Babinda, Queensland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Babinda Queensland
Babinda, taken on a rainy day.
Population:	1,176 ^[1]
Postcode:	4861
Location:	1649 km (1025 mi) NW of Brisbane 60 km (37 mi) S of Cairns 30 km (19 mi) N of Innisfail
LGA:	Cairns
State District:	Mulgrave
Federal Division:	Kennedy

Babinda is a small town located 60 km south of Cairns and 1649 km north-west of Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland. At the 2001 census, Babinda had a population of 1,176.^[1] Situated on the Bruce Highway, the town is noted for its proximity to two of Queensland's highest mountains Mount Bartle Frere (1622 metres) and Mount Bellenden Ker (1593 metres). Babinda and Tully annually compete for the Golden Gumboot, an award for Australia's wettest town. Babinda is usually the winner, recording an annual rainfall of over 4200 millimetres each year.

[edit] Cyclone Larry

Babinda was hit hard by Cyclone Larry in March 2006. The category five (Australian scale) storm damaged 80% of the town's buildings, including the town's historic movie theatre and iconic coffee shop "Yum Yum's". Sugar cane crops and banana plantations in the region were decimated. At least twenty homes were completely obliterated down to their concrete foundations, their debris causing significant damage to other buildings. Vegetation, often full-sized tree trunks weighing some one to two tons, were ripped from nearby forest and flung into buildings by the winds. Severe landslides caused by rain also devastated the slopes of the Bellenden Ker mountain range, blocking roads and contaminating the water supply for many weeks after the cyclone struck.

All but few houses, mainly those in the Babinda district are still undergoing repairs, nearly a year and half later.