CAIRNS
Cairns are the northern most major
centre in Queensland. Tropical, colourful and growing rapidly. Cairns
are one of those cities where its citizens are at the forefront of
planning decisions. Increasingly heritage considerations are carefully
considered.   
The city was named after William Wellington Cairns
(then Governor of Queensland). It was formed to serve miners heading
for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an
easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into
a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane.
During World War II, Cairns was used by the Allied
Forces as a staging base for operations in the Pacific, with US Army
Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force operational bases (now the
airport), as well as a major military seaplane base in Trinity Inlet,
and US Navy and Royal Australian Navy. Much of the Battle of the Coral
Sea in 1942 was staged from Cairns.
The War Memorial is located on the seaside reserve 
As a result of the WW 2 history Cairns has a large
number of Hotels.         
The Museum is located in the heart of the city.  
The Catholic Church is a new and inspirational work of
design.
The stain glass window is something else.  
Likewise the Anglican Church, but is a different era and the
traditional design.  
Cairns is a great city and staging post for a huge
number of activities. An easy place to stay over a week.
Diary
notes    
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