Fishery Falls, Queensland

File:Bruce Highway crosses a bridge over Fishery Creek, Fishery Falls, 2018 01.jpg

The Mulgrave River forms the eastern boundary of the locality; it flows into the Coral Sea in the neighbouring locality of Deeral. The land in the locality is flat (about 10 metres above sea level) and is predominantly freehold farming land with sugarcane the principal crop.{{Queensland Globe|accessdate=23 September 2017}}

File:Fishery Falls township along the Bruce Highway, 2018.jpg

The Bruce Highway passes through the locality from south to north-west with the North Coast railway line running immediately parallel and east of the highway. Today, there is no railway station within Fishery Falls, but historically there were three, all now abandoned (from north to south):

• Mount Sophia railway station ({{coord|-17.1625|145.8763|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Sophia railway station (former)}}){{Cite web |date=2 October 2020 |title=Railway stations and sidings - Queensland |url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005070354/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd |archive-date=5 October 2020 |access-date=5 October 2020 |website=Queensland Open Data |publisher=Queensland Government}}
• Fishery Falls railway station ({{coord|-17.1814|145.8862|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Fishery Falls railway station (former)}})
• McDonnell Creek railway station ({{coord|-17.1924|145.8929|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=McDonnell Creek railway station (former)}})

There is also a cane tramway network within the area to deliver the sugarcane to the Mulgrave Sugar Mill in Gordonvale.

Although there is no official town, there is a hotel, a large caravan park, and a number of streets of houses clustered just west of the Bruce Highway at {{Coord|-17.1840|145.8862|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Fishery Falls (township)}}, although the school is located 2 km south of this township.

File:McDonnell Creek State School, 1942.jpg

The locality is presumed to be named after the waterfall of the same name which is located in neighboroughing Wooroonooran approximately {{Convert|1|km}} west of the locality of Fishery Falls.{{Cite QPN|12540|Fishery Falls|waterfall in the Cairns Region|accessdate=24 September 2017}}

McDonald's Creek State School opened on 22 September 1913.{{Cite QldSchool|accessdate=18 April 2019}} In 1916, the spelling was changed to McDonnell's Creek State School. It is now simply known as McDonnell Creek State School.{{Citation|title=Queensland schools past and present|publication-date=2010|author1=Queensland Family History Society|edition=Version 1.01|publisher=Queensland Family History Society|isbn=978-1-921171-26-0}}

{{Clear|left}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Fishery Falls had a population of 141 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC31054|name=Fishery Falls (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Fishery Falls had a population of 205 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL31043|name=Fishery Falls (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

File:McDonnell Creek State School, circa 1970s.jpg

McDonnell Creek State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 69273 Bruce Highway ({{coord|-17.1966|145.8973|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=McDonnell Creek State School}}).{{cite web|url=https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997|title=State and non-state school details|publisher=Queensland Government|date=9 July 2018|access-date=21 November 2018|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|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mcdonnellcreekss.eq.edu.au/|title=McDonnell Creek State School|access-date=21 November 2018|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226005226/https://mcdonnellcreekss.eq.edu.au/|url-status=live}} In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 25 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).{{Cite web|url=https://mcdonnellcreekss.eq.edu.au/Supportandresources/Formsanddocuments/Annual%20reports/McDonnell%20Creek%20State%20School2016%20SARS.pdf|title=Annual Report 2016|website=McDonnell Creek State School|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923141114/https://mcdonnellcreekss.eq.edu.au/Supportandresources/Formsanddocuments/Annual%20reports/McDonnell%20Creek%20State%20School2016%20SARS.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2017|url-status=live|access-date=23 September 2017}} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 14 students with 3 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).{{cite web|url=https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx|title=ACARA School Profile 2018|publisher=Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority|access-date=28 January 2020|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=live}}

As the name suggests, the school is located very near to McDonnell Creek approximately {{convert|2|km}} south of the township.

There are no secondary schools in Fishery Falls. The nearest government secondary schools are Gordonvale State High School in Gordonvale to the north-west and Babinda State School in Babinda to the south.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=8 September 2023 |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 }}

The South Sea Islander Memorial at the corner of the Bruce Highway and McMahon Drive commemorates over 60,000 Kanakas who were contracted to work in the sugarcane plantations from 1863 to 1906. Although some came voluntarily, others were misinformed about their contracts or were kidnapped (a practice known as blackbirding).{{Cite web|url=http://monumentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/106457|title=South Sea Islander Memorial|website=Monument Australia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923144455/http://monumentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/106457|archive-date=23 September 2017|url-status=live|access-date=23 September 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://cairnsartsandculturemap.com.au/south-sea-islander-monument|title=South Sea Islander Monument|publisher=Cairns Regional Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511150327/https://cairnsartsandculturemap.com.au/south-sea-islander-monument|archive-date=11 May 2018|url-status=live|access-date=11 May 2018|df=dmy-all}}

• List of waterfalls
• List of waterfalls in Australia

{{reflist}}

• {{Citation|title=McDonnell Creek State School : celebrating 100 years of community spirit and education|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/190062114|publication-date=2013|publisher=McDonnell Creek State School}}

{{Commons category-inline|Fishery Falls, Queensland}}{{Cairns Region}}

Category:Cairns Region

Category:Localities in Queensland