History of the Daintree Rainforest.

The Daintree Rainforest has a history that stretches more than 135 million years. This history is written on every plant, animal, waterfall and rock in the rainforest, and is one of the prime examples of evolution on the planet. There are plant and animal species living in the Daintree Rainforest older than human life itself, and this is what makes the area so remarkably beautiful and important.

The rainforest has survived the wrath of Mother Nature - violent volcanos, global climate changes, the rising and falling of sea levels, fires, glacier movement, and thrashing cyclonic winds. Perhaps the most dangerous threat to the rainforest now is tourism. For this reason, measures have been put in place by government authorities to restrict movement by people within the rainforest. Whether these rules are affective or not is up for debate, but there is no question that the ecosystem is fragile and visitors need to be careful of their interaction with the environment.

Sir Joseph Banks first recorded the area in European history in the 1770's. This man was travelling on the HMS Endeavour with the famous Captain Cook. The British led voyage signalled the beginning of European colonialism in the southern Pacific region.

By the early 1800's, explorers were battling through the thick jungle of the Daintree hoping to find settlement locations - or even better, gold. But the thick lush rainforest proved brutally impenetrable, so it was left alone to continue living as it had for millions of years beforehand. But only for a little while.

By 1897 better tools and the potential for economic gain from the area had led to increased efforts to settle in the area. Freehold land in the Daintree was gazetted in an attempt to attract settlers to the area. During the 1930's, pioneering families were encouraged to settle and farm 160-acre portions of land. It was designed to stimulate economic recovery in the area after the great depression. The tropical climate was ideal for fruit crops such as bananas, watermelons and pineapples. A commercial timber industry was a major success, bringing an economic boom to the area.

In 1902, German botanist Ludwig Diels found a rare flower that had many characteristics of a primitive flowering genus, Calycanthus. This was previously unknown in Australia. Other examples of the genus had been found in Asia and North America, but the specimens Diels collected were in poor condition and he was unable to find any more than his original finding. He was also unable to make a proper identification of the plant.

Sixty-Nine years later, the flower was discovered again in morbid circumstances.

Four cattle belonging to local farmer John Nicholas from the Daintree Tea Company were unexpectedly found dead in their paddock. A veterinary officer was summoned to check the reasons for the death of the four cattle, and while he was at the property he witnessed the death of two more. Autopsies revealed the partly chewed remains of large seeds in the cattle's stomachs.
After scientific examination, it was found that that the seeds produced a poison similar to strychnine, and they were responsible for the death of the cattle.
Behold, the flower was rediscovered.

After the Second World War the timber industry in the Daintree Rainforest came to life again with the return of soldiers from around the world. A local timber mill built a wooden punt designed to ferry timber trucks across the Daintree River. But this failed when the punt capsized. A better attempt, this time with a steel punt barge, was successful in 1954.

During the 1980's, the Daintree Rainforest was the centre of arguments between conservationists and the timber industry. The conservationists argued that continued logging of the ancient old-growth rainforest was unsustainable and putting too much strain on the ecosystem. Controversy surrounded the creation of the Bloomfield track - a 4WD road through the rainforest along the coastal fringe, all the way from the Daintree River to Cooktown. Protesters halted the construction of the road temporarily, but eventually it was built providing unprecedented access to virgin tropical rainforest. The road was created without proper engineering, and as a result it has remained a rough 4WD track for all of its life.

In 1987, the Australian Federal Government headed to an election with a policy to list the Wet Tropics as a World Heritage site and halt logging. This sparked controversy throughout North Queensland from fears of an economic downturn and job losses. The government won the election and nominated the Daintree Rainforest as a World Heritage area.

Opposition came directly from the Queensland State Government, and took the federal government to the High Court of Australia to challenge its ruling. In 1988, the Wet Tropics area was given a World Heritage listing. The conservationists had a major victory to celebrate.

A year later, a new Labor Queensland State Government was elected, and one of its first actions was to withdraw the High Court challenge against World Heritage listing. The Daintree Rainforest has been in safe hands ever since.

The historical significance of the Daintree Rainforest cannot be understated. In addition to the ecological heritage and importance of the region, the hardship endured by European pioneers in the area should likewise not be forgotten.

Buildings of worth in the area are the Timber Gallery, built in 1925, and Red Mill House, built in 1930. Both structures are made from timber milled where the Daintree Riverview Caravan Park stands today. In constant reminder of the ferocity of Mother Nature, these buildings remain a part of the ecosystem by way of the termites that eat the wooden foundations.