Caravonica, Queensland

Caravonica lies in the foothills of the Queensland tropical rain forests. The actual village itself is {{convert|1.2|km|mi}} in length from its most northern point to its most southern point. The boundary of the suburb can be found as far north as the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway's southern terminal is known as the Caravonica Terminal. The southern border is bounded by Kamerunga, aligning with the Barron River riparian zone along the Kamerunga section of the northern bank of the river.{{Cite web|title=Queensland Globe; Layer:Boundaries|url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/|access-date=5 October 2020|archive-date=19 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/|url-status=live}}

Lake Placid is a neighbourhood in the west of the locality. Until 1969 known as Barron Waters,{{cite QPN|18821|Lake Placid|locality unbounded in Cairns Regional|accessdate=18 September 2020}} it is named after a natural pond in the Barron River, created by a rock barrage.{{cite web |url=http://www.ozoutback.com.au/postcards/postcards_forms/qld_cairns/index.htm |title=Cairns, tropical city in Far North Queensland |publisher=Oz Outback |access-date=2007-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040625122102/http://www.ozoutback.com.au/postcards/postcards_forms/qld_cairns/index.htm |archive-date=2004-06-25 }} Lake Placid is the entrance to the Barron Gorge National Park.{{cite web |url=http://www.reflectionsonthelake.com.au/ |title=Reflections on the Lake |publisher=Reflections on the Lake Restaurant |access-date=2007-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040229073020/http://www.reflectionsonthelake.com.au/ |archive-date=2004-02-29 }} The Lake Placid Tourist Park provides varied styles of accommodation from camping to villas.

A supplementary section of Lake Placid Road leads to Kamerunga Conservation Park and Kamerunga Crossing, a ford across the Barron River. It is the location of an old bridge (no longer for use by vehicles).{{cite QPN|17625|Kamerunga Crossing|ford in Cairns Regional|accessdate=18 September 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Google Streetview|url=https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-16.8728946,145.6831779,3a,15y,187.25h,86.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stjtxra4GtaVojgtt425-fA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?shorturl=1|access-date=2020-10-06|website=Google Maps|language=en|archive-date=24 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224225756/https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-16.8728946,145.6831779,3a,15y,187.25h,86.55t/data=%213m6%211e1%213m4%211stjtxra4GtaVojgtt425-fA%212e0%217i13312%218i6656?shorturl=1|url-status=live}}

Caravonica - Map.png|Map of Caravonica

Caravonica - Cairns - Map.png|Map of Caravonica in the Region of Cairns

Caravonica is situated in the Djabugay (Tjapukai) traditional Aboriginal country. The Yirrganydji people are custodians within the Djabugay traditional country.{{Cite web|title=First people cultural history|url=https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/community-environment/first-people/culture-history|access-date=23 June 2020|publisher=Cairns Regional Council|archive-date=9 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409215848/https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/community-environment/first-people/culture-history|url-status=dead}}

Caravonica was originally part of the Shire of Mulgrave and then the City of Cairns local government areas.

The modern history of the area began with the arrival of David Thomatis (1851-1919), originally from Italy and latterly headmaster of Townsville Grammar School. He acquired 800 acres of land in 1884, which is said to have been 1.6 miles wide on the Barron River and stretched as far as Thomatis Creek, which was named after him. In the recent past before that some Asians, presumably Chinese did some informal agriculture there.

He named the land Caravonica Park after the town near his birthplace with the same name in the north-west Italian province of Liguria.{{cite web|url=https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/11831/CSuburbs.pdf|title=C Suburbs|publisher=Cairns Regional Council|access-date=5 October 2020|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011170106/https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/11831/CSuburbs.pdf|url-status=live}} Initially, he experimented with growing bananas, coconuts, rice, oranges, mangoes etc.. He was finally successful with the cultivation of a cotton variety that was created by crossing Peruvian and Mexican cotton. This type of cotton, which was cultivated as a perennial plant in tree form, gained a worldwide reputation under the name Caravonica Cotton and was soon also cultivated in many other countries. Thomatis sold his interests in April 1909 in Berlin to a German group led by Barons Werner and Curt von Grunan and Dr Marcus.To-Day, The Northern Miner (Charters Towers, Qld.), 4 October 1909. p. 4 Soon after the First World War, the Germans sold the plantation and the local cultivation of cotton began to decline due to the fall in the world market prices and the lack of cheap labour.

From the 1980s onward Caravonica has been built up as a residential suburb with the erection of single family homes.

David Thomatis.jpg | Dr David Thomatis (c. 1889)

Caravonica - Thomatis Plantation.jpg | Plantation Caravonica Park (1906)

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Caravonica had a population of 1,989 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC30537|name=Caravonica (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Caravonica had a population of 2,183 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL30533|name=Caravonica (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

Kamerunga State School opened on 28 May 1913. It was wrecked in a cyclone in February 1927. On 6 April 1927, it reopened at a new location as Caravonica State School.{{Citation|author1=Queensland Family History Society|title=Queensland schools past and present|publication-date=2010|edition=Version 1.01|publisher=Queensland Family History Society|isbn=978-1-921171-26-0}} The decision to relocate the school had been taken prior to the cyclone.{{cite news|date=23 February 1927|title=Appalling Damage|page=4 (Second Edition – 3 p.m.)|newspaper=Daily Standard|issue=4405|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article185448767|access-date=25 December 2020|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=24 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224225759/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185448767|url-status=live}}{{cite news|date=9 March 1927|title=Blown Down|volume=LVI|page=23|newspaper=The Northern Herald|issue=727|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149464886|access-date=25 December 2020|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=25 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225212748/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149464886|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=2020-03-13 |title=History |url=https://caravonicass.eq.edu.au/our-school/history |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Caravonica State School |language=en |archive-date=12 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312120448/https://caravonicass.eq.edu.au/our-school/history |url-status=live }}

Caravonica State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Lot 3 Kamerunga Road.{{cite web |date=9 July 2018 |title=State and non-state school details |url=https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997 |archive-date=21 November 2018 |access-date=21 November 2018 |publisher=Queensland Government}}{{cite web |title=Caravonica State School |url=https://caravonicass.eq.edu.au/ |access-date=21 November 2018 |archive-date=23 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223214414/https://caravonicass.eq.edu.au/ |url-status=live }} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 537 students with 42 teachers (37 full-time equivalent) and 27 non-teaching staff (16 full-time equivalent).{{cite web |title=ACARA School Profile 2018 |url=https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx |access-date=28 January 2020 |publisher=Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority |archive-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085246/https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx |url-status=dead }} It includes a special education program.

There are no government secondary schools in Caravonica. The nearest government primary schools are Smithfield State High School in neighbouring Smithfield to the north and Redlynch State College in Redlynch to the south-east.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=30 June 2024 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

Aerial view of Caravonica State School, 2024.jpg | Aerial view of Caravonica State School, 2024

Caravonica State School, original school building.jpg | Original school building, Caravonica State School

Truck being used as a school bus for Caravonica State School, circa 1950.jpg | A truck was used a school bus for Caravonica State School, 1950s

Looking north along Aroona Street, Caravonica, 2018.jpg|Aarona Street – a typical street

Looking north-west over Caravonica from Kawana Street, 2018.jpg|View cross suburbia from Kwana Street

Looking south-east down Kawana Street, Caravonica, 2018.jpg|Kwana Street

Looking west from Aroona Street, Caravonica, towards Red Bluff in the distance, 2018.jpg|Suburban landscape with Red Peak

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline|Caravonica, Queensland}}

• [http://www.tjapukai.com.au/ Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park]

{{Cairns Region}}

Category:Suburbs of Cairns