Mareeba was settled in 1811. In 1845 Leichhardt found a route from Brisbane through to the Northern Territory, but on his second expedition his party completely disappeared. His grave was never found.
In 1848, Kennedy led an expedition to the Cape. He was speared to death a short distance from the tip before they were able to reach the supply ship which was waiting for them. Kennedy died in the arms of his companion Jacky Jacky, who buried him. Jacky Jacky then escaped in the ship.
In 1872 William Hann passed through Mareeba
to report on the mineral prospects of the area. The Hann Tableland
just north of the town is named after him. He found samples
of gold on the Palmer River and on his return reported the findings. |
