Kairi, Queensland

Kairi /ˈkɛəraɪ/ is a town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3]

Kairi
Queensland
Kairi Maize Silos, 2007
Kairi
Coordinates17°13′S 145°33′E
Population460 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)4872
Elevation697 m (2,287 ft)
Location
  • 4 km (2 mi) S of Tinaroo
  • 12 km (7 mi) NW of Atherton
  • 84.1 km (52 mi) SW of Cairns
  • 1,698 km (1,055 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)Tablelands Region
State electorate(s)Hill
Federal Division(s)Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
28.9 °C
84 °F		 11.2 °C
52 °F		 1,290.5 mm
50.8 in
Localities around Kairi:
Tolga Tinaroo Lake Tinaroo
Tolga Kairi Lake Tinaroo
Atherton East Barron Lake Tinaroo

Geography

Kairi is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is close to Lake Tinaroo and the closest more populous place is Tinaroo, which is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) North of Kairi. It is 1,698 kilometres (1,055 mi) NNW from Brisbane and is 719m above sea level.

History
Men's quarters at Kairi State Farm, circa 1913

Yidinji (also known as Yidinj, Yidiny, and Idindji) is an Australian Aboriginal language. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns, Gordonvale, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi.[4]

Kairi State School opened its doors in 1911.[5][6]

Kaira State Farm, circa 1930

The establishment of a State Farm at Kairi by the Queensland Government was announced in May 1911.[7][8] Fifty acres of land was initially cleared for the farm, which was to focus on dairying and pigs initially.[9] Drummond MacPherson was transferred from his role as manager of the state farm at Biggenden to manage the Kairi State Farm.[10] By March 1912, the state farm was growing maize, cow pea, rhodes grass, pumpkins, sugar melons and cucumbers.[11] The State Farm closed in 1929, apart from the piggery which operated for a few years longer. From 1929, the farm was operated by commercial interests.[12]

In 1932, it was proposed that Kairi State Farm should become an agricultural college, focusing on the tropical agriculture of northern Queensland, while the Gatton Agricultural College would focus on the agriculture of southern Queensland.[13] The idea of an agricultural college was very popular but little progress was made on actually establishing it. In 1944, the state farm was taken over by the Australian Army to supply vegetables and eggs for the armed forces during World War II.[12] After the war in 1946, the state farm was used to establish a regional experimentation station to address the declining productivity of the soils on the Atherton Tableland.[12] Although the end of the war brought renewed interest in establishing an agricultural college, it was announced in 1954 that there was no prospect of the college being established.[14] In March 1962, the state farm became an official Research Station of the Queensland Department of Agriculture.[12]

At the 2006 census, Kairi had a population of 193.[15]

In October 2011, most of the land (209 hectares) of the former state farm / research station was sold by the Queensland Government, retaining only 26 hectares. The sale of the land was to fund the establishment of the Agri-Science Hub at Peters Street, Mareeba. The hub focusses on agricultural research and development, together with education and training. James Cook University is a partner of the hub, researching tropical agriculture, aquaculture and biosecurity.[16]

In the 2011 census, Kairi had a population of 460 people.[1]

Heritage listings

Kairi has a number of heritage-listed sites, including Kairi Maize Silos[17]

Education

Kairi State School is a government co-educational primary school (P-6). In 2015, it had an enrolment of 91 students with 6 teachers (5 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[18]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Kairi (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  2. "Kairi - town (entry 17551)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  3. "Kairi - locality (entry 48689)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  4. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yidinji". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. "Kairi SS". Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  6. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  7. "THE WEEK AT A GLANCE". The Queenslander (2357). Queensland, Australia. 20 May 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE". The Telegraph (12, 021). Queensland, Australia. 29 May 1911. p. 11. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "A Cabinet Meeting". The Northern Miner. Queensland, Australia. 7 June 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "State Farm Managers Appointed". The Brisbane Courier (16, 777). Queensland, Australia. 19 October 1911. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Mr Tolmie's Tour". Cairns Post. XXVI (1262). Queensland, Australia. 18 March 1912. p. 2. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. Warrell, L. A; Cannon, M. G; Thompson, W. P; Queensland. Dept. of Primary Industries (1984), Soils of the Kairi Research Station, Atherton Tableland, North Queensland (PDF), Queensland Dept. of Primary Industries, p. 1, ISBN 978-0-7242-1430-3, archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2017
  13. "KAIRI STATE FARM". Townsville Daily Bulletin. LIV (228). Queensland, Australia. 22 September 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "NO IMMEDIATE POSSIBILITY OF COLLEGE AT KAIRI". The Evening Advocate. Queensland, Australia. 22 November 1954. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Kairi (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  16. Mulherin, Tim (24 October 2011). "$6.95 million for Mareeba agri-science hub". Media Statements. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  17. "Kairi Maize Silos (entry 602631)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  18. "2015 School Annual Report" (PDF). Kairi State School. Retrieved 29 January 2017.

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