Holloways Beach, Queensland

Summary

Holloways Beach is a residential coastal suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Holloways Beach had a population of 2,398 people.[1] II is located about 10 kilometres north of the city of Cairns between the suburbs of Machans Beach and Yorkeys Knob.

Holloways Beach
CairnsQueensland
Holloways Beach
Holloways Beach is located in Queensland
Holloways Beach
Holloways Beach
Map
Coordinates16°50′18″S 145°43′55″E / 16.8383°S 145.7319°E / -16.8383; 145.7319 (Holloways Beach (centre of suburb))
Population2,398 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density303.5/km2 (786/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4878
Area7.9 km2 (3.1 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Cairns Region
State electorate(s)Barron River
Federal division(s)Leichhardt
Suburbs around Holloways Beach:
Yorkeys Knob Yorkeys Knob Coral Sea
Barron Holloways Beach Coral Sea
Barron Machans Beach Machans Beach

Holloways Beach is impacted by noise from Cairns International Airport, which keeps real estate prices in check. From February 2022 to January 2023 the median price for houses has been $540,000 and for units $259,000. However, waterfront properties come also here at a premium, with house well above the million dollar mark.[2]

Journalist Chris Calcino from the local newspaper Cairns Post summed up his view about the suburb: "Not even the beach wants to live here. It continually tries to escape but gets cruelly sucked back in when Cairns Regional Council brings heavy machinery to dump new sand as part of its brutal anti-erosion agenda. Strait on the Beach does a fantastic fish burger and doesn't skimp on the ice cream in its iced coffees. Wear a mosquito coil around your neck because you will be mauled."[3]

Geography edit

 
Beach looking south, 2018

The southeastern border with Machans Beach roughly follows Barr Creek, the opposite northwestern border with Yorkeys Knob is formed by Richter Creek. The southwestern border with the suburb of Barron follows the Captain Cook Highway. Directly on the other side of the highway is a sand quarry. The northeastern border is formed by the beach from which the suburb derives its name. It is approximately 1.8 kilometres long. About midpoint on the beach there is a stinger-resistant swimming enclosure. Stingers, more formally known as box jellyfish, pose a danger in the first half of the calendar year.

The beach s subject to heavy erosion. Since ca. 2020 several million dollars have been invested to save the beach. This includes the creation of two 30-metre rock groynes. This has not helped a lot, therefore more money is spent to replace the sand ("sand nourishment").[4]

In the east up to about 1300 metres inward from the beach the land-use is mostly residential while the west is predominantly farming land.

History edit

Holloways Beach is situated in the traditional Djabugay (Tjapukai) Aboriginal country.[5]

Richard Holloway came to Cairns in 1910 and was farming in the area in 1926. The area was officially named Holloway in 1951 by the Queensland Surveyor-General, renamed Holloway Beach in 1971 and then Holloways Beach in 1981. In 2002, the area was gazetted as a suburb of Cairns rather than as a rural locality.[6]

Land was acquired in October 1951 for a school.[7] However, in December 1951, a school bus service was established to take the students to Cairns Intermediate School and Cairns North State School.[8] In October 1954, the Queensland Government allocated £2341 to relocate Woree's school buildings to Holloway's Beach and then repair and repaint the buildings.[9] Holloway's Beach State School opened on 23 May 1955. It closed on 13 June 1966.[10]

Education edit

School children now attend Machans Beach State School or other schools further away and Holloways Beach is in the catchment area for Cairns High School.[11]

Holloways Beach Environmental Education Centre is at 46 Poinsettia Street (16°49′39″S 145°44′02″E / 16.8274°S 145.7339°E / -16.8274; 145.7339 (educational facility)).[12]

Amenities edit

 
Boat ramp into Richters Creek with "Be Croc Wise in Croc Country", 2018

Holloways Beach Community Hall is at 65 Oleander Street (in Syd and Jane Granville Memorial Park, 16°50′35″S 145°44′19″E / 16.84299°S 145.73851°E / -16.84299; 145.73851 (Holloways Beach Community Hall)). It is capable of seating up to 80 people.[13]

There is a boat ramp into Richters Creek on the northern boundary of the suburb at Acacia Street. It is managed by the Cairns Regional Council.[14] There are warning signs about crocodiles near the boat ramp.

The Holloways Beach SES Group meets at the Syd and Jane Granville Memorial Park in Cassia Street.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Holloways Beach - 2021 Census All persons QuickStats
  2. ^ Holloways Beach - House price guide, realestate.com.au, 28. February 2023
  3. ^ "Cairns suburbs guide: Chris Calcino’s brutal take on your city", Cairns Post, 15 March 2021
  4. ^ "Sand nourishment works to tackle Holloways Beach erosion", Cairns Regional Council, 22 February 2023
  5. ^ "First people cultural history". Cairns Regional Council. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Holloways Beach – suburb in Cairns Region (entry 48672)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  7. ^ "HOLLOWAY'S BEACH TO HAVE SCHOOL". Cairns Post. No. 15, 476. Queensland, Australia. 15 October 1951. p. 5. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "CHILDREN'S BUS SERVICE". Cairns Post. No. 15, 523. Queensland, Australia. 8 December 1951. p. 5. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "NORTHERN LOANS AND WORKS". Cairns Post. No. 16, 410. Queensland, Australia. 15 October 1954. p. 7. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  11. ^ "School catchment maps". Department of Education. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Landmark Areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Community Halls". Cairns Regional Council. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Boating facilities in Queensland listed by district and local government area" (PDF). Queensland Government. 28 November 2016. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Emergency services facilities - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

External links edit

  • "Holloways Beach". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.