Innisfail, QLD
More information at Innisfail Tourist Information Centre
Located 1631 km north of Brisbane and 83 km south of Cairns, Innisfail is one of the few large towns in north Queensland to remain relatively untouched by the tourist boom which has swept the whole area in recent times.
Located at the junction of the North and South Johnstone Rivers, the town has an easy laid back charm about it.
Innisfail
is basically a sugar town and its economy is largely dependent on the sugar
plantations which surround the town, the bulk sugar loading facilities at
Mourilyan and the numerous mills in the area.
Broad waters of the North and South Johnstone Rivers frame two sides of this town. The Innisfail Sugar Festival is held in September and the annual show in held in July.
Shire Hall
While the town lacks 'attractions' which would draw tourists to it, it does have some delightful walks beside the river and its streetscapes are genuinely interesting. By far the most interesting building in the town is the Shire Hall which stands like a beacon towering above all the other buildings in the town. It was built between 1933 and 1938 after the previous three Shire Halls had been burnt down - the first in 1891, the second in 1913 and the third in 1932.
Financed in part by the shire's commitment to provide relief employment during the depression it was built of reinforced cement to withstand the cyclones which sometimes hit the town. Today it is still a remarkable building. The hall upstairs, which was state of the art when it was built, is a massive place still used for civic occasions.
Chinese Temple
In sharp contrast the Chinese Temple in Ernest Street is another dimension of the town's history. This small red building with its incense and brassware is a reminder that the goldfields of North Queensland attracted considerable numbers of Chinese and that after the goldrushes they dispersed south settling in towns like Innisfail.
Pioneers Monument
At the bottom of the town's main street is the Pioneers Monument a rather handsome statue made out of Carrara marble depicting a cane cutter with his knife at the ready. Donated to the town by members of the local Italian community it is a reminder that another group to have left their mark on north Queensland are the Italians who arrived in the 1880s to become cane cutters.
Innisfail has a long association with tea production. It is believed that the first tea planted in Australia was planted at nearby Bingil Bay in 1884. More information at:
Innisfail
Information Centre, Bruce Highway, INNISFAIL,
Phone: 07 4061 7422
Region Information
Commonwealth Hotel
137 Edith St
Innisfail
Phone: 07 4061 6026
Crown Hotel
25 Ernest St
Innisfail
Phone: 07 4061 4722
Walkabout
Motel
20- 24 McGowan Drv
Innisfail
Phone: 07 4061 2311
Email: motelwalkabout@bigpond.com
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