Bingil Bay, Queensland

Bingil Bay is a coastal town, locality and beach in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3][4] In the 2011 census, Bingil Bay had a population of 369 people.[1]

Bingil Bay
Queensland
Bingil Bay
Coordinates17.8316°S 146.0969°E / -17.8316; 146.0969
Population427 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density85.4/km2 (221.2/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4852
Area5.0 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Location35 km (22 mi) south of Innisfail
LGA(s)Cassowary Coast Region
State electorate(s)Hill
Federal Division(s)Kennedy
Localities around Bingil Bay:
Midgeree Bar Garners Beach Coral Sea
Djiru Bingil Bay Coral Sea
Djiru Djiru Coral Sea

History

The name Bingil is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning a good camping ground given to the area by Frederick Cutten, a pioneer settler in the area.[4] In 1884, the Cutten brothers (Frederick, Leonard, Sydney and James) established the first commercial tea plantation in Australia on their Bicton estate at Bingil Bay, also growing coffee, mangoes, bananas, pineapples and other tropical fruit. At that time, Bingil Bay was only accessible by boat.[5][6][7] Most of the Bicton estate was destroyed by a cyclone in 1918 and although the homestead was rebuilt the remainder of the estate was never restored. The descendants of the original tea plants were rediscovered in the rain-forest by Dr Alan Maruff in 1958 and seedlings from these plants formed the basis for the Nerada tea plantations.[8]

In 1921, an overland connection was created from El Arish (a distance of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away) but it was only usable by a dray and the journey took most of the day.[7]

The area was formerly known as Clump Point (the name of a nearby headland) until 1929 when a post office called Bingal Bay was established.[9]

On 9 July 1936, the road from El Arish to Bingil Bay was finally completed, reducing the travel time to 30 minutes. It was officially opened by Percy Pease, the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Herbert.[7][10]

The Bingil Bay Lifesaving Club opened in 1936.[11]

Around 1966, then Prime Minister of Australia, Harold Holt and his wife Zara Holt, owned a holiday cottage they called "The Shack" at Bingil Bay. It sat high on the hill with views as far as Dunk Island. The couple were keen spearfishers.[12] The cottage did not have a telephone.[13]

In the 2011 census, Bingil Bay had a population of 369 people.[14]

Heritage listings

Bingil Bay has the following heritage listings:

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bingil Bay (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  2. "Bingil Bay – town in Cassowary Coast Region (entry 2695)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  3. "Bingil Bay – locality in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 45656)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  4. "Bingil Bay – bay in Cassowary Coast Region (entry 2694)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  5. "The History of Tea". Nerada Tea. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  6. "Bingil Bay". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  7. "BINGIL BAY ROAD". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 10 July 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  8. Taylor, R.J. (1982). The lost plantation : a history of the Australian tea industry. Cairns: G.K. Bolton. ISBN 0909920168.
  9. "WHAT'S IN A NAME?". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 25 January 1929. p. 4. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  10. "NORTHERN ROAD OPENED". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 10 July 1936. p. 19. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  11. "Opening Bingil Bay Life Saving Club". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 4 December 1936. p. 3. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  12. "AT BEAUTIFUL BINGIL BAY". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 23 November 1966. p. 10. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  13. "McMahon, the man behind the Federal Budget". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 13 August 1966. p. 2. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Bingil Bay (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
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