Portsmith

Portsmith
Cairns, Queensland
Portsmith; Cairns, Queensland
	View from the Bulk Sugar Terminal across Trinity Inlet, 1964
	Portsmith
Coordinates	16°56′42″S 145°46′00″E / 16.945°S 145.7666°E
Population	314 (2021 census)
• Density	20.13/km2 (52.13/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4870
Area	15.6 km2 (6.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	3.4 km (2 mi) S of Cairns CBD ; 1,684 km (1,046 mi) NNW of Brisbane ;
LGA(s)	Cairns Region
State electorate(s)	Cairns; Mulgrave;
Federal division(s)	Leichhardt; Kennedy;
	Suburbs around Portsmith:

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Portsmith is a suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Portsmith had a population of 314 people.^[1]

Geography

The suburb consists of two distinct areas: the north-western part which is the mainland (adjacent with suburbs Woree, Bungalow, Parramatta Park and Cairns City) and the south-eastern part which is a pair of islands (Admiralty Island and a smaller unnamed island)^[3] bounded to the west by Smiths Creek and to the east by Trinity Inlet. The mainland part is developed land while the islands are undeveloped. The entire suburb is flat low-lying land, less than 10 metres above sea level.^[4]

The mainland part is principally used for industrial purposes with those nearest Smiths Creek being used for maritime purposes such as boat building, shipping services, trawlers and fish markets.^[4]^[5]

Ray Jones Drive/Bruce Highway is an arterial road that runs from the south-west to the north-east through the mainland area (being known at the north-east end as Comport Street). The North Coast railway line runs south and roughly parallel with the arterial road with the Portsmith railway station (16°56′46″S 145°45′51″E / 16.9461°S 145.7641°E / -16.9461; 145.7641 (Portsmith railway station)) and Portsmith railway yards serving the suburb.^[4]^[6]

History

Portsmith is situated in the Yidinji traditional Aboriginal country. ^[7] The origin of the suburb name is from an early pioneer named William Smith.^[8]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Portsmith had a population of 260 people.^[9]

In the 2021 census, Portsmith had a population of 314 people.^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Portsmith. The nearest government primary schools are Parramatta State School in neighbouring Parramatta Park to the north and Balaclava State School in Mooroobool to the north-west. The nearest government secondary school is Trinity Bay State High School in Manunda to the north.^[4]

Great Barrier Reef International Marine College is a technical college specialising in maritime training. It is at 55-61 Tingira Street (16°56′57″S 145°46′12″E / 16.9491°S 145.7699°E / -16.9491; 145.7699 (technical college)).^[10]^[11] It has a training ship in addition to a number of simulators, engineering workshops, and an immersion pool.^[12]