Kamerunga, Queensland

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For the folk band, see Kamerunga (band).

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Kamerunga
Cairns, Queensland
Looking west along Hastings Street, 2018
Kamerunga is located in Queensland
Kamerunga
Kamerunga
Map
Coordinates16°52′50″S 145°41′11″E / 16.8805°S 145.6863°E / -16.8805; 145.6863 (Kamerunga (centre of suburb))
Population962 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density223.7/km2 (579/sq mi)
Established1980
Postcode(s)4870
Area4.3 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Cairns Region
State electorate(s)Barron River
Federal division(s)Leichhardt
Localities around Kamerunga:
Barron Gorge Caravonica Barron
Barron Gorge Kamerunga Freshwater
Barron Gorge Redlynch Redlynch

Kamerunga is a town and a suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, the suburb of Kamerunga had a population of 962 people.[1]

Geography

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The Barron River enters the suburb from the north-west (the suburb of Barron Gorge), flows through the north of Kamerunga, exiting to the north-east (the suburb of Barron).[4] Kamerunga Island is a 29.6-hectare (73-acre) island in the river in the north-west of Kamerunga (16°52′21″S 145°40′33″E / 16.8724°S 145.6759°E / -16.8724; 145.6759 (Kamerunga Island)).[5] All of the island and parts of the north and south river banks form the Kamerunga Conservation Park (16°52′21″S 145°40′58″E / 16.8725°S 145.6828°E / -16.8725; 145.6828 (Kamerunga Conservation Park)).[6]

Kamerunga Crossing is a ford across the Barron River (16°52′24″S 145°40′59″E / 16.8733°S 145.6831°E / -16.8733; 145.6831 (Kamerunga Crossing)) to Caravonica. It is the location of an old bridge (no longer for use by vehicles).[7][8]

In the east of the suburb, farmland predominates while the centre of the suburb is used for residential purposes and the west is mostly undeveloped bushland on the foothills of the Atherton Tableland escarpment.[4]

History

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Looking across the Barron River towards Barronville (now Kamerunga), circa 1890. The house Cambanoora on the left belonged to Archibald Meston. The tents are part of the camp for the workers building the Cairns-to-Kuranda railway line.

The town was originally known as Barronville in early 1887, but renamed as Kamerunga in mid 1887,[9] which is the name in the Yidinji language for Barron Gorge.[2][3][10]

From 1890 to 1919, Kamerunga was within the Shire of Barron, but was then absorbed into the Shire of Cairns (now the Cairns Region).

Ebenezer Cowley, 1890

In October 1888, the Queensland Government decided to establish Kamerunga State Nursery to experiment with the cultivation of tropical plants to assess their commercial potential and then grow and sell the successful varieties to Queensland farmers.[11] An initial site of approx 20 acres (8.1 ha) was chosen (now at the approximate site of the Cairns Water Kamerunga Treatment Plant, 1-39 Harley Street, 16°52′54″S 145°41′14″E / 16.8816°S 145.6873°E / -16.8816; 145.6873 (Kamerunga State Nursery (former))),[12][13] although the site was later extended on a number of occasions further to the south and west to encompass over 1,000 acres (400 ha) although much of it was never cultivated.[14] Ebenezer Cowley was appointed as its first overseer in 1889 and he actively developed the nursery until his death in 1899.[15][16] The nursery was closed in 1916 as it was deemed "uneconomic". However, in the 1940s, the site was reactivated as a test station for the Horticulture Branch of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock's Plant Industry Division and operated until circa 1989 before closing again.[14]

In 1911, a ferro-concrete bridge was opened at Kamerunga Crossing which provided a dry crossing of the Barron River (except in floods). It was designed by Cairns Harbour Board engineer Charles Norton Boult. A new high-level road bridge (16°52′24″S 145°41′09″E / 16.8732°S 145.6858°E / -16.8732; 145.6858 (Kamerunga Bridge (new))) opened in 1980 to replace the original bridge (now known as Kamerunga Lower Bridge), which has been retained for walking, cycling and fishing.[17]

Kamerunga State School opened on 28 May 1913. It was wrecked in a cyclone in February 1927. On 6 April 1927 it reopened at a new location as Caravonica State School.[18] The decision to relocate the school had been taken prior to the cyclone.[19][20]

Peace Lutheran College opened in 1994.[18]

Demographics

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Romney Street, near Barronville Park, 2020

In the 2016 census, the suburb of Kamerunga had a population of 1,049 people.[21]

In the 2021 census, the suburb of Kamerunga had a population of 962 people.[1]

Education

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Peace Lutheran College is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at Cowley Street (16°52′42″S 145°41′23″E / 16.8782°S 145.6897°E / -16.8782; 145.6897 (Peace Lutheran College)).[22][23] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 670 students with 52 teachers (46 full-time equivalent) and 48 non-teaching staff (34 full-time equivalent).[24]

There are no government schools in Kamerunga. The nearest government primary schools are Caravonica State School in neighbouring Caravonica to the north and Freshwater State School in neighbouring Freshwater to the east. The nearest government secondary school is Redlynch State College in neighbouring Redlynch to the south.[4]

Amenities

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Crocodile warning sign beside the Barron River in the Kamerunga Conservation Park, 2018

St John the Forerunner & Baptist Greek Orthodox Church is at 450-482 Kamerunga Road (16°53′02″S 145°41′38″E / 16.8839°S 145.6940°E / -16.8839; 145.6940 (St John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church)).[25]

There are a number of parks, including:

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Kamerunga (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b "Kamerunga – town in Cairns Region (entry 52022)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Kamerunga – suburb in Cairns Region (entry 48692)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Kamerunga Island – island (entry 17626)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Kamerunga Conservation Park – conservation park in Cairns Region (entry 39508)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Kamerunga Crossing – ford in Cairns Regional (entry 17625)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Google Streetview: Kamerunga Crossing". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Cairns". The Week. Vol. XXIV, no. 608. Queensland, Australia. 20 August 1887. p. 31. Retrieved 2 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Historical name for reserve". Cairns Regional Council. 19 April 2017. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  11. ^ "LATEST BY WIRE". Cairns Post. Vol. VI, no. 358. Queensland, Australia. 17 October 1888. p. 2. Retrieved 27 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Cook District 2 Mile map NG1 series sheet 5" (Map). Queensland Government. 1902. Archived from the original on 27 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  13. ^ "County of Nares sheet 1" (Map). Queensland Government. 1919. Archived from the original on 27 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Cairns Region Planning Scheme, Schedule 6, Part 2, 2016" (PDF). Cairns Regional Council. 2016. pp. 783–785. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  15. ^ "OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XLVI, no. 9, 876. Queensland, Australia. 9 September 1889. p. 7. Retrieved 27 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Kamerunga Nursery". The Telegraph. No. 8, 183. Queensland, Australia. 9 February 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 27 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Kamerunga Lower Bridge". Cairns Arts and Culture Map. Cairns Regional Council. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  18. ^ a b Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  19. ^ "Appalling Damage". Daily Standard. No. 4405. Queensland, Australia. 23 February 1927. p. 4 (Second Edition-3 p.m.). Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Blown Down". The Northern Herald. Vol. LVI, no. 727. Queensland, Australia. 9 March 1927. p. 23. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Kamerunga (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  22. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  23. ^ "Peace Lutheran College". Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  24. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  25. ^ "St John the Forerunner & Baptist". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  26. ^ a b c "Land for public recreation - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

Further reading

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Media related to Kamerunga, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons