Wharf Street, Cairns Precinct

Trinity Wharf

In 1906 the Cairns Harbour Board was instituted and one of its first tasks was to progressively acquire all the privately owned timber wharves and replace them with a continuous reinforced ferro-concrete wharf. Completed by 1915 it had a major impact on Cairns as larger ships could berth bringing more tourists and resources. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Cairns Port collected revenue second only to the Port of Brisbane.

Jack & Newell Building

Constructed in 1911 as new premises for Fearnley and Company on the former site of J G Fearnley’s business. Jack and Newell were North Queensland merchants who ran their business on the adjacent site, purchased the building in 1939. The building now carries their name and was owned by them until the 1970s. A residential tower was constructed by the Hedley Group on the site in 2003 retaining the original facade.

Barrier Reef Hotel

Originally named the Empire Hotel in 1898, the current two storey establishment was built in 1926 for local wine and spirit merchants P.J. Doyle Ltd. The hotel was built of reinforced concrete, a popular construction material in the inter-war years in cyclone prone areas. Plain and modest, it catered mainly for wharf labourers. It was partly occupied by the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. In the 1950s, the Hotel reportedly stayed open 24 hours a day to cater for shift workers at the sugar shed and terminals. In 1960 it was named the Barrier Reef Hotel, reflecting the growing importance of tourism.