Babinda is a rural town and locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia.
Babinda is a rural town and locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,253 people.
History
Babinda takes its name from the local Indigenous Australian language for mountain. Other sources, however, claim it is a Yidinji word for water, possibly referring to the high rainfall of the area.Babinda State School opened on 4 November 1914.Babinda Post Office opened by 1915 (a Babinda Creek receiving office had been open since 1891).The Babinda Sugar Mill opened on 15 September 1915. It closed on 23 February 2011.Babinda Presbyterian church was officially opened on 5 November 1916 by Reverend S. Mitchell.On Sunday 18 March 1917 Bishop John Heavey laid the foundation for Babinda's Catholic Church. Heavey returned on Sunday 15 July to dedicate the church.On 10 March 1918 a cyclone badly damaged the town with some reports saying that no building was left standing. An entire train at the railway station was blown over. Both the Presbyterian and Catholic churches were "blown to pieces".On Sunday 16 March 1919 the new Presbyterian Church was officially opened by the Reverend Fixter.On Sunday 9 July 1922 Heavey officially opened and blessed the rebuilt Catholic church.
The Babinda War Memorial was unveiled by the chairman of the Cairns Shire Council Seymour Warner on 25 April 1927.The Babinda Parish of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Cooktown (now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns) was established in 1934.The Babinda Public Library building opened in 1955.In March 2006, Babinda was struck by Cyclone Larry, damaging up to 80% of buildings.At the 2011 census the town recorded a population of 1,068.In the 2016 census the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,253 people.
Weather
Babinda has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with humid and persistently wet weather. It is well known and recognised as the wettest town in Australia, with an annual average rainfall of 4279.4 mm. Monthly totals over 1000 mm are not uncommon, and sometimes, usually between January and April, whole months will go by without a single sunny day.
The wet season lasts from December to May, while the 'dry season' occurs from June to November. During the wet season, heavy monsoonal downpours occur almost daily and occasionally even heavier rain from tropical lows or cyclones occurs. Rainfall still totals well over 100mm a month during the dry season; however, it is usually in the form of coastal showers, which can range from 1 or 2 millimeters, to brief downpours of 100mm or more. Thunderstorms with dangerous lightning and damaging winds can be a threat from October to December; however, this threat decreases when the monsoon begins to take over in January.
Things to do
The Boulders and Devil's Pool are popular tourist attractions. A picnic area is located nearby, beside Babinda Creek.
Babinda Rotary Park is on Howard Kennedy Drive (17.3467°S 145.9264°E? / -17.3467; 145.9264? (Babinda Rotary Park)). It provides free camping for up to 3 days.