Cardwell (Queensland)

Cardwell is a place in the Australian state of Queensland between Ingham Innisfail in the north and the south. He was named after the British politician Edward Cardwell.

History

Cardwell was in 1864 - at that time under the name of Port Hinchinbrook - the first settlement north of Bowen. As an outpost of civilization it was the connection of the pasture land in the Valley of Lagoons.

By 2008, Cardwell was part of the administrative area Cardwell Shire, based in Tully, which is then merged with the Johnstone Shire to exist today Cassowary Coast region.

Climate

Temperatures reach record levels in the months of December to February with an average maximum of up to 31.5 ° C and mean minimum 22.2 ° C. not under In the coldest month, July, mean maxima of 24.9 ° C and average minimum of 13.6 ° C can be achieved. The high annual rainfall of 2128 mm average falls to 80 percent in the months of December to April.

On the night of 2nd and 3rd February 2011, the storm center of the cyclone Yasi hit the oceanfront location with full force, leaving behind such massive damage that comparisons have been drawn to the destructive power of a tsunami. Cardwell had previously been largely evacuated.

Economy

The focus of economic activity is agriculture, especially the cultivation of sugar and bananas. In 1996, about 30 percent of the labor force was employed in this sector. Throughout the Cardwell Shire over 1 million tonnes of cane were harvested in 1995. Tourism also plays a major role and is within Far North Queensland second only to Cairns and Port Douglas.

Traffic

Three times a week is Cardwell breakpoint of the trains on the railway line between Brisbane and Cairns. The journey to Brisbane is approximately 26:30 hours, to Cairns 3:45 to 4:45 hours.

Cardwell is located on the Bruce Highway, which is part of the whole of Australia spanning National Highway 1.

The nearby island of Hinchinbrook Iceland is a ferry.