Babinda is a rural town and locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] Babinda and Tully annually compete for the Golden Gumboot, an award for Australia's wettest town. Babinda is usually the winner, recording an annual average rainfall of over 4,279.4 millimetres (168.48 in) each year.[4] In the 2021 census, the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,287 people.[5]
Babinda is located south of Cairns and was known for historically being a “sugar town”.
Geography
Babinda is located 59.1 kilometres (36.7 mi) south of Cairns.[6]
The Bruce Highway enters the locality from the south (Mirriwinni), passes through the town, and exits to the north (Bellenden Ker). The North Coast railway line also enters the locality from the south (Mirrinwinni), passes through the town, and exits to the north (Bellenden Ker). The locality was served by two railway stations:[7]
Babinda takes its name from the local Indigenous Australian language for mountain.[9] Other sources, however, claim it is a Yidinji word for water, possibly referring to the high rainfall of the area.[2][10]
Operations to build a sugar mill commenced in 1914 and support services were expanded around this (see Babinda Sugar Mill).
Babinda State School opened on 4 November 1914.[11] Initially occupying temporary premises, the school's first permanent site was 24-34 Church Street (17°20′33″S145°55′17″E / 17.34241°S 145.92151°E / -17.34241; 145.92151 (Babinda State School (1916-1969))), now Babinda Swimming Pool and adjacent properties.[12] In 1963, it expanded to offer secondary schooling to Year 10. The school relocated to its present site in Boulders Road in 1969, although it continued to use some facilities on the old site until 1973. In 1983, the school expanded to offer secondary schooling to Year 12.[13]
Babinda Post Office opened by 1915 (a Babinda Creekreceiving office had been open since 1891).[14]
Babinda Sugar Mill, aerial view, circa 1964
The Babinda Sugar Mill opened on 15 September 1915. It closed on 23 February 2011.[15] It was the main source of revenue and economic activity in the local area. Babinda was known for historically being a “sugar town” and the Mill was described as being the “lifeblood of the town”.[16]
Babinda Presbyterian church was officially opened on 5 November 1916 by Reverend S. Mitchell.[citation needed]
On Sunday 18 March 1917, BishopJohn Heavey laid the foundation for Babinda's Catholic Church.[19] Heavey returned on Sunday 15 July to dedicate the church.[20]
On 10 March 1918, a cyclone badly damaged the town with some reports saying that no building was left standing.[21][22][23] An entire train at the railway station was blown over.[24] Both the Presbyterian and Catholic churches were "blown to pieces".[25][26]
On Sunday 16 March 1919, the new Presbyterian Church was officially opened by the Reverend Fixter.[27]
On Sunday 9 July 1922, Heavey officially opened and blessed the rebuilt Catholic church.[28]
In November 1924, fund raising commenced for a Catholic school in Babinda.[29] On 25 January 1926, the Sisters of Mercy opened St Rita's Catholic primary school, conducing classes for an initial 34 students inside the church.[30] On 8 December 1945, Bishop Heavey officially opened the new two-storey brick school building, which replaced an earlier timber building.[31][32] In 1948, it expanded to also offer secondary schooling, but, due to low enrolments, closed the secondary schooling in 1951.[30]
World War 1 memorial, Babinda, 2006
The Babinda War Memorial was unveiled by the chairman of the Cairns Shire Council Seymour Warner on 25 April 1927.[33]
The Babinda Parish of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Cooktown (now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns) was established in 1934.[34]
The Babinda Public Library building opened in 1955.[35]
In March 2006, Babinda was struck by Cyclone Larry, damaging up to 80% of buildings.[36]
Demographics
In the 2006 census, the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,167 people. Of these, 49.7% were male and 50.3% were female.[37] The majority of residents (79.7%) were of Australian birth, with other common census responses being Italy (2.7%) and New Zealand (2.0%).[37] The age distribution of Babinda residents was skewed slightly higher than the greater Australian population. 70.1% of residents were over 25 years in 2006, compared to the Australian average of 66.5%; and 29.9% were younger than 25 years, compared to the Australian average of 33.5%.[37]
In the 2011 census, the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,068 people.[38]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,253 people.[39]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,287 people.[5]
There are many different community events in Babinda. The annual Harvest Festival is celebrated in October and features some unusual events including the Sugar Bowl competition, the Gumboot Toss and the Umbrella Toss (reflecting Babinda's connection to the sugar industry and its wet weather). The festival has been running since the 1960s, but was cancelled in 2006 due to Cyclone Larry.[70][71][72]
Attractions
Babinda Creek, as seen from The Boulders picnic area
Babinda is situated on the Bruce Highway. The town has a railway station for access to the long-distance train services, currently only the Spirit of Queensland for which an advance booking must be made for the train to stop in Babinda.[75]
Climate
Babinda has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with humid and persistently wet weather. It is well known and recognised as the wettest town in Australia, with an annual average rainfall of 4,279.4 millimetres (168.48 in). Monthly totals over 1,000 millimetres (39 in) are not uncommon, and sometimes, usually between January and April, whole months will go by without a single sunny day.
The wet season lasts from December to May, while the 'dry season' occurs from June to November. During the wet season, heavy monsoonal downpours occur almost daily and occasionally even heavier rain from tropical lows or cyclones occurs. Rainfall still totals well over 100 millimetres (3.9 in) a month during the dry season; however, it is usually in the form of coastal showers, which can range from 1 or 2 millimetres (0.039 or 0.079 in), to brief downpours of 100 millimetres (3.9 in) or more. Thunderstorms with dangerous lightning and damaging winds can be a threat from October to December; however, this threat decreases when the monsoon begins to take over in January.
^"CAIRNS NEWS". Daily Standard. No. 1011. Queensland, Australia. 1 April 1916. p. 5 (SECOND EDITION). Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"NEW BABINDA CHURCH". Cairns Post. Vol. XXX, no. 2768. Queensland, Australia. 20 March 1917. p. 5. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Dedication". Cairns Post. Vol. XXX, no. 2867. Queensland, Australia. 14 July 1917. p. 4. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Cyclone March 1918". Harden Up - Protecting Queensland. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
^"CYCLONE DAMAGE AT BABINDA". The Northern Herald. Vol. XXI, no. 261. Queensland, Australia. 4 April 1918. p. 30. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"BABINDA ALMOST BLOWN AWAY". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 24, no. 5980. Western Australia. 15 March 1918. p. 3. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"THE RECENT CYCLONE". The Dalby Herald. Queensland, Australia. 30 March 1918. p. 3. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^Waddell, A. Moffatt (September 1979). "1918 Cyclone"(PDF). Bulletin. 20. Mulgrave Shire Historical Society. Archived(PDF) from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
^"Babinda Presbyterians". Cairns Post. Vol. XXXII, no. 3304. Queensland, Australia. 13 March 1919. p. 4. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Blessing Babinda Church". Cairns Post. Vol. XXXV, no. 4311. Queensland, Australia. 8 July 1922. p. 4. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Future of the Sugar Industry". Cairns Post. Vol. XXXV, no. 5043. Queensland, Australia. 25 November 1924. p. 4. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"ST. RITA'S CONVENT". Cairns Post. No. 13, 660. Queensland, Australia. 12 December 1945. p. 8. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". Cairns Post. No. 13, 616. Queensland, Australia. 22 October 1945. p. 6. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Babinda Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
