Rural cosmopolitanism at the frontier? Chinese farmers and community relations in northern Queensland, c.1890–1920

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of the Cairns district, northern Queensland, c.1900.

Table 1. Distribution of Chinese in the Cairns area, 1886 census

	Chinese	Total population	% Chinese
Cairns Census District
Cairns town	244	1376	17.7
Cairns hinterland	471	1208	38.9
Mulgrave/Russell	42	327	12.8
Geraldton	530	1724	30.7
Cook Census District
Port Douglas town	142	354	40.1
Port Douglas hinterland	487	640	76.1
Herberton Census District
Barron Valley	104	298	34.8
Western tin-fields	51	807	6.3
Herberton	103	1241	8.4

Source: adapted from May (1976b).

Figure 2. Population of the Cairns census district by birthplace, 1901 census. Source: Queensland Government (1901).

Figure 3. Arrival and departure of Chinese passengers from north Queensland ports (Cairns, Cooktown, Geraldton, Port Douglas, Townsville), 1899–1907. Source: Queensland Government (1908).

Table 2. Police census of Chinese residents in the Cairns district, 1909

Police station	Number of Chinese	Increase since 1901	Decrease since 1901
Cairns	450	–	1000
Atherton	1000	750	–
Geraldtown	700	–	150
Hambledon	64	60	–
Kuranda	–	–	1
Mareeba	35	–	Slight
Mossman	80	–	200
Port Douglas	46	–	23

Source: Queensland Government (1909).

May, C. 1976b. “European-Chinese Relations in the Cairns District, 1876–1920.” In Race Relations in North Queensland, edited by H. Reynolds, 2nd ed, 255–278. Townsville: James Cook University.

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Queensland Government. 1901. Ninth Census of Queensland, 1901. Brisbane: Registrar-General of Queensland.

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Queensland Government. 1908. Statistics for the State of Queensland for the Year 1908. Brisbane: Government Statistician’s Office.

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Queensland Government. 1909. Census of Chinese, April-May 1909. File in Police Correspondence Series, Item 86452, Queensland State Archives.

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