Introduction
Welcome to the bountiful history of Cardwell and district. The oldest white settlement in Australia’s far north east, Cardwell was proclaimed as Port Hinchinbrook more than 150 years ago. The first landing party sailed north from Port Denison (Bowen) and raised the Union Jack on the beach of Rockingham Bay on Friday, January 22, 1864.…
The Calophyllum Shore – A Cardwell Memoir
The Calophyllum Shore – A Cardwell Memoir is our Historical Society’s first publication and another 150th annversary project. Launched in April 2011, it offers a detailed insight into the intriguing history of Cardwell, the first shipping port in Australia’s far north east. The author, the late Sandy Hubinger (1912-2005) was born and died in Cardwell…
The Hubingers
Hubinger Exhibition in the Museum The first of the Hubingers, Johann Christian, arrived in Cardwell in 1869 and set up a farm on the north bank of Meunga Creek, beginning a family presence that remained prominent in both the business and social life of the town for more than a century. The permanent Hubinger Exhibition…
Our Museum
The J.C. Hubinger Museum in Cardwell is a vital community-owned facility of the Cassowary Coast Region. Its location on Australia’s National Highway One beside the Pacific Ocean in the centre of Cardwell is ideal for people travelling through to get a quick glimpse of the fascinating local history. The Cardwell & District Historical Society maintains and runs the museum under an honorary lease arrangement, in conjunction with the Regional Council. A heritage-listed building, the museum … Read More »
Our Society
Cardwell & District Historical Society is a volunteer, not-for-profit organisation. It was formed in 1985 to stop demolition of the original 1892 Town Hall. Under inaugural president, the late Robbie Sing, the Society instead began restoration with $18,000 in Bicentenary funding. The original hall cost £273 in 1892 and housed the Cardwell Divisional Board, formed eight years earlier. The Hall was the hub of community life for eight decades, before begin re-dedicated in 1988 as a public … Read More »
