with 33 teachers (26 full-time equivalent) and 27 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent).[41]

Mareeba State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Jasper Street (16°59′45″S 145°24′59″E / 16.9958°S 145.4163°E / -16.9958; 145.4163 (Mareeba State High School)).[39][43] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 732 students with 70 teachers (66 full-time equivalent) and 45 non-teaching staff (33 full-time equivalent).[41] It includes a special education program.[39]

St Stephen's Catholic College is a Catholic secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 3 McIver Road (17°01′03″S 145°25′11″E / 17.0176°S 145.4198°E / -17.0176; 145.4198 (St Stephen's Catholic College)).[39][44] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 555 students with 57 teachers (48 full-time equivalent) and 32 non-teaching staff (22 full-time equivalent).[41]

Health

[edit]

Mareeba Hospital is in the Tablelands Health District. It provides 52 beds, with surgical, maternity, pediatric, outpatient, emergency and x-ray facilities.[45]

Sports

[edit]

Mareeba Gladiators are the local rugby league team. The Gladiators participate in the Cairns District Rugby League competition. They last won the Premiership in 2007.[46]

Amenities

[edit]

Mareeba Shire Council operates a public library at 221 Byrnes Street.[47] The library facility opened in 1958, with a major refurbishment in 1985 and minor refurbishment in 2013.[48]

The Mareeba branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall on the corner of Dempster Street and Wilkes Street.[49] The Cairns Aerial Outpost branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 15 Wilson Street.[49]

St Thomas of Villanova's Catholic Church is at 59 Constance Street. St Stephen's College at Lot 3 McIver Road also has a Catholic church. Both are within the Mareeba Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.[13]

The Mareeba Mosque is at 108 Walsh Street.[50]

Media

[edit]

Mareeba is serviced by the following radio stations:[citation needed]

Attractions

[edit]

Tourist attractions in the Mareeba Shire include the Golden Drop Mango Winery, Jaques Coffee Plantation, Coffee Works, Mareeba Heritage Museum, Mareeba Rock Wallabies and Granite Gorge Nature Park, Emerald Creek Falls, and Davies Creek Falls.[citation needed]

Events

[edit]

The Mareeba Rodeo and Festival is held annually, with the first Affiliated Mareeba Rodeo held in July 1949 (which is now the home ground of the Gladiators Rugby league team).[51] The rodeo is hosted at the Kerribee Park Rodeo Grounds, located slightly out of town on route to Dimbulah. In 2014, the attendance was 13,000, almost double the town's normal population.[citation needed] A parade through the town is held, and the Rodeo Queen is crowned (the first Princess was crowned in 1959). A ute muster is often staged over the same weekend as the rodeo. In 1999 Mareeba District Rodeo Association Inc. celebrated their 50 years Golden Jubilee of the foundation of the Association and 20 years of the opening of "Kerribee Park".[51]

The FNQ Country Music Festival and Talent Search is held annually at Kerribee Park Rodeo Grounds. The event is hosted by the Walkamin Country Music Club.[52]

Each year on the third Sunday of January, St Thomas's Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Santo Nino which celebrates Jesus as a child. The event is of special significance to the Filipino Australians. After the Mass, there is a celebratory meal of Filipino cuisine.[13]

Each year, on the second Sunday of September, St Thomas's Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Chain. The celebration begins with a procession through various streets of Mareeba and culminates in a fireworks display.[53]

[edit]
  • Moved termite mounds, Mareeba
    Moved termite mounds, Mareeba
  • Coffee bean harvester, Mareeba
    Coffee bean harvester, Mareeba

Notable residents

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mareeba (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
  3. ^ "Mareeba – town (entry 20937)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Mareeba – locality (entry 48746)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  5. ^ queenslandplaces.com.au/mareeba
  6. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mareeba (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  7. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Visitor Information" (PDF). Department of Justice and the Attorney General. Retrieved 3 February 2018.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  12. ^ St Thomas's Parish School (Mareeba, Qld) (2009), St Thomas's Parish School Mareeba : centenary 100 years, Rena Ceola, ISBN 978-0-646-51350-8
  13. ^ a b c "Mareeba Parish". Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  15. ^ Volz, Martin (2009). "Tropical tapestry - North Queensland is home to a diverse range of communities of people who choose to live amid the forests and fruit". Big Issue Australia (342): 19. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  16. ^ Davis, Sam (28 April 2010). "Keeping the faith". Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  17. ^ a b Haveric, Dzavid (2019). Muslims making Australia home: Immigration and Community Building. Melbourne University Publishing. ISBN 9780522875829. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  18. ^ Carne, J.C. (1984). "Moslem Albanians in North Queensland" (PDF). In Dalton, B. J. (ed.). Lectures on North Queensland history. University of North Queensland. pp. 191–193. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  19. ^ Barry, James; Yilmaz, Ihsan (2019). "Liminality and Racial Hazing of Muslim Migrants: Media Framing of Albanians in Shepparton, Australia, 1930-1955". Ethnic and Racial Studies. 42 (7): 1178. doi:10.1080/01419870.2018.1484504. hdl:10536/DRO/DU:30109598. S2CID 149907029.
  20. ^ "History of the College". St Stephen's Catholic College. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  21. ^ Mulherin, Tim (24 October 2011). "$6.95 million for Mareeba agri-science hub". Media Statements. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  22. ^ Mulherin, Tim (16 December 2011). "$6.5 million Mareeba Agriscience Hub officially opened". Media Statements. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  23. ^ Dansie, Meghan; Byrne, Conor (22 October 2023). "More than 85 per cent of Mareeba voted No to the Voice. What do residents see as the future?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  24. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Mareeba (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  25. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Mareeba". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 February 2016. Edit this at Wikidata
  26. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mareeba (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 July 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  27. ^ "2016Census_G_QLD_SSC - Census DataPacks - General Community Profile". Australian Bureau of Statistics – Census 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  28. ^ "Mareeba Shire Hall (former) (entry 601553)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  29. ^ "Assay Office & Store, Mareeba (entry 601692)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  30. ^ "Mareeba Uniting Church (former) (entry 602643)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Mareeba Airport Climate (2000-2024)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  32. ^ "Northern Tablelands- Climate". Wet Tropics Plan. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Mareeba Airport Climate (1991-2002)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Mareeba QWRC Climate (1952-2008)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Mareeba Airport Climate Statistics (2000-2024)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  36. ^ "Mareeba Airport Climate Statistics (1991-2002)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Mareeba QWRC Climate Statistics (1952-2008)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  38. ^ "Walkamin Research Station Climate Statistics (1968-2024)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  39. ^ a b c d e f "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  40. ^ "Mareeba State School". Mareeba State School. 29 November 2020. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  41. ^ a b c d "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  42. ^ "St Thomas' School". Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  43. ^ "Mareeba State High School". Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  44. ^ "St Stephen's Catholic College". Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  45. ^ "Mareeba Hospital Homepage". Queensland Health. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  46. ^ "Sports Facilities/Clubs". Queensland Health. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  47. ^ "Mareeba Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 3 February 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  48. ^ "Queensland Public Library Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  49. ^ a b "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  50. ^ "Mareeba Islamic Society". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  51. ^ a b "History". Mareeba Rodeo and Festival. 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  52. ^ "Festival". Walkamin Country Music Club. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  53. ^ "Special Celebrations and Feast Days". Catholic Diocese of Cairns. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  54. ^ Bruce, Mike (8 January 2012). "Passions on the Field". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
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