Community
27 June, 2022
Seaside holidays
CHILDREN in the Cairns region didn’t have far to go for some seaside holiday fun.
The northern beaches offered plenty of everything – sandy beaches on which to build castles, safe beaches to paddle in, and good fishing spots to catch some dinner.
In the 1930s there was even “cheap” fuel to transport the family there. Cane farmers could buy Shellkol petrol from the Mulgrave Mill at 2/- and a half penny. Shellkol was an admixture of 15% alcohol produced from molasses and 85% petrol.
In addition to buying fuel from the Mill, local farmers could also try their luck and dream of winning the local sweep.
Once such lucky farmer was William McGuigan who won £30. McGuigan invested his winnings in some land at Trinity Beach after seeing an advertisement in the local newspaper. He bought three quarter acre blocks for £40.
The Cairns Brewery had built a holiday cottage for its employees on one of the allotments, and this became the McGuigan “weekender”.
Although the McGuigans would usually to travel from their farm at Saw-mill Pocket by horse and sulky sometimes they would pack up the car and motor there.
Kewarra was considered a safer beach for children to swim in than Trinity Beach as the water gradually became deeper. It was also a good fishing spot.
The water at Trinity Beach got deep very quickly but the sandy shore was quite suitable for strolling along and collecting shells.
Yorkeys Knob and San Remo beaches were the “surf” beaches and probably not the safest for youngsters to paddle in - although the crashing waves and foamy white water were bound to generate shrill screams of excitement.
Sources: Photographs and reference notes courtesy the McGuigan family and Mulgrave Shire Historical Society, State Library of Queensland, and TROVE.
