Cape Tribulation History

Pre 20th Century

The rainforests of Cape Tribulation have survived 120 million years of Mother Nature's dramatic climate changes: violent volcanos, fires, ice ages, and fluctuating sea levels. It remains one of the prime examples of how the world looked when dinosaurs roamed the jungle - indeed, the crocodile, cassowary and king fern still survive from those prehistoric times. Thousands of years prior to white settlement, the Kuku Yalangi Aboriginal people lived along the coastline, hunting kangaroos, echidnas, fish and other species. Understanding the weather cycles and vegetation types allowed the Kuku Yalangi to find a variety of fruits throughout the year. Aborigines used Cape Trib mainly as a temporary camp on their expeditions back and forth between Mossman, 70km (43.5mi) to the north, and Wujul Wujul, 35km (21.7mi) north.

The headland was given its European name by Lieutenant James Cook after his ship, the Endeavour, was trapped on a reef in the area in 1770. The ship came very close to sinking but luckily a large chunk of the reef had broken off and stuck in the hole, working as a plug and keeping the Endeavour afloat. Looking out at the coastline in the first light of the morning following the disaster, Cook named it Cape Tribulation (trouble), and the mountain behind it Mount Sorrow. After seven weeks of repairs, some run-ins with the local Aboriginal people, and discovering the kangaroo, Cook headed further north where he planted the Union Jack and claimed possession of the country.

Modern

During the 1880s, farming and logging expanded rapidly along the coastal belt, resulting in extensive areas of lowland rainforest being cleared. The first white settler north of the Daintree River at Cape Trib was Andrew Mason in 1932, who attempted a range of ventures including banana farming and cattle grazing. During World War II, the Masons kept a horse and saddle for each person on their farm in case of invasion - but luckily they never needed to act on their escape plan along the Bloomfield Track. Following the war, the timber industry regained momentum. Huge tracts of virgin hardwood forest were logged and by 1955, the Cape Tribulation Road had to be extended north to allow recovery of felled timber. A private ferry began operating on the Daintree River in 1956.

Recent

During the 1980s, the Daintree Rainforest was the centre of arguments between conservationists and the timber industry. The conservationists argued that continued logging of the ancient old-growth rainforest was unsustainable and putting too much strain on the ecosystem. In 1982, Cape Trib made headlines when the local council's plans to bulldoze forest to clear a road was met with protests and a blockade of the Bloomfield Track. The protestors were unsuccessful, but in 1987, the Federal Government headed to an election with a policy to list the region as a World Heritage Site and halt logging. This sparked massive controversy throughout North Queensland for fears of an economic downturn and job losses. The government won the election and Cape Trib became a protected region. However, the Queensland State Government challenged the ruling in the High Court of Australia. A year later, a new Labor goverment was elected in Queensland, and promptly withdrew the challenge. Cape Tribulation has been in safe hands ever since.