Suburb of Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia
| Packers Camp Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rural house, Packers Camp, 2018 | |||||||||||||||
  Packers Camp | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 17°01′33″S 145°47′57″E / 17.0258°S 145.7991°E / -17.0258; 145.7991 (Packers Camp (centre of locality)) | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 136 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 10.71/km (27.74/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 12.7 km (4.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
| ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Cairns Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mulgrave | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Kennedy | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Packers Camp is a rural locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Packers Camp had a population of 136 people.
Geography
Pine Creek forms the northern boundary of the locality; Pine Creek Yarrabah Road forms the eastern and southern boundary of the locality; the Mackey Creek forms the western boundary. Simmonds Creek traverses the locality from south to north. All of these creeks become tributaries of the Redbank Creek which flows into Trinity Inlet and then to the Coral Sea at Cairns City.
Redbank Road runs from north to the south within the locality, connecting at the south to Wrights Creek and Gordonvale and through them to the Bruce Highway.
The land is flat and low-lying (less than 10 metres above sea level) and almost entirely freehold. The land is principally used for agricultural, mostly for growing sugarcane, with some scattered rural residences, mostly along Redbank Road. There is a cane tramway passing through the locality to transport the harvested sugarcane to the Mulgrave Sugar Mill.
History
Packers Camp is situated in the Yidinji traditional Aboriginal country.
The locality was originally known as Highclere but its name changed to Highleigh in 1896. Later it became known as Packer Camp as it was the place where the horse, mule and bullock teams were loaded for the trip over the range to the goldfields.
A postal receiving office in 1895 but closed in 1898. In 1951 the Packers Creek post office opened, closing in 1971.
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Packers Camp had a population of 106 people.
In the 2021 census, Packers Camp had a population of 136 people.
Education
There are no schools in Packers Camp. The nearest government primary school is Gordonvale State School in neighbouring Gordonvale to the south. The nearest government secondary school is Gordonvale State High School, also in Gordonvale.
Amenities
There is a boat ramp and floating walkway at Pine Creek Road into Mackey Creek (17°00′39″S 145°47′48″E / 17.0107°S 145.7966°E / -17.0107; 145.7966 (Packers Camp, Mackey Creek boat ramp)). It is managed by the Cairns Regional Council.
Attractions
Cairns Crocodile Farm is in Redbank Road. It has operated as a commercial crocodile farm since 1989. Saltwater crocodiles are raised there for their meat and skins. Visits to the farm can be arranged through Hartley's Crocodile Adventures.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Packers Camp (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Packers Camp – locality in Cairns Region (entry 48822)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- "First people cultural history". Cairns Regional Council. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Packers Camp (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- "Recreational Boating Facilities Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- "Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm". Hartley's Crocodile Adventures. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.