Northern Queensland and the Outback Chapter Review

Fish swimming at the Great Barrier Reef.

Northern Queensland was first discovered by Captain Cook when his ship the Endeavour crashed there.  It took 100 years of failed expeditions to discover that Queensland was rich in minerals and had a great deal of agriculture potential.  Expeditions failed due to the harsh conditions and Aboriginal tribes who were not very welcoming.  Gold was the key to the population of Northern Queensland.  Once this discovery was made, the motivation to move there greatly increased, but it was very short lived.  Today, tourism of the Great Barrier Reef is what keeps Northern Queensland thriving.  Another popular attraction is the town of Winton where Banjo Paterson wrote Australia’s national song, “Waltzing Matilda.”  The outback was the inspiration for many of Banjo’s poems.  Northern Queensland is where a great deal of the sugar cane fields are located.  The Cape York Peninsula is largely unexplored and it contains many rivers and forests.  It is located just north of Cairns and is where the Daintree National Park is located.  The Daintree Forest is one of the few places in the world where the rainforest and the sea meet.  Cairns is the main center of Northern Queensland.  The Torres Strait Islands are also in Northern Queensland and they sit between Australia and Papua New Guinea.  Cooktown is where Captain Cook wrecked his ship and there is a museum in his honor here.  Dunk Island is the location of the Great Barrier Reef islands and offers day trips for snorkeling, diving, and windsurfing.  The Outback of Northern Queensland is largely inhabited by Aboriginal people.  The landscapes are very harsh, and in turn not a very attractive area to live or visit for many people.  One good thing did come out of these harsh conditions.  John Flynn was a missionary in the Outback and he realized that many people were dying due to lack of basic and urgent medical care.  This inspired him to invent the Royal Flying Doctor Service, an air ambulance service.  

An ambulance next to one of the first Royal Flying Doctor Service airplanes.