Port Douglas, North Queensland Australia.

Port Douglas Visitor Information

A Brief History of Port Douglas

An early visitors impression of Port Douglas: Commercial street extends from beach to beach and lies at the foot of a beautiful hill. The street is lined with structures composed of calico, iron and brandy cases, all beautifully blended and resulting in the rummiest looking dwellings imaginable. About 100 of them are grog shanties.

Originally established in 1877 as a link to the Hodgkinson gold fields, the port ( named “Island Point” and then “Port Owen” ) quickly grew to accommodate the increasing trade brought by the gold rush. The dray teams and stage coaches that serviced the goldfields made their way from the Port, down the beach ( now Four Mile Beach ) to the "Four Mile" mark which is now called Craiglee. From there they continued over "The Bump" and then onto the goldfields.

By 1882 the port had been renamed "Port Douglas" and declared a Port of Entry for Dutiable Goods.A courthouse, police barracks ( for 30 troopers ), warehouses and hotels were built and the population rose to over 8000. However the decision to build a railway -providing all weather access- from the goldfields to Cairns saw the trade ( and fortunes ) go south.

The sugar industry had become firmly established by 1897 and the opening of the Mossman mill now saw the focus of any development move from Port Douglas to the town of Mossman.

On August 1st, 1900 the tramline from south Mossman to Port Douglas was opened. The 2ft, narrow gauge tramway was to transport passengers, goods & bagged sugar between Mossman and the wharf at Port Douglas. The original loco -"Faugh a Ballagh" meaning "Clear the Way" in Gaelic carried more than 23,000 passengers over 5,800 miles in it's first year.

The "Faugh a Ballagh" continued to serve the Port until April 1958 when the Mossman mill received permission to transport sugar by road. After the last bag of sugar was unloaded at the wharf that day, the "Faugh a Ballagh" was returned to the Mossman depot and retired.

Today the restored Locomotive is on display by the Marina Mirage.