Heritage - Cairns, Port Douglas, Innisfail & Atherton Tablelands.
Spy & Camera Museum, Herberton
Cairns Museum
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Atherton-Herberton Historic Railway
Enjoy specialty espresso in railway carriages at the Station Café in Atherton. Visit the Railway Museum at Herberton. Discover 113 years of railway history.
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Australian Sugar Heritage Centre.
Australia’s sugar cane farming has a fascinating history that began in 1788 when sugar was first brought to Australia. In the 1860’s sugar cane plantations were established in Queensland. Follow the stories of those who worked in the plantations.
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Cairns Museum.
Located in the heart of the city, Cairns Museum takes you on a journey into the past of Aboriginal life, sugar cane history, World War II and life in the tropics.
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Cooktown Museum
A must-visit in Cooktown in Far North Queensland. Explore the history of Captain James Cook’s interaction and reconciliation with local indigenous people, the Bama.
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Herberton Spy and Camera Museum.
To be enjoyed by both camera buffs and those with an inquisitive mind, this unique museum showcases a history of cameras and spy cameras. Experience the world of espionage.
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Historic Village Herberton.
High up on The Tablelands, 90 minutes from Cairns, Herberton was once a tin mining town. 60 original buildings have been restored and 300,000 items on display in this unique historic village.
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Hou Wang Chinese Temple and Museum.
Immerse yourself in the time when Atherton’s Chinatown was a thriving community in the early 20th Century. This beautiful heritage-listed Chinese temple is a must-visit for the heritage traveller to Cairns and the Tablelands.
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Mareeba Heritage Museum.
Just an hour’s drive up onto The Tablelands above Cairns come and enjoy Mareeba’s heritage museum, visitor centre and cafe. Learn about and experience Mareeba’s fascinating history.
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Mount Molloy Sawmill.
Opened in 1914, the JM Johnston sawmill processed local timbers including hickory and kauri pine trees. In a symbolic reconciliation between man and Nature, a fig tree now grows from the chimney, slowly reclaiming the structure.
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St Mary's by the Sea.
1880’s Gothic-style church on the waterfront at Port Douglas. Probably the most photographed place in Port Douglas. Wedding venue. A beautiful building with a classic window to the world.
Commission-free booking:
History and Heritage Attractions - Cairns Region
The rich culture and customs of Australian Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders are woven into the history of Far North Queensland - a heritage of some 60,000 years!
Restored 1920’s National Australia Bank building The Chambers, now an upmarket cafe and restaurant in Central Cairns.
The colourful history of European / Chinese settlement and development of towns and cities of Far North Queensland has left a legacy of stunning buildings and stories of the past.
Classical architecture of The Cairns Post building, completed in 1908
Innisfail, just one hour south of Cairns, is a unique heritage town brimming with art-deco buildings of the 1930’s.
Take a self-guided walking tour to step back in time and admire the architectural beauty of Innisfail’s fine heritage buildings.
Innisfail Art-Deco Building
Sugar Heritage
Sugar is the Cairns region 2nd most valuable agricultural commodity (2nd only to bananas).
Learn about the history of how sugarcane became such an important crop for the region at the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre.
Located at Mourilyan just 7 km south of Innisfail, the Sugar Heritage Centre is at the turn off to Etty Bay.
Don’t miss an opportunity to scoot out to Etty Bay, for this is a unique and most beautiful beach, blessed to have its resident cassowary birds making frequent appearances on the beach.
Heritage buffs should not miss a visit to the Atherton Tablelands, just an hour or so inland from Cairns.
In the late 19th Century the Tablelands lured tin and gold miners, timber cutters and agriculturalists.
A visit to Atherton’s Hou Wang Chinese Temple and Museum provides a glimpse into the rich history of Chinese settlement in the area.
Travel just 15 minutes down the road from Atherton to enjoy a visit to the extensive Historic Village at Herberton.
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Experience Living History at Herberton Historic Village
Step back through time as you wander through 50 original township buildings, from chemist’s to bank and grocer’s store.
Spanish-revival style Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd heritage building, corner of Lake and Spence streets, Cairns.