|
||||||||
|
Search this siteThe historic walk begins at Port Douglas Court House Museum, the second oldest timber court house in this State, famous for its committal hearing of Ellen Thomson, the only woman ever hanged in Queensland. Sit in the jury benches and see a short film of the re-enactment of her trial, held in this very court house A short stroll uphill brings us to the old lighthouse which collapsed in the 1911 cyclone and was subsequently rebuilt on in the same place. Wander along leafy Murphy Street to the site of the old Catholic church, removed in 1988 to the waterfront to be named St Mary’s by the Sea. Further down, the walk explores many historic sites along Macrossan Street including the Queensland Heritage listed memorial to F D A Castens, champion of the local railway. Your guide will tell stories of bullock wagons, Cobb and Co, gold escorts and the tropical life of days gone by. Stop in for a cool drink at the Central Hotel, where variously named hotels have been serving since 1878. Stroll into the Court House Hotel, whose highly desirable location has hosted a pub since 1878. The waterfront precinct along Dickson Inlet remains truly significant to Port Douglas - the town was founded in 1877 as the port for inland goldfields. See where the Bond Store, Customs Office and tramway station were situated in what is now the Sunday market park. Enjoy cool breezes on the deck of the Combined Club, a former old Douglas Divisional Board wharf overlooking the Inlet. The timber Sugar Wharf, extending out into Dickson Inlet, is Port Douglas’s iconic answer to Sydney’s Opera House. It has withstood many a cyclone since its construction in 1905. A great photo of it can be taken from the little beach near St Mary’s by the Sea, a beautiful timber church which once stood on the hill in Grant Street. Both buildings are Queensland Heritage listed and form part of the waterfront heritage precinct. To reserve your place on the walking tour, phone Freda on 4098 5303. Guided tours will only operate with groups of six or more and bookings are absolutely essential. Brochures for the walk are available at tourist information centres, the Council Office in Mossman, and the Port Douglas Court House Museum. We encourage everyone to bring water with them on the Walk, and to wear comfortable shoes and a hat. There are a couple of small hills.
|
Port Douglas Award Winning Historical WalkPlease pick up a copy of our new brochure...available at all good stores around town! The guided tour is fascinating!! |
In 2008, the Douglas Shire Historical Society erected 17 stylish photoposts around our village of Port Douglas, pinpointing historic sites and explaining their significance with photos and text. As a direct result of this initiative, Port Douglas won the Heritage Category of the Tidy Towns Award for the Far North Region, and progressed to win the STATE AWARD for 2008. You can join a member of the Douglas Shire Historical Society on a two hour stroll around the village, or pick up a brochure and take the walk yourself. Of course you can be sure our guides will entertain you with many personal and historic stories, and you will see Port Douglas from an entirely different perspective.
click below to
|
||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Our generous SPONSORS of the HISTORIC PHOTO POSTS are: Flagstaff Hill Bawden Family Trust Lighthouse Anthony Buckley A.M. St Andrews C of E Byron, Vicki & Isabella Kurth Port Douglas Court House Douglas Shire Historical Society Port Douglas State School John Burden & Pam Willis Burden Port Douglas Hospital Craig, Tess, Sam, Harry, and Tom Walker PD Heritage Waterfront Douglas Shire Council Exchange Hotel Rotary Club Port Douglas The Red Road Mary Anne Eales & Tony McGrath North Australia Hotel Central Hotel Buchanan’s Court House Hotel Court House Hotel Douglas Divisional Board Tramways Wharf Port Douglas Combined Club Rutherford’s Corner Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Group St Augustine’s Parish Church , St Mary’s Port Douglas Restoration Society Bank of New South Wales Westpac Bank Ramsay’s General Merchants Grischy family Caledonian Hotel Wright Family, founders of Poseidon, and Edmondson family The Society is extending its Heritage Walking Trail to Mossman, and plans a launch to co-incide with Queensland’s 150th birthday in 2009. If you would like to sponsor a post, please contact Annette Anich via our website on secretary@douglas-shire-historical-society.org. Your generous sponsorship will be gratefully received and your name will be placed on the sponsors’ panel of the photopost in perpetuity. To see more please click on the pictures in the side bars.... |
||||||||
