Page 97 - Port Douglas Magazine 44

daintree special.

Images clockwise from left;
Daintree Village (1933),
Supply Truck at General Store
(1986), Eric Osborn with
steam boiler used to run the
mill (1924), a local collecting
groceries from the General
Store.

WHEN THE WATERS RISE Without roads, the only way in and out was by boat or bridle track. The
During the wet season, the Daintree River can rise quickly, cutting the Village Osborne launches - The Daintree and The Echo ferried supplies, mail, and
off from the outside world for days or weeks. In the early days, floodwaters passengers between Port Douglas and Cairns. Road access wouldn’t come
often destroyed crops, damaged homes, and made farming unpredictable. until 1933. Even electricity and mains water weren’t connected to the Village
until 1966. Despite its remoteness, the community thrived. Throughout the
Even today, flooding has left its mark. The flood following Cyclone Jasper 20th century, the Village even had its own cricket, netball, and tennis teams.
in December 2023 was the largest ever recorded, with heights reaching
14.85 metres—surpassing the previous record by over two metres. To date, HEART OF THE VILLAGE
floodwater has never risen completely into the Village itself.
At the centre of this close-knit community stands the General Store, now the
NEAR ABANDONMENT Daintree Village Hotel. Built in 1925 by the Osbornes, it serves as the town’s
hub, adapting with each generation. After the original building burned down
By the early 20th century, the excitement of the logging era had faded. The in 1995, the current structure rose in its place, still housing the post office
post office had closed, farming proved too difficult to sustain, and the Village and serving locals and tourists with cold beer and a warm meal.
faced a tough period. Some settlers left, the school closed, and at one point it
seemed the Daintree Village might fade away entirely. Many wild stories have come from the Daintree Village. A personal favourite
of mine comes from the back of an old photograph. It recalls a party raging
A DAIRY DREAM behind the butcher shop that nearly ended when police were called to seize
the keg and take it back to Mossman. As the keg was loaded into a truck,
The arrival of Lucas Hughes in 1921 signalled a turning point. He founded Ned Cobb and Sam Hill lifted it off, leaving the truck empty as it drove away.
the Daintree River Development Co. and introduced dairy farming to the The party then made its way down to a sandbank in the Osbornes’ paddock,
region. By 1924, a joint butter factory and timber mill stood where the continuing until Sunday morning.
caravan park now sits. The Village was alive once again; stores opened, and
the school returned in 1924. These days, the old store lives on as the local pub, a perfect place to grab a
cold drink and soak in the serenity. It’s still the beating heart of the Village,
where stories are shared, and the past comes to life.