"Commercial street extends from beach to beach and lies at the foot of a beautiful hill. The street is lined with structures composed of calico, iron and brandy cases, all beautifully blended and resulting in the rummiest looking dwellings imaginable. About 100 of them are grog shanties."
An early visitors impression of Port Douglas

Originally established in 1877 as a link to the Hodgkinson gold fields, the port ( named "Island Point" and then "Port Owen" ) quickly grew to accommodate the increasing trade brought by the gold rush. The dray teams and stage coaches that serviced the goldfields made their way from the Port, down the beach ( now Four Mile Beach ) to the "Four Mile" mark which is now called Craiglee. From there they continued over "The Bump" and then onto the goldfields.

By 1882 the port had been renamed "Port Douglas" and declared a Port of Entry for Dutiable Goods.A courthouse, police barracks ( for 30 troopers ), warehouses and hotels were built and the population rose to over 8000. However the decision to build a railway -providing all weather access- from the goldfields to Cairns saw the trade ( and fortunes ) go south.

The sugar industry had become firmly established by 1897 and the opening of the Mossman mill now saw the focus of any development move from Port Douglas to the town of Mossman.

On August 1st, 1900 the tramline from south Mossman to Port Douglas was opened. The 2ft, narrow gauge tramway was to transport passengers, goods & bagged sugar between Mossman and the wharf at Port Douglas. The original loco -"Faugh a Ballagh" meaning "Clear the Way" in Gaelic carried more than 23,000 passengers over 5,800 miles in it's first year.

The "Faugh a Ballagh" continued to serve the Port until April 1958 when the Mossman mill received permission to transport sugar by road. After the last bag of sugar was unloaded at the wharf that day, the "Faugh a Ballagh" was returned to the Mossman depot and retired.

The laid-back, seaside town of Port Douglas is situated approximately 1 hour drive north of the Cairns International Airport in Tropical North Queensland.

Nestled between lush, tropical rainforest and the beautiful Coral Sea, Port Douglas offers easy access to two of Australia's treasures - the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest & the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.

With a permanent population of about 3500, the sleepy town comes to life in the winter months as visitors from all around Australia and the world come to Port Douglas to enjoy the mild winter weather & all the town has to offer.

Australia is one of the 12 mega-diverse countries on earth. The State of Queensland has more than its share of this natural wealth. Queensland has a diverse range of climates from cool, temperate highlands to subtropical and true tropical zones. Some 19 of Australia's terrestrial bioregions are in Queensland, along with 17 marine bioregions. As a result the food and bioproducts grown in these areas vary quite considerably.

The reefs and rainforests make Queensland not only a magnificent place to work, live or holiday - but they also present a unique opportunity to claim a future in this great industry. Their existence has resulted in the development of sophisticated environmental management practices in eco-sensitive regions and it has provided a resource for novel agricultural products and chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

Queensland has a range of competitive strengths that set it apart from its food industry competitors. It is probably the only place in the world with such megadiverse natural resources plus highly developed infrastructure and stable political and economic environment.

Queensland has an impressive research and education infrastructure including seven universities, six life sciences related Cooperative Research Centres, numerous research institutes and comprehensive and innovative hospital and medical facilities.

Our enviable climate, abundance of land and favourable cost of living have been significant contributors to continued high levels of migration to Queensland from within Australia and from overseas. This has resulted in a diverse cultural particularly in the development of a diverse processed food industry.

Queensland provides business with world class infrastructure facilities, including:
Extensive, modern and well-maintained road systems.
The largest rail network in Australia.
More deepwater ports than the rest of Australia combined.
The only State with three international airports providing direct links to Asia.
Cheap and reliable energy.
The highest quality water standards.
Appropriately zoned and serviced industrial land at competitive prices.
Land use and environmental strategies that meet community expectations and industry needs.
Skilled workforce.